The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-23
CHURCH FOUNDED
UPON A TRAGEDY
Umatilla Indians Are Follow
ers of Christianity
PREACHING IS REGULAR
Umatillars Are Among the Most En-
lightened in the West and With
Church and Teachers Form
a Unique Picture

Spokane, Wash, May 22.-(Special) }
Standing upon a plateau near the foot o.
the Blue mountains in Umatilla county
Oregon, southwest of Spokane, is the Tu
tulla church, built and maintained by In
dams. The pastor, the Rev. Mark Smith
is a full-blooded Cayuse, and he ano
others preach the gospel every Sabbath
day. The prayer meeting is the regular
devotion of its communicates and the
ordinance of baptism and the communion
are regularly practiced.
! Gathered upon the Umatilla reservation
are loo Indians, of whom more than 400
| have come under the influence of Chris
| tianity and the little church. While it is
true that many of the braves are still
| bad Indians 1t is also a fact that the
reflection of the lives of the religious
workers of the tribe is to be found every
| where, in every activity of the people, in
all that is done, whether the doer be
| believer or non-belever.
The Umatillas are among the most en-
| lightened of the red men of the northwest.
Many of the Christians farm land well,
oNh 6oot hoiiicSt cuoN"eo SiASAA >A---- -,
and become valuable men in the COM
munity. Pianos are not luxuries in some
of the homes
Religious work on the Umatilla reserva-
ton dates back to 1885, when Marcus
Whitman and his young wife went into
the Oregon country from Connecticut and
founded the mission at Waiilatpu, on a
| p
ent site of Walla Walla, Wash. On the
spot where Whitman gave UP his life for
the good of the red man in 1S47 has been
erected a granite monument, comment
Grating the greatest crime of the age in
the northwest.
From the early beginning with its
tragedy and the consequent scattering of
the influence where religion had found
Judgment, after many years. came the
movement which crystallized in the we'll
organized and active church of today,
controlled and maintained by the red men
in whose interests the Presbyterian church
has made such tremendous efforts to
show them the true light.
The revival meeting is an innovation in
troduced in religious work among the In
dams At first the idea of meeting in
enthusiastic religious gathering was re-
pugnant to the braves of the tribe, but
gradually the plan appealed to the better
class and the most royal support is now
given to the work. Money is freely con-
tributed to pay expenses and men and
women give up their time and labor as
freely as do philanthropists of the eau
cassan race.
The organization of the church, its man
agement and its doctrinal teachings are
entirely in the handg of the native red
tees are full-blooded Indians, the pastor
and his wife, who sheds light among
the women of the tribe, are of unmixed
blood. The work is conducted along the
usual lines, with bit of additional en-
phasis on temperance and domestic en-
terprise. The entire force of the church
is used continually aaginst rum, the arch
enemy of the red men.
At the expense of $500 and an immense
amount of labor on the part of the adj
herents of the faith the Tutuilla church
and the pastors residence were erected.
Much of the labor on the buildings was
done by Indians practically all the money
needed was raised by subscription with
little effort, and since the class was or
ganized the problem of funds has been
solved.
Indians are liberal givers when once
thew see the light and feel the need of