The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-28
I tuesday, Evening,
PRIEST WHO DARES ia Y
CONVERT THE ESKIMO
Father 7Mgquet1 Begins Pe,1l0ns Journey to
Meet Chief Ny,1ntayok, WAo. Has Maae a
7,y;St apith HIM. One of the Most Important
and Dangerous Missions EUe, Uzzde1z1ken by
the Church. *..t r.s
From q STAFF Correspondent.

From Staff Correspondent. g.
Prince Albert, N. w T., Feb. "a
The Rev. Father Arsene Turuuetil has
begun remarkable journey to keep a
remarkable tryst with remarkable Es-
klmo named Nyrimayok. He left St..
Peters mission, at the northernmost
point of Reindeer lake, in Athabasca,
on or about Jan. 1, and expects to reach
Lake Garry, between. Mackenzie and
heeWatln, 66 degrees north latitude,
early IN March. There a conference
Decentralization Of one Of the largest
tribes OF Eskimos on the continent-a
tribe whose uncounted thousands roam
the wllds of the frozen north from Hud-
sons bay to the Beaufort sea. ! Over
these strange people of the northlanl
Chief Nyrimayok reigns as powerful as
any other earthly king, and his CONVEX
sion to Christianity means the CONVEX
sion of all his people,
Bishop Pascal Of the Roman Catholic
church, under whose direction Father
which ne has undertaken is one of the
most important ever undertaken by the
church.
Chief Nyrimayok 9 conversion, it is
believed, is assured. Last summer
Father Turquetil was in Prince Albert
coming from the mission on Reindeer
lake to make his annual report to Bish
(oop Pascal here; to receive instructions
from his superior, and to gather his
supplies for another twelve-m month in
lined his plans to Bishop Pascal after
telling him the interesting. story Of
Nyrimayok.
The Chiefs Promise.
One day last spring Father Turoue
til reported, just before the caribou be
gan their northward migration, CHIEF
NXrimayok went to the mission, an
with some ostentation, tho with hi.
apparent sincerity, asked Father Tnr
quetil to visit his camp 100 miles nortl
as the crow flies. Furthermore, tn,
father reported, the chief asked hin
to make his home among his people. an,
offered to build a hut for his use. an,
provide him sustenance
The father, elated over this evidence
OF the friendliness Of the powerful lead
er Of 50 OF large race, and glad Of the IN
gospel Of Christ among those s p pagans, a; ac
cepted the invitation and told the chic
that he would meet him at the begin
ming of the new year at designate,
place near Lake Garry Now he has Sc
out to keep the tryst
Perils Undesirable.
| Father Alphonse Caste, vicar genera
OF the vicariate of Prince Albert, VIII
for more than forty years was in charg
OF the mission on the bleak, rock
shores OF Reindeer lake, once made
trip into the territory into which Fathe
9rq wsb S Is gon :s That That was y. tR il
sion ad was the first white man to trs
verse that territory. Since then partie
OF surveyors are the only known white
known to 20 into the northern wilder
ness. Father Caste made the trip wit
the whole tribe of Montagnais Indian
which followed the reindeer when the
began their northward run at spring
, time. Therefore the venerable vica:
general s statement has peculiar weigh
He said:
| emo words in any language, howeve
joined, could exaggerate the perils an
hardships of Father Turquetil's jou
, ney.
He made the same statement to Fail
/ er Turquetil when he was in Prince A
| bert last summer. Then he waited an:
iously to hear what answer the young
priest would make. Father Turquet
~ shall go to meet the chief, fat
err
Father Castles bearded, wrinkle
face was alight with the pleasure
felt.
oureey ffafSer 1 he aa s x6 6Gs fol
embrace, while tears .glistened in h
eyes. ct wish were strong enough
90 with you.''
Then Father Turquetil set out fro
Prince Albert. Nine hundred miles is
short distance in the states; but 81
on Reindeer lake, is different. The fir
200 miles are easy-a quick four day
paddle down the broad swift flown
Saskatchewan river. Across Cumbe
land lake the passage ism It hard, sa7
that it is the first stretch Of the Ion
long row against stream, for from Rel
deer lake down thru a series Of rive
and little lakes, the water rushes rapi
4 ly on its way to the Saskatchewa
Lake Winnipeg and Hudson g bay
I real work and PeTils: Of the Voyage
the mission begin. The description
\ given by Father Caste, who made t
8 trip twice in the forty-fve years
i spent in the work in the northern wilt
q Now the priest with his Indian guild
passes thru few miles of smooth ru
u ming water, slowly, for padding a Zig
q canoe up stream is difficult, even
expert Indian canoemen. Now the no
q Of the little bark boat is poked again
I into a marsh where the mud squash
up. around the ankles or knees ca
d voyager takes his share of the goo
3 and the Indians, in addition, pack t
= canoe, and the trip Of, maybe two, me-
+ be sixty miles, ar{ound the rushing ra
AU3HngHm>