The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10
CHIEF OF THE RED LAKES
BISHOP wHIPPLE's TOUCHING STORY
OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
His Conversion to Christianity the
Result of Simple Teaching and the
Keeping of q Pledge Faith.

Bishop II. B. whipple, in the Churchman.
1 received yesterday letter from Rev.
Francis Willis, at Red Lake, telling me
that my dear friend, Mahdwa-go-no-nint,
the chief Of the Red Lake Indians, had
entered into rest. For the moment / was
overwhelmed with sorrow, for had pas
sionate love for this noble red man, one
of the truest and most faithful Christians
have ever known In the early days or
my labors for the Indians, when the people
of the frontier called me an enthusiastic
''tenderfoot," whose eyes had not yet been
opened to the fact that there were no good
Indians save dead Indians, Mr.. Kittson, one
of the oldest of the Indian traders of the
Northwest, said to me: Bishop, don't be
discouraged about these red men, nor make
up your mind about them until you have
met Mahdwa gononint. He is a man that
no money could swerve from the truth
A few weeks after / visited Red Lake.
1t was journey Of three hundred miles,
and as it was before the day of railways
in Minnesota, the greater part of it had
to be made on foot and by birch bark
canoes. The chief had heard of my inter-
est in his people and seemed favorably i'm
pressed. Upon my arrival he came from his
lodge to meet me. He was a man six feet
with flashing eyes, frank, open countenance
and as dignified in bearing as one of a king
ly race. l told him the object of my visit
that 1 wanted his people to know that the
Great Spirit was the Father of all men, and
that His Son, Jesus Christ, had come into
the world to teach men about God and how
to live.
The chief said, frankly: II have heard
of your visits to the Indians, and / think
that the trail you have brought into my
country is a good trail; those who have
walked in it have not come to harm.
do not say that l will walk in it; 1 do not
know it. 1 shall always be glad to see
you, and will listen with open ears to the
words you speak. 1 will not talk to you
about my people. We have never sold any
land to white men. They will come some
day and ask us to make treaty. VIII you
tell me what to say to them? The Indians
to the east have sold their land, and have
perisdhed IVA want my people to live Vet 20
make provision for houses, cattle, nipple
ments Of husbandry and schools-all needed
if possible l would be present whenever a
treaty was made The following year
commission was sent to Red Lake to treat
with the Indians; but, unfortunately, l.
vas unable to be present, having been
thrown from my wagon and severity injured.
A few months later, met Mahdwagononint
at Leach lake. The lakes were frozen, and
he had walked more than hundred miles
to see me. Sorrow and anxiety were
ground map of his country, ne said: THE
white men say they have bought my land.
One-half the Indians are in my band, and
nearly one-fourth are in ASeneWub's band.
Asenewub says he has signed no treaty.
l did not sign because there were no houses,
cattle nor schools in the treaty. The game
peoples graves Will you help me?"
| was deeply touched by the artless plea
of this man, and promised to help him.
Several months after ]. visited Washington
with the Red Lake chiefs, and, after one
OF the severest personal conflicts that L
n n ne8 Treaty chef my DE-
voted friend, and the next year he visited
me at my home. We had long conversa-
tons upon religion, and finally he said to
me: Il want Your religion for my people;
l can see it; it is good. l like it for two
reasons / hear that when you plant mis-
sion you go to stay; that you are patient
and make the trail plain. hear that your
church cares for little children. / like it,
sent two young Indian clergymen to Red
cum, the son of Shadayence, the grand med
icine man of TIE Ojibways. When the ques-
ton came up as to what the mission should
be called, Mr.. Gilman and myself agreed
that there could be no more fitting name
than ST. Antipas. In the book of Revela-
ton it speaks Of my servant yaa1o An ndpini
upon public worship. After due instruction
he was baptized and confirmed, ana from
that time till the day of his death he faith
fully kept the praying day." and sought
to lead his people to the Savior.
At my second visit for confirmation
found that there were eleven persons to be
confirmed. When l called them forward
Mahdwagononint came first and stood at the
end of the chancel rail. / was surprised
for the moment, fearing that the dear man
had not clearly understood and thought that
he was to be again confirmed. But as the
candidates came forward the chief counted
them on his fingers, and when all had come
he bowed to me and reverently took his
seat. AS their chief he considered it his
duty to see that the young men fulfilled
their promises. He made me many visits
to Faribault, where he was always a well
patriarchal chieftain the adviser and coun-
selor than any Indian l have known. On
one of my visits, after very interesting
service, he said to me: MY father, since
you We're here my wife has lain down in
the grave. 1 have heard that Christian
white men ask the Great Spirit to bless the
place where His children lie and have them
in His keeping till He calls them. Will you
bless the place where my wife is sleeping
and where I shall rest?"
We formed a procession, first the children
of the village, led by one of the clergy, then
the women, the men, the clergy, and last
the old chief and myself. We marched
singing in the musical Ojibway language,
Jesus, Lover of My Soul" Then a short
service with a lesson from holy Scripture,
the apostles creed. and address from
the bishop. After the service. Mahdwa 60
nonint took my hand and said, with much
emotion, II thank you for telling me, and
my people, that we have Savior. 1 thank
you for blessing the place where we shall
sleep. l have your face on my heart. Good
bye, I have doner'
Many of the clergy and Iaity of the do
cese will remember the speech which
Mahdwagononint made at the council when
we met at Duluth in 1885, 1 was presiding /;
and. seeing the old chief enter the church
door, and knowing that he had made the
journey of two hundred miles to see me,
beckoned to him to come to me. Turning
to the council. I said. II want to introduce
TO you the head chief of the Red Lake In
dams, our brother in the church of Christ.
Judge Wilder and Judge Atwater arose, and
all the members followed.
Mahdwagononint. with perfect compoS-
ure turned to me and asked, do they ex-
pect me to speak to tECm?'
II think that they will be very glad to
hear YOU l answered.
He turned. and, dropping his blanket from
one shoulder. stood as gracefully and with
as much dignity as g Roman senator. and
said; My friends, / am glad that when you
chose man to be your father you chose
one whose heart was large enough to have
room fer my people. / thank you that with
ali the work you had for him to do you per-
mitted him to come ana tell me and my peo-
pie that We have Savior. am an old man
and almost home. viii you pray for me?
Goodbye, [ have done"
/ have received frequent messages from
this noble soul. all breathing the same
spirit of thankfulneSS for the knowledge of
Jesus Christ. He had seen great sorrows,
and felt keenly the wrongs which his peo-
pie had suffered; but do not recall n word
OF murmuring. The Indians know how