The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-03

ParadOxically Seen a Few Dec
AIDES Ago-Episcopal Church No
Small Factor I'm the Indians'
Progress.
Bishop Henry B. Whipple, Of Fart
bault, delivered an address on "Civil-
iZation and Characterization of the
Ojibways in Minnesota" before the
Minnesota Historical society last night
in the senate chamber at the state cap
itol The bishops address was the
last Of the society's free course of his
tOrical lectures.
Bishop Whipple spoke from a large
experience, having had supervision of
the Episcopal mission work for these
Indians in Northern Minnesota, himself
also sharing personally in the work
and travelling hundreds of miles each
year to visit and aid in all the Ojibway
missions in this state during nearly
forty years. His work here began In
the winter of 1859-60. The number Of
these Indians now living In the north
part of this state Is about 5000. The
address was in part as follows:
1t Is a great pleasure to tell you the story
Of our missions to the Ojibways whom
have learned to love as the brown children
of our Heavenly Father. The North Amer
lean Indian is the noblest type of wild
man In the world. He recognizes a Great
Spirit; has unwavering faith In a future
life. a passionate, love for his children, and
will lay down his life unflinchingly for his
people. l have never known Indian to
tel me he-a fact to which the officers Of
the United States army will bear testimony.
The Ojibways belong to the Algonquin ma
ton. which included all the Indians from
the Atlantic to the forests of Minnesota.
lions of New York. Their language is both
beautiful and interesting and exhibits the
incest shades of meaning. The verbs have
more infections than the Greek language.
crucial test of a language, but in that re-
spect the richness of the Ojibway tongue
cannot be exceeded. Three weeks after my
first coming to Minnesota I visited the In
depth of degradation unknown to their heather
fathers. Our Indian affairs were at their worst.
The Indians were regarded by politicians as
key to unlock the public treasury, and
even Christian folk said, in the language Of
Cain, Am l my brothers keeper?' Much
as 1 heard of their sorrow and wretched-
ness, l was appalled, by the revelation of
my first visit. AS we entered the forest we
found by the wayside an Indian who had
been killed in drunken fight. few miles
further on we came to wigwam, where
the mother was stripping the outer bark
from pine tree that she might give the
pitch to her children to satisfy the gnaw-
ings Of hunger. Almost at every step we
were met by some sign of the existing degra-
dalton.
At Gull lake the Rev. James Lloyd Brock
had gathered little band Of Christian In
dams. He had left them to establish an
other mission at Leech lake. The Indians,
while maddened with drink, had driven him
and his family from the country. They aft
erwards told me that white men had assured
them that their grand medicine was as good
as any religion, and If they did not want
the missionary they might drive him away.
spent the following summer visiting all
the scattered bands Of the Ojibways, and
1 IN nrvyinn 80 oIl@
asked me If the Jesus Of whom spoke were
the same Jesus that my white brother talked
70 when he was angry or drunk. The head
chief Of Sandy Lake said to me- you have
spoken strong words against fre-water and
impurity, but, my friend, you have made a
mistake. These are the words you should
the fre-water and corrupt our daughters.
They are the sinners not we.'
There are today ten Ojibway churches I'm
der my care in Minnesota, and seven Glib,
way clergymen, besides several catechists and
lay-readers. / once asked a borderman about
one of my Indian clergymen, and he replied:
der his feet. and he doesn't wake up any
body's sleeping dogs" have often been
asked If all Indians who were baptised re-
NAMED true 1 TO- their profession and I have
man, with 1900 years Of civilization back OF
him, to fail as model of Christian char
memories in my heart dearer than those OF
many of the brown children whom we have
been permitted to lead out of heather dark
ness.
We owe debt Of gratitude to our deaconess,
Miss Sybil Carter, who, with all the energy
and devotion Of her honored great grand
father, Samuel Adams, Of Revolutionary fame,
has made a grand success of the six lace
schools which she has established among the
Indians, four of which are in Minnesota. This
lace compares favorably with the best i'm
ported laces, and received high commentator
at the worlds fair at Chicago. There havo
been many instances where the Indians would
have suffered from hunger, by the loss OF
their crops. had II not been for this indus
try. The lace making has refining influence
upon these people. An Indian woman said
to me: me wash hands to keep thread
clean dress to keep apron clean; clean floor
to keep dress clean; lace make everything
clean; me like It,"
The story of our labors for the Indians
would not be complete II l did not speak OF
the conflicts which have had to secure JUS
tice for them and to reform our Indian
system. President Grant loved the Indians,
and political pressure never made him turn
from what he believed to be for their inter-
est. Officers Of the United States army have
always been my friends. Gen. Sherman once
said the Indian problem could be solved by
the Golden Rule. There is much YET to
be done, but the difference at the enc Of
daylight. The following facts speak volumes
OF the 250,0OO Indians in the United States,
besides those in Alaska, $4,000 wear the CIV
ilized dress. $4,000 live in houses, 25,O 900 arc
are pupils in schools $4,000 can read. The
past year there were ITO more births than
deaths among the Oiibways in Minnesota. The
indians last year sold to the government, and
to others, more than 100000 bushels OF
wheat and corn.
Yes, thank Cod the atmosphere is clear
ing. The sentiment Of justice is beginning
to vibrate in the hearts of men everywhere
owe debt of gratitude to the Christian
| people of America and of England for their
| sympathy and help. For myself, I have
received hundred-fold for all my abors
! and when I have finished my work I would
| rather have one of these men, of the .remb-
| ling eye and wandering foot, drop tear over
! my grave and say: He helped us when he
| could" than to have the finest monument.