The Washington herald., 1912-06-02

kimos tribes on the bleak shores Of the
silent Arctic Ocean
With reference TO the lack OF success
frequently complained OF by Christian
missionaries among the Indians. It is
to be remarked that II you have gained
an Indians confidence suficiently to
question him closely on the subject you
viii find that he Is outspoken in his
contempt for the white mans 'forked
tongue" his ways and his beliefs. The
writer regrets to state that he has
found the indian to be essentially a
savage tribes OF prehistoric races.
Should he ever profess conversion 10
Christianity. a. do the members Of the
Papago tribe, Il generally means no
more than that he Is not averse 10
adding another god to his pantheon.
AS an authority on this subject has
truly remarked. IN the religion Of q
purely hunting people we cannot ex-
pect any but the simplest forms.
Fasts Three Days.
CounseiSd by the elders OF his tribe.
the boy Of fourteen or fifteen goes 10
q secluded spot on hill or mountain and
fasts rigidly for a period Of three or four
days In order that he may attain
spiritual power, believing that while his
mind is thus clarified the Great Mystery
will yield TO his desire and reveal TO him
the map Of his future destiny. Sitting
alone by his little FIRE, II may be that
during his vigils he hears in the SYM
phonies Of the wind among the pines
or in some eerie voice OF night an an
swer to the eternal question. Small
wonder II is that he becomes by nature
superstitious and secretive.
Indian tribes generally believe in the
existence OF q great spirit, and the sur
Yival OF the soul; but have scarcely any
religious observhnces and no edlfces for
sacred purposes. The primitive Indians
were nature worshipers. pure and sim
pie; II, for instance, they wished for fine
weather, they did not pray to the Crea-
tor. but to the weather itself.
Ernest Thompson Seton has said that
the Indians are simply large children.
and further, no matter how reasonable
your proposition, they take a long time
to consider It and are subject to all
kinds OF mental revulsions. Admitting
the truth Of this statement, II may be
said, however, that the Indian has some
very sensible customs and traits which
the white man would do well to adopt.
Soon after the birth of an Indian child,
the mother places a leaf or other OBJ
ject over its mouth for the purpose of
compelling il to breathe as nature in
tended, through the nose, the Indians
thinking truly that nearly all diseases
are communicated by mouth breathing.
Again, they are great believers In the ef-
hcacy OF thorough ventilation, II has
often been the case, where a benehcent
government has provided the Indian al
lottee with a comfortable log cabin. that
he has deliberately gone TO work and
taken the roof on. installing his tepee
in the center Of the floor! And further,
in the matter OF politeness, an Indian
never tries to stare a stranger out of
cOuntenance, this being practice almost
entirely monopoliEed by supposedly civil
lied people in everyday walks OF life.
No BaIdheaded Indians.
It has been the writer's observation
that should you meet an Indian while
travelling through his country and he
does not know you, he will never ap-
pear TO recognize your presence or even
to see you; and II you happen to be
standing in his way and he is mounted.
he Will ride right over you! Lastly. who
ever saw a baldheaded Indian? Even
to extreme old age. both men and women
retain their abundant snaky locks. to
the last nearly always the color Of a
ravens wing. This may be attributed
to their practice OF always going hatless,
summer as well as winter. thus giving
the sun. rain and wind a chance TO pro-
mote the .healthful growth Of the hair.
instead of weakening or utterly destroy
ing it by heavy, close-fitting, perspira-
ton inducing headgear. Offer an In
dian a hat, and the chances are that he
will accept and wear II, but about the
first thing he will do will be TO tear the
crown out, as he takes great pride in
his scalp-lock and has no wish TO imi-
tate his white brother in the matter Of
badness.
Francis Leupp, Indian Commissioner
for many years, has the following to
say in his book The Indian and His
Problems"
ITO find the real Indian, we must
go back into the wild country, where
the white race has not penetrated.
Here we find a man Of fine physique,
a model of hospitality. a kind parent,
a genial companion. a stanch friend,
and a faithful pledge keeper"
Thus the Indian is not to be Judged