The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-25
INDIAN SHAKERS.
Remarkable story % New sect Aw.r.
tho Red Men.
W. J. HESDEAsoS


Remarkable story % . New sect Amenr
tho Red Men.
Working quietly hut steadily q I,,l.
hand 81 Indian shakers, adherents ~ a
new Indian religion. are doing much IN
stamp out intemperance In the Northue-s
Asking no help from the whites or fror,
the Indians themselves hut beiievins
that they are directed by the spirit OF th.,r
departed leader and founder % the sec,
John Slocum. the priests Of the hellef ar.
found In nearly all the Indian Villages q
Washin gton and Oregon.
They teach one doctrine Temperance
CIV continually against the evils Of the
liquor habit and eNpound crudely the
teachin % Of the Bible, John Siocum. the
Moses Of the Shakers. though dead is
their prophet Through him the Great
Spirit Ia directing the work Of saving
the redrnen from their greatest curse
whiskeV
! Since the shaker priests have started
their crusade the authorities are finding
that IL N much easier to stop the illegal
trafic ~ liquor among the Indians When
an Indian a member Of the faith hack
slides and falls 10y the wayside the priests
or the prl"-tesses find out who sold the
liquor and report the seller TO the An-
thorities. Convictions are assured. says
Tol'isrs. as the Indians will testify against
the prisoner. something that has never
been true In the Northwest before.
few months ago the shakers dedicated
a handsome new church at Mud Ray. near
Olympia. the capital Of Washington. the
home and the birthplace 81 the new faith.
The church IL a substantial structure
built entirely 10y the Indians. Peter
kalAmA. highly educated. wealthy
priest Of the faith. donated the money 70
buy the materials and with the other
Mud Bay Indians did the manual labor
upon he building Mud Ray Sam donated
To the church an acre Of ground upon which
the building stands.
Tho Shaker faith was started by old
John SIocum. a Mud Bay Indian. several
yeIrs ago. Slocum was an intelligent
man. bat a great drunkard. Often he
would lie in a drunken stupor for days.
and II was during one Of these drunken
stupOrs that the Indians thought him
dead and made all preparations for ha
burial.
and all signs OF life had disappeared.
and Indians from all parts Of the North
west arrived TO take part in the services
On the day set for the interrnent,
Slocum suddenly reused himself He
told the astonished Indians present
that b. had been dead. He told ~ having
gone TO heaven and OF having SEEN the
Great Spirit He described heaven in
terms that the Indians appreciate.
Slocum told the Indians that be had
been reprimAnded for has drunkenness
and sent back 10y the Great Spirit % show
them that the ulse Of liquor was robbing
them 10 their birthrisht, Of thaIr homes.
money and OF everything that would come
IN the great hereafter. He told 81 the
new religion that Sod had commanded
him to preach to the tribesmen, told hov
spread the Word among all the Indians
of the world.
Accepting his word as the word 81 their
greatest chief. the Indians began 10 look
upon Slocum as n god He Became the
the Indians viewpoint in he world. Hls
religion was formally adopted and the
shaker faith came into existence.
The devotional service OF the Shakers
10 copied in part from those OF several
denominations. The Methodist Church
furnishes the hymns. the Catholic Church
furnishes the old custom ~ making tho
= Igu Of the cross and the bowling 81 ne
knee when the name OF the Saviour ~ the
Deity is mentioned. the Episcopal Church
furnishes the idea Of chanting prayers.
A small altar Ia used upon which thres
lighted candles are kept burning. an old
ritual and one that 70 attracting
the attention OF Masons. Two small
brass belis nro Kept on the altar for uss
during the singing.
lhe sick u tho church arc taken 70
The church. where they are prayed and
sung over by the entira congregation;
The Indian shakers are m a way mental
science hsalcrs. they believe that tho
sick can become we'll Il they only place
their faith "a God.
Iron the death 81 John Slocum. Who
spread his religion % all parts ~ DE
state 10y making missionary Journeys 10
'anos and 10y way " wagon and by the
holding OF great potlatches, Mud Ay
Louis was selected az Bishop.
Louis was one 81 the largest holders
Il oyster lands in the village, which AZ one
line was the wealthies, Indian settlement
n the West Ho made long trips o. th"
yrelt Northwest 10 Alaska and 20 the
Sord ~ the Bible and explaining th"
story - John Slocum Who
,lthough dead, IN still believed 20 te
covering in spirit over the Indians and
will some day return To lead them n th'
iappy hunting ground.
LOUIS made hundreds ~ convsrts
churches and appointed
,riests. lie fought always in the cau-'
& temperance and personally sav-d
many Indians frC1p dr,InkAris grave
Upon the death Of Louis his brother,
'lud Bay Sam. took up the Bishops robe
ie ~ now the head Of the Church, and -
work ing. With the help ~ Peter kalams,
\leAand"r kieo. Jack SlOcum and seNer,i
th.r Indiana 20 extend the church ~ al
he Indian villages in the West "" -
nesting With great siIccs-s and the menu
,arship 81 the church. which 10 Chris zen
n all senses 81 the word. - rapidly
Increasing.
Coming Of the CoecO-Grays.