The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
THE BLACKFOOTS FAITH.
TnkDTTIoEs OF TWO RELIGIONS TO
WHICH HE CLEyGS.
Ne HAPPY HsuntinR Greunda. but n wovid Of
shadows ia Their Herenrter-steriea OF OLD
MAS. Their CHER God-Their worship Or the
Sun-Tho C~oramsnieA In the Medicine ledge.

eun-Tho CorsHsntea In the Meafcine ledge
KIP, Mont, Jan. 15.-Riding up tho river
valley the other day in search of a dcef OF an
antelope for tho Christmas feast, wo camo upon
the ruins Of q large.ciroular structure, long siDco
fallen TO tho ground. Tho posts and poles which
had supported;the walls and roof of brush were
covered with successive growths Of prairie
grass; the leafy brush had been scattered by the
winds. Here some summer In the long ago
the Blackfeet had Rathered:to observe the great
religious ceremony Of tho year, and in this leafy
structure, erected by them according to the OK.
press command:of:tho sun, all the mysteries and
sacrifices Of their faith had been performed.
Never ngain shall they meet, here or else
where, TO take part in this ancient rite. Our
all.wise and benevolent Government, urged on
BIZ missionaries, has decreed that the Indians
shall hold no more Medicine Lodges. Little
Gid these priests know the Indian character
when they thought this would turn the Black
feet from their faith. The labor OF tho mis-
oionaries has been in vain. They have failed
20 mako q single convert. Daily and hourly
these people practice the religion of their faith
ers. Not ono of them but is.a'frm believer in
It. And some Of us are glad Of this, for we
believe that all religions arc but vain striv-
ings after light, and that mono of them is,true.
The Blackfect have a unique faith, for. I'M
like other tribes and peoples, civilized and UNI
civilized, they do not believe in n happy future
state. There is no happy hunting ground for
them. Moreover, they have n dual faith, two
religions: or systems of philosophy. which work
one with the other in perfect harmony. The
elder OF these faiths. which has for its supreme
god NGp.i [Old.manl they brought with them
from the far north, for they arc Of Algonquin
stock, and migrated hither from tho region of
tho Great Slave Lake a little more sthan 100
years ago. The younger faith is tho sun re-
ligion, which they undoubtedly learned :.from
Some OF the tribes they mot here. Sun worship
10 common to many tribes along the eastern
elopesof the Rocky Mountains, from Mexico to
northern Montana, when It abruptly ter
inmates. The Blackfeet are the only tribe of
Algonquins who practice II, their fellow tribes
of this stock, the Crees, Chippewas, ojibways,
and others having a very different faith.
Nap-i, or Oldham, is said to have been quito
different from the children he created, I. e., the
rBlackfeet. His skin was almost white, his
hair q golden yellow. Tho word Nap-i has its
root in the sound for light. the dawn, white.
Oldham. then. Is light personifed. When these
simple people first saw white men. they thought
they beheld tho brothers of their god, and
named them Nap-i kwaks Goldman peoplel.
Old.man not only created people. but he also
made this world we 1.-Two in. 1t is fiat and
round like a cake, the edge breaking Off abrupt
ly into space. 1t was a very happy world at
first, and always would ha ve been SO had not q
foolish woman ruined it. One day a little child
fell i'll. 1t would no longer eat; its flesh be-
Fan to shrink, and day and night 1t kept up a
plaintive cry. In vain.the poor mother brought
1t choice bits of food, and sought in all ways to
make it we'll. so at last she went in search of
Oldham whom she found sitting by the river.
weaving a bullrush mat.
Look ut my child" she cried. holding the
emaciated little form out before him. 'Take
pity on me and make it we'll"
Oldham .gazed at the child q long time, and
again the poor mother begged him to help 1t.
Then he finally said:
"Woman, it shall rest with you whether this
child lives or dies" Picking up a dry buffalo
chip and a stone, he held ono in either hand and
continued: You shall cay which one Of these
] am to throw into the water; il 1t floats tho
child shall live, there will be everlasting life
for you all; but II 1t sinks, then the child will
die; all of you. and those still to come, will die.
each in his own time"
Tell me-" cried the woman, tell me what
you mean by life and what die means"
''You," said Oldham. land me, all people
you see, all animals, are life. They breathe,
ace, hear, move about, and are happy. You
have not yet seen death; when a person or an
animal dies, his body grows cold, he no longer
secs or hears, aGd in a little while the flesh
falls from his bones and mingles with tho
earth. In time, even the bones disappear and
oNCEy ming 10 no IL ho u 1uhb
Is what die means"
Quick thenl o! hurryi" cried the woman. as
she looked at the child, which was scarcely
breathing. Throw the rock!'
Oldham did as Rho said, without a word.
and as 1t sunk to the bottom the :child died.
Death had come into the world.
Up to the time death appeared the people had
eaten no flesh. nothing but berries and roots
and green things. But now Old-man slit their
n atv dnwp matinp nnuara with yyhi,b thoy
could grasp the bows and arrows he taught
them how to make and use, and then the men
animals. And then they quarrelled and fought
with other peoples. Soon death and danger
There are many stories told about Old-man n,
which Ill accord with his character Of world
to have been also a butfoon. a player OF mean
Jokes, partly fool. he is worshipped with all re-
which are repeated over and over around the
evening fire. One or two, of them will suffice
Ono day Oldham was travelling along tho
river bank when, happening TO look down into
great clusters Of ripe. red berries. Quickly re-,
moving his clothing. no dived on the bank, but
e his surprise lIp%ise could ;%a not see Or GRASP the bushes
bank again, and looking down, there he saw the
berries as bright and tempting as ever. and
fIhe concluded lie had not dived deep enough to
to his feet, and jumped OFF tho bank once more.
This time he went quite to the bottom OF the
river and CROPPED about. but still no berries.
Then he began to suffocate, but could not rise
to tho surface on account of the stones which
held him down. He tore frantically ut the
thongs which held them to his legs, and rnally
dead than alive. AS he lay there. recovering
his breath and strength, he happened TO look up,
and there, above and overhanging the place
where he had stood and Owed, he saw some
bushes laden with berries. Climbing up on the
bank again he realized that what he had seen
In the water was but the reflection of tho bushes
above his head, and this made him 30 angry
that he caused these bushes to be covered with
thorns, and SO sharp are they that to this day
people can gather the berries only by beating
tho bushes with clubs.
Walking.oyer the prairie one day Old-man
became tired ana sat down on a rock to rest.
He sat there u long time, singing to himself and
watching the buffalo and the antelope which
were grazing about him. At last he started to
the rock, he said:
You have been kind to me; you have al.
Horded me u much needed rest; 80, now. To shOW