The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-12-12
THE NOOKSACKS
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Paper Read by Mrs. Phoebe N Judson of Lynden the
Women's Missionary Meeting

MI i al 4 ana capt. JOnE, convert
cd Indian from the Chiliwlck, b.
c.. mission. They came on horses
owe! din. trails through the im
marse forests and ihr ,osh swanps
girth deep in places, for the pur-
pJse of preaching TO the NoJksac K
trife We were taken by surp,iso.
but Sally and Joe, our two old re-
tables. began to spread the news
mong their "tillikums" (friends)
and they must have reached them
by wireless, for before eleven o.
tlock the next morning our house
was filled to overflowing with ma
tive worshippers. 1t was the first
Christian meeting ever held in
iynden, and my heart melted to
tears when these poor benighted
souls responded so readily to the
Spirit of Divine Love which pervad-
ed the meeting. Brother Tate preach
ed in the Indian language which he
had learned to speak fluently, of
1.-The glad tidings of great joy TO
all people," and of a free saliva
tion to all without respect of per-
sons. The earnest pleading of the
two missionaries had the desired eff
feet of leading the listeners to re-
nounce their idolatrous way of liv-
ing and accept Christianity. And,
so anxious were they to acknowl-
edge their faith that they pressed
forward, the chief taking the lead,
and gave their names to Brother
Tate. Each one i'll turn. with
much emotion, told of the love he
telt in his heart for the "Sahalie
iyee" (God), who was their Faith
ar just as he was the Father of the
white man. Mr.. Tate continued his
efforts among the Nooksacks for
some length of time, for not only
his life but his heart was devoted
to the work He was so faithful in
his charge ever them that We soon
noticed a change for the better in
their habits. The first reform we
noticed was the marrying of all
who were living together as man
and wife. Chief Yellowkanim Was
the 1irst to go through the narri-
age CEREMONY, wr;sii occurred at Il
meeting at our house. ! reTem5e.-
that We were quite astonished when
we saw him standing before the
minister who was 10 tie The knot,
with a young girl instead of Fanny,
the old woman with whom he had
be IN. living. Brother Tate began 70
rem,ns uste. with him, when lie re-
piled, Il want young wife if l
have 20 live always with her.
When convinced that he was not do
ing the right thing he reluctantly
changed partners and Fanny became
his lawfully welded and only wife
as long as she lived This was quite
a recommendation for the old chief
tain since it was the custom of the
chief to practice polygamy. The
next reform was the burying OF
their dead that had been lying III
state above ground for many years.
No more we heard the doleful sound
of the tomonamous or the mourn
full wailings around the shrines of
their dead
Soon after, they severed their
tribal relations and were allowed to
take up land as homesteads. My
husband went with number of
them in a canoe to LaConner where
court was held at that time, to
help them file and prove up on their
lands. They improved their claims
initiating the white settlers in the
building of comfortable houses and
planting fruit trees and shrubbery
around their homes. Here they
lived happy, harmonious lives until
the saloon came. This institution,
instead of taking up the work SO
we'll begun by the missionaries had,
of course, just the opposite effect
and instead of a blessing proved a
curse which destroyed nearly all of
the good missionaries work, as
well as destroying the poor Indians
themselves. The saloons. TO rob
them of their hard-earned money,
sold them the vilest connections,
which made those under their in
fluence fighting crazy, killing their
best friends Not having the same
fear of the spirits which intoxicat-
ed them as they had of their own
Invisible ones whom they had
once feared, they became easy prey
for the saloon, and were soon re-
duced to a more deplorable state
than when living in superstitious
ignorance Then they could live
Win Dul lIltlS anu
game We're abundant Now their
families must suffer for what they
earned was squandered at the sa-
loon. The old chiefs last days
were made miserable by seeing his
tribe passing before him to drunk
ards graves. Many pathetic scenes
and incidents has he from time 20
time related to me that are not
pleasant to write. How discourag-
ing it must be to the missionaries
e, erywhere to have to contend with
his monstrous evil. Wherever
they go the liquor either precedes
or soon follows them. Still they
cannot falter in their good work.
Il know of three noble Indians
who were converted through the
ministrations of the Rev. Mr.. Tate;
one of them is still living: two,
who were steadfast to the last,
have passed over to the Great Be-
yond where they are doubtless reap
ing the reward of the faithful and
true.
1--WE should be encouraged to
go forward in the good work for