The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-25
HALF-bREEDS FOR BIG
CANADIAN COLONY
Noted Catholic Missionary Is
Sponsor for a Remarkable
Project in Northwest.
WORK AMONG INDIANS

CHICAGO, Feb. 24-Father Albert La
combe, the first missionary to penetrate the
Canadian Northwest, spent several days in
Chicago last week. Although now nearly
seventy-eight years old and in spite of fifty
four years of privations among the pioneers
and Indians, Father LacOmbe is still active
and is now at work on what he hopes will
the the browning achievement of his life
the establishment of colony for half
breeds"
He recently obtained a tract of land one
hundred miles east of Edmonton from the
Canadian government upon which TO found
this colony and has since spent $4,000 in
improving ii and sending half-breeds to ii.
During a stay in st. Paul he conferred with
j. ]. Hill in reference to sending large
number of the half-breeds who live in Mon
tana back to the colony, and arranged to
have one of his immigration agents sent TO
Montana Immediately.
Speaking Of his plans, Father Lacombe
said:
1.-The founding of the colony is necessary
to redeem these people, of whom there are
about ten thousand in Canada and the
northwest part OF the United States They
were good class of people until the white
mon began to throng the country. They
are unable to compete with the white men
and are not liked by them and generally
live a life of poverty and misery.
Il wish to get them all together where
one will be the equal of the other, make
them build their houses, till their ground
and work for their living. If / live long
enough ID do this | shall feel very happy
for then 1 am certain that we can make
good Christian citizens of them and redeem
this people from its present doWntrodden
and wretched condition.
81 was born in Montreal and received my
education as a priest there, continued the
missionary. early in my life l decided
to become a missionary among the Indians
and as soon as 1 was ordained, when was
not yet twenty-fOur years OF age, started
for the Northwest. l arrived in st. Paul
in 1S49. The city then consisted of only a
few little log cabins and shacks.
II spent two months in getting my pack
train together. We went direct to Edmon-
son Bay Company. That point was the
farthest into the Northwest a missionary
had yet gone, and the field before me ex-
tended from what is now Manitoba clear
to the Pacific and up to the Arctic circle.
THE country was inhabited by Black
feet, Bloods, Piegans, Stony and Cree In
dams. They roamed the forests and prairies
and made their living by hunting and trap
ping. Great herds of buffalo could be seen
on the prairies almost any day and the In
dams constantly hunted them.
Il made my way about the country among
the different tribes on horseback or in dog
sledges. 1 spent several years learning the
various languages and succeeded in arrang-
ing dictionaries and grammarS of them,
which the Canadian government had print
ed. The Indians welcomed me everywhere,
and the only time 1 was in danger was
when a tribe would suddenly attack the viii
lage Of another in which 1 was stopping.
In such battles had many narrow escapes,
and l also had numerous privationS from
cold and hunger.
II was all alone in that vast territory
for time, but soon others followed me in,
and now we have hundreds of missionaries
and several bishops in the Canadian North
west.
THE country is entirely changed now
from what ii was once. White people are
coming in rapidly and the Indians are set
tied on reservations and are becoming civ
iliZed. There are good schools and mis-
sionS on all the reservations, and there are
no longer any wars between the tribes
Many of the Indians have taken up the
Christian religion and there are many good
men among the tribes"