The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-05-25
FIRST MISSIONARY
An Interesting Biographical
:. Sketch Here Produced
BY Err. Steinbrueck of Pierre
- Jean DeSmet, S. j.

The .first missionary to bring the
gospel Of Christ to the Indians of the
Tar Northwest and the western part Of
our present state of North Dakota was
the Jesuit father. P. Pierre Jean De
Smet, writes e. r. Steinbrueck in a
recent issue Of the Mandan. N. D., Pr
onser.
He was born on January 30th. 1901,
in Termonde, Belgium, and was one
81 the 70 novices who wandered from
the Chesapeake to the Missouri, to be
one of the inmates Of the newly estab-
lished novitiate at st. Louis in 1923.
In the year 1888. now a Pater, P. De-
Smet, S. j., began missionary work
among the Indians of the Rocky Noun
tains. He founded missionary sta
ton among the Poawatomies. In 1s4o
we find him at his blessed work in the
Bitter root valley among the Flat
heads, the Snake Indians and the
Pend'd Orilles His field of conversion
extended as far as Fort Union. oppo-
site tho mouth Of the Yellowstone
river. Thence he descended the Mis-
souri river as far as Fort Rice, visit
ing on his journey the Mandans. the
Arikara and the Hidatsa Indians on
their reservation of Fort Berthold.
Thus in September. 1910. 1t was the
first time that a christian missionary
traversed the upper territory. which is
now a part of the state Of North Da-
kota.
In 1912. on his return from Fort
Vancouver to ST. Louis. it was the
second time. that he, going down the
Missouri, crossed our state again,
teaching. consoling, pacifying and
spending the holy sacranents Of bap-
tism and of matrimony. He was the
one white man in whom the poor, ILL
treated Indians had implicit faith, to
whom they looked up as to father.
whom they respected and honored and
obeyed because they recognized him
to be pure Of heart, honest and unset
fish.
From 1s44-1s4s P. Desmet spent his
time among the Flatheads and the
Blackfeet. who were hostile to each
other. He succeeded in bringing on
peace between these two tribes. He
also worked among the Nez Perce's
and the Crows.
After an absence of three years and
six months he returned from Fort
Benton, then called Fort Lewis, down
visiting his Indians on the way and adj
ministering to their religious wants.
The whole Columbian valley had been
dotted with infant establishments and
he had laid the foundation for a. spir-
itual empire throughout that entire
northwestern region.
The great rush and increasing I'M
migration of white settlers into Oregon
had caused the Indians to feel uneasy
and alarmed, seeing their once undis-
puted domain slip away from them.
Disturbed, they became hostile. Count
ellis with the Indians were arranged
for by the government and p. DeSmet
was called upon as peacemaker. Not
once, but many times. and he was al
ways successful in restoring peace
and submission. a task that no othef
white man could have accomplished.
Owing to jealousy and false reports
about p DeSmet's work. intentions and
aohiev ernents, his blissful work among
the Indians was interrupted for over
six years The Indians had become
uncomfortable and inimical during
that time and serious trouble was at
hand Then the government took
refuge again to P. DeSmet's good
services and again he was sent out to
smooth the difficulties. This happened
In 1883, seven years after his last visit
to the Upper Indians in 1851.
He returned in July. 1859, to st.
Louis again by the great waterway Of
the Missouri, baptizing on his route
over 900 Indian children. In the sum-
NOR. Of 1862 he travelled once more
4 the long distance from St Louis to
Fort Benton and back in fulflment Of
y his religious work among the Indians.
After Generals Sibley's and Sully's
military expedition against Sioux in
1853 p. Desmet- left st. Louis again
April 10th, 1864. on peace commits
sion after his own mind, having re-
fused to accompany military force
a OF war; he, a messenger Of peace and
h love. He remained at Fort Berthold
/ nearly all summer among our Man.
Z dams, Arikara and Hidatse. In the
year 1856 he made his first journey
4 to Fort Benton. Early in 1867, once
more requested by the secretary Of
q war to pacify the hostile Sioux, he