The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-18
BERTH0LD INDIANS
HAVE A new
RELIGION
United States Marshal Shea
Returns With Story of
Horse Worship.

Some of the Indians of the Berthold
reservation in this state have estab-
lished new religion of which Annie
Enemyheart is the high priestess.
United States Marshal James Shea
has just returned from that reserva-
ton where he was the guest of his
son. While visiting his son he met
French Canadian Catholic priest
who has been associated with the
Berthold reservation for the past
three years. and who prior to that
time. was a priest in the Indian serv-
ice in Canada. From the clergyman
Marshal Shea secured the following
strange and weird story:
Annie Enemyheart is a daughter of
a we'll known Indian whose last name
is the same as hers. She has been
attending the Carlisle, Pa, Indian
school and returned home some time
ago. She received enough education
TO enable her to hoodwink the other
Indians of her tribe and she has
caused great slump in the member
ship of some Of the mission churches
at the reservation. The Catholics,
Congregationalists. Presbyterians and
the Episcopalians are strongly en-
trenched in this section. but with the
exception of the Presbyterians the
other congregations have been losing
members in droves, and all through
the efforts of Miss Enemyheart and
thereby hangs the tale.
She has induced the Indians to re-
sort to many of their old heather
practices. Some time ago horse
that was owned by her father died,
and as was the custom among the
tribe. portions of its flesh were cut
off for eating. 1t is known that at
least four of the Indians partook of
this flesh. Strange to say series of
disasters befell all who had thus eat
en- for each one had bad luck of some
kind. The husband of one of the par
tiles died. Shortly after, one of the
men Who had partaken of the meat
lost his team of horses by death. This
was followed very soon after by the
drowning OF another, while the fourth
man met with an accident which will
cause him to be a cripple for life.
These events were used by Annie
to lead the Indians to believe that the
spirit OF the good God had entered
the body of the dead horse and she
began practicing and teaching mod
ification of the sun worship. She
caused the head of the horse to be
cut off, and this she dressed with
bright pieces of calico. and she caus-
ed an altar to be built in the Elbow
Woods which are close to the reser-
walton and here they go through with
their strange worship. Offerings are
brought daily to the horse head. and
a nj tn
while she requires those who follow
her to always keep their faces to the
sun. She has instructed them in a
weird but plaintive chant, and the
meetings are held several times a day.
The horse head and the sun are OBJ
jects of worship. for she has con-
vinced the ignorant Indians that the
head really contains a portion of the
Great Spirit and they obey her every
whim. She has advised all of the
Indians to turn their backs on all
white men and to live for the Indians
alone.
Rev. Mr.. Hall who has charge Of
the Congregational mission at the res
ervation, stated that he had lost many
members from his church by reason
of the new cult established, and the
French priest said to Marshal Shea
that he feared that if something was
not done to stem the growing super
stition brought about by Miss Enemy
heart there would eventually be some
thing ugly occur among the Indians.
Mr.. Shea said that the priests heart
seemed to be fairly broken by reason
of the good work that he had begun
among the Indians and which was
progressing so nicely having almost
come to an end. He said that he did
not know where the matter would
end, but he thought that the Indians
who were following the girl, should
certainly be looked after before they
did some damage. She has caused
bitter feeling to exist among her
followers and the white people, for
she has at all times warned her peo-
pie to beware of the whites under
| every and all circumstances.