Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-13
PRIEST WILL TELL
Of INDIAN TRIBES
Rev. William Hughes to Deliver
Lectures on Conditions at
Famous Missions
SIGNIFICANCE IN LEGENDS
Bishop Conaty viii Preside, and
Funds Will Go to Assist
CahuiIIaS
SIGNIFICANCE IN LEGENDS

Indians, once poSSeSSorS OF the enITe
coast with none to dispute their SOW
ereign rights, but now driven from
their original haunts by civilization far
back into the mountain recesses, prove
one of California's most interesting
features, and the literary work of the
Rev. William Hughes in securing and
arranging many of the legends of the
tribes has attracted wide attention.
Father Hughes served as missionary
to Saboba, Cahuilla and Warmers
ranch for several years, and was re-
Gently appointed lecturer to the Catho-
lie Indian bureau of washington, d.
c., in recognition of his work among
his Indian parishioners. This bureau
is the National Indian Missionary So
ciety of the Catholic church and has as
it's president Cardinal Gibbons. It's
officers are constantly engaged in in
vestigating the conditions and needs OF
the aborigines, reporting these to the
government office when the needs are
social and material, and appealing to
the religious public when they are
moral or spiritual.
LECTURES ON INDIAN LIFE
In the work of publicity of the re-
lig.ious conditions of the Indians Father
Hughes will be well fitted to present to
his audiences. He will lecture through
out the United States on the Mission
Indians, and will open his tour in Los
Angeles with lecture next Wednesday
evening at the Walker Theater build
ing, when he will speak on "The Mis-
sion Indians, Past and Present." which
he will illustrate with series of 100
stereopticon views form photographs
which he has secured while acting as
missionary among the Indians.
Going to them as the successor OF
the brown-robed padres that brought
4 taf 10 ffxy md the Cnlpndi6 line OF
missions along Ell Canine Real of
other days, Father Hughes won the
confidence and love of his Indian
charges through speaking their own
lanc.age and thus eliminating the use
of an interpreter. He gathered with
them in their haunts, preached to
them in their own language and took
the consolation of their religion to
them wherever they might be found,
on mountains or in valleys, and in this
way overcame the strong reluctance of
the Indian in repeating to white peo-
pie their ancient legends, the dread
of the evil which may befall the one
who communicates them to white SCOT
fers still having a strong influence on
the older members of the tribes who
know the tlegends, while the younger
generation seldom are taught these
ancient beliefs.
In speaking of the wonderful leg
ends of the early Mission Indians,
Father Hughes said:
"ror them the world of men was
born of Mother Earth and Father Sky.
Little reference is made to a supreme
being who was the creator of the orig
inal pair. In the beginning men, an
imals and plants all were brethren and
conversation was held among them.
The coyote was the incarnation of
evil, and he was the deceiver. But
the little kingbird unmasked him and
the sun rose and casting a ball of
fire, slew the coyote.
1.-THE wanderings of the tribes,
which came from the north across the
sea, where the land is narrow the
appearance of the TaquitZ, the evil
spirit, who. after destroying the fair
est daughters and the noblest sons OF
the tribes was burned by the exas-
perated people and took flight in spirit
to San Jacinto mountains, where he
now resides and the appearance of
Ooyot, the moon. who came as the
savior and teacher OF his people,
these are among the stories which be-
long to the ancient faith and practice"
1t is these wonderful legends, hardly
dreamed of by the American people
which Father Hughes has collected for
the book which he Is soon to publish
and which will form a large part Of
his lecture or WEDNESDAY, evening.
Bishop Conaty, who has taken an
active interest in the Indians of the
diocese, will preside and introduce the
lecturer. the proceeds of the event to
be used for the benefit of the Cahuilla
Indians, who, a century ago, were at
tached to the well-known San Ga
briel mission but who have retreated
before civilization little by little until
they are now far back on the desert
and mountains.
Father Hughes is we'll known in Los
Angeles, where he was a popular as
sistant priest before taking up his
work among the Indians, and it is ex-
pected that his many friends will
watch with interest his new work.
Several of the Catholic orders will at
tend the lecture in compliment to
Father Hughes, as well as to assist
in the work for. the benefit Of the Mis-
sion Indians.