The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-07-12
Dr.. Charles Eastman Says That Inter.
marriage Is Swiftly Decreasing
Purity Of the Blood.
IS ON HIS WAY NORTH TO
STUDY PRIMITIVE TRIBES
Spent Several Days on Leech Lake
Reservation with the Old
Chippewa Band.

w. - 800
DR.. Charles Eastman. Of Amherst,
Massachusetts,, was in Bemidj il
over night and took the afternoon
train to the Red Lake Indian
reservation. He is on his way to
Saskatchewan and Hudson Bay
trading posts to study the primitive
Indian and collect the oldest relics
that are still with the various tribes
Of the north country. He intends to
circle around to the Rockies and
return east in October.
DR.. Eastman has not been en-.
gagged in college work for some
years as he devotes all of his time
to writing of Indian life. His
latest work, The Indian Mystery
was finished just before he started
on his present trip and wilr be off
the press some time in the fall. 1t
tells of Indian superstitution and
religion.
DR.. Eastman was on the faculty
of Amherst college for many years
before he returned. He has de-
grees from Dartmouth and Har-
ward Universities and has also
studied in other colleges. He
knows more Indian tongues than
probably any other man in this
county today.
AS he is full blooded Sioux,
DR.. Eastman is particularly inter-
ested in Minnesota and the history
of the Minnesota Indians. He says
that all Of the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, valleys originally belonged to
the Sioux but they were gradually
driven back by the invading Chip
pewas until they were all west Of
the Mississippi and north Of the
Mile Laos country.
The Chippewas, lying as they did
nearer to the East than the Sioux,
were the first to get the gun and the
axe of the white man and so were
given an advantage over their primi.
tive cousins that could not be over.
come. After the Sioux obtained
guns and axes from the Superior
traders, they did not give an inch
until the advance of civilization
drove them into the reservations.
The Leech Lake Indians are band
of the old Chippewas that fought
with the Sioux so long ago.
Omahas, Sacs and Fox, and all OF
the smaller tribes which roamed the
country in southern Minnesota and
Iowa were all decended from the
same source as the Sioux and
their languages have the same roots.
DR.. Eastman says that he can learn
the language of these Indians in
three months, whereas it takes more
than three years to learn the tongues
of the Iriquois or eastern Chippewas.
When shown the story in recent
Duluth paper Of the Chippewa.
Sioux fight on Lake Superior, he
pointed out that while the story was
we'll written, it was inaccurate in de.
tails. Indians" he said, never
took prisoners at the time that fgh,
took place. The taking Of prisoners
is comparatively modern idea as ii
was introduced by the whites during
the whiskey period. Indians always
killed all that were taken, even wo
men and children. No one was
spared unless he was adopted into
the tribe to take the place of some
one who had died.
Indian wars before the white
man came were little more than foot
ball contests. Few men were killed
on either side and they were mostly
feats Of strength. In the old days
two hundred and fifty years ago
Indians never fought for TERRITORY
as that was another idea INTRODUCED
by the whites. Their wars wer.
more for physical supremacy.
Asthe Indians have come II
closer touch with the white mans
civilization, they have become NOR