The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-22
DEFENSE Of The cn|lIlTS.


SKAGWAY. Nay E.-Ihat there are two
sides to every question II again verified IN
the case OF the eighteen Chiikat Indians
who were recently arrested and thrown In
% 3ah tor defending their property BY
building fence across tho trAH above
Haines Mission.
Henry Phillipa. bright, intelligent MEM
Dat OF the Chilkat tribe. who lives among
ms people At tho Mission and who acts -
interpreter, tells . very different story Of
the causes that led up TO tho Indians
erecting barrier across the trail than
TIE one told by the white men, Accord
Ing 20 Phillips. tho whites attempted to
force the trail over their long established
nsninG grounds where they cure and dry
their 'hurrigan." or candle 1ah.' for winter
food. and where they extract oil frugn
these nsh which serves a. food and medi-
cine. Phillips tells pathetic story Of
the gradual encroachment Of the whites
and the way his people have been treated
and outraged by tho whites in their Gag
erness to set to the gold fields of tho For.
cupdne district without any regard to the
rights OF the red man and at the sacrifice
o. AL be hoscs most sacred. In an inter-
view today with the special correspond
emit at the Post-Inteiligencer he said:
Indians Ask Justice.
Our people have always been kind 10
the white men and have saved many Of
them from starvation In years gone by.
when the country offered them no subssst-
ence. We protected them when they had
nothing. FED and sheltered them. allowed
nen to i've with US. to take our women.
All our ktndnesses We should be treated
Ike tramps. put In irons and driven OK
our own domain. our fishing grounds de-
cred TO our people. desecrated ana threat
ene0 with destruction. 1t Il not right. II
- not American, and we have . right to
protest against 1t. and to protect our
selves. We are ~ much Americans a. you
AL are. and We have right to demand
the same justice and the same protection
mat you give to yourselves. This 10 the
indignant toward the whites.
kefore the white man invaded the Por.
cupine district our people had the whole
O. the Porcupine district, the Salmon and
There they hunted all through those val
ieys and mountains. and made a good Nv
Ing catching bear. fox. beavers. woiver-
saw great hunting parties and large re-
turns on which our people lived Now these
hunting grounds Will be destroyed With
s sns ADVENT q the white man In his search
We now have left on which to live are our
nsninE grounds along the Chilkat river,
and these are oeing also threatened. Tho
white man. but II seems to have ignored
the red man. or else YOUR men ara Sacslv
ing u.s. and we don't know who TO turn
70 aor Justice There Is something wrong
1T was through the kindly feeling OF our
people toward the white man that ne was
directed to the Porcupine district to md
turn to md work In the mines.
Fence Not . Nuisunce.
Tho place where my people put up =
renee across the trail Is az point seven
miles nom HAines Mission. where for
years we have had our working grounds.
where our men and women bring the
.nurrtgan. Or candle Ash. and where these
srt-! $500 - .or winter uss. and the OIL
q That place. which Is specially suita1ie
Tor this purpose. and there We have =
iarse i number Of ear'hworks, or oil trying
are holes about 4xS feet, and OF various
depths. and In large numbers. The candle
nsn runs In May. just now. and that Is
s wny eur. eur people put up the fence across
the curing season. Tho fish are irst
caught In dip nets. two or three canoes
fuli, then brought TO these holes and ar
LOVED to fermsnt few days. % ,ha, ar M, he
ol can be readily boiled out OF them. This
oil ID then again refined and used by our
people for food and medicinal purposes.
USED by DR.. b. X. WILDER. Of sItka. ana
found to contain properties superior to cod
liver oil for pulmonary troubles. AT any
rate. We use II largely for food. and II
can Beside extracting the oil. We also
cure and dry . lot Of the same Ash. and
then salt them down for our winter food:
these; cooked with potatoes. mako up an
Now. this trail, which Rev. Mr.. War
ron, . missionary among Indians; Long
Shorty Hgelow. mayor OF Haines Mission,
the Chilkat to the Psrcupine goes right
aeross this fish preparing ground. and will
ruin II II allowed TO remain. The Indians
ssswea them wRses hes could % 40 inc
trail about sixty yards to the right and
clear our grounds. There IL no difficulty
In the way except some underbrush. They
was close at hand. our people concluded
to put up fence to stop the whites NJ
that point A sign was put mp. No tres
sso but .soa as Rss. ss H s.
Indians' best friend, threatened that II tho
whites were not allowed TO pass they
would bring soldiers and = man.of-war
and destroy 10.
Whites Mlsrepresentea Facts.
TO show that our people arc loyal
Americans. when they erected the fence
they put up an American hax and u IL
there yet The whites. OF course. lied
about US. and said the Indians we're all
armed and had been insigAsed By Jack
Dalton and ofherx and 20 after working
themselves up they got the soldiers and
had q lot Of our leading men arrested and
put In irons and sent hero 10 3zii-for
what? Why, for doing what every white
man would Do supported In, namely, the
protection Of his own ground and means
Of livelihood.
Again. they propcss 10 put the tran at
Katwaltu through an Indian graveyard
which n one OF the greateAt injuries you
can do 20 our people. for they held with
great sacredness the ground whore their
dead are buried. About one mile below
Kiukwan there In q PRESCRIPTIONS blum. with
. small bench near the river. in which are
buried \ number OF dead Indian medicine
men. or az you cali them, doctors- The
ground in 20 limited below this bench that
In digYfng away FOR trail they viii cause
the whole bench 20 cave into the river.
arc carry away our dead. This il = SAC
riIeee that the Indians VIII never forgive,