The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-23
MISSIONARY WORK IN BRITISH
COLUMBIA.

Between the years 1859 and 1896,
says Archbishop McNeill, the Oblate
Fathers converted about twelve thou
sand Indians on the mainland of Brit
ish Columbia. 1t was not super
fetal change they effected. Old In
dian customs savoring of superstitu-
ton were abandoned. This is a great
achievement. But anyone who tries
to tell of the process and recount the
hardships of the missionaries soon
finds that those. devoted men cared not
at all of what the future might have
to say about them. They left no me-
moirs. They made history; they did
not write it. A few who happened to
have special talent for the written
word, like Father Norice or Father LIE
Jeune, of Kamloops, have left records
of work done in special places; but
in general it may be said that the
book of life" is the only one in which
they aspired to have future record.
The Okanagan Mission of early days
is little known to any but old timers
who happened to have lived in that
vicinity. The first priest to visit the
Okanagan Indians in British Column
bia was Father Nobili, Jesuit, and a
companion of Father de Smet, in 1919
He came from Walla Walla, in the
State of Washington, through the
Okanagan Valley, and went as far
North as Fort George. At the head OF
the Lake the Indians stole his church
yestments, which they thought would
make good material for leggings! on
October s, 1859, the mission near
Kelowna was founded by Father Pom
dosky, o. M. l., assisted by the Rev.
Peter Richard, o. M. l., and Brother
Surel. For thirty-one years Father
Pondosky labored among the Indians
especially at Penticton and in the
Somilkameen country.
He found them leading an unclV-
ilized and wretched life. Their mar
rage customs were the reverse OF
Christian. The hymns he taught them
to sing they still sing. For time
Father Durieu, o. M. l., afterwards
Bishop of New Westminster, whose
endowment for mission work amount
ed to genius, studied the mentality OF
the Indians and drew up set OF rules
for dealing with them in accord with
their needs. 1t is recorded OF him
that for two years he never once
tasted bread, but lived on Indian rare
of roots and dried fish. The SELL
denial of those early missionaries
must. indeed, have been of the super
natural order Cleanliness is VIZ
tue which Indian women seem TO
find difficult of requirement, and one
can easily imagine the repugnance
which the missionary would OFTEN
have to overcome at meal time. 1t is
said that when the missionary once
asked an Indian woman to clean
spoon for him, she took it, licked IT,
and handed it back to him. Father
Prudosy was the son of barr1ster
His home had been one of culture ana
refinement. For love of God and OF
souls he submitted to real hardship,
until one day, in February, 1891 there
came a sick call to distant Indian
cabin. On the way exposure brought
on pneumonia, and he died in the In
dian cabin.
From 1867 to 1873 another Oblate
missionary in the Okanagan valley
was Father Gendre, whom the Indians
long remembered as kind and jovlal
friend. His letters reveal literary
taste which could have produced
most readable book. For some days
occasionally he was quite alone and
had to cook for himself. He thus de-
scribes his "baching": 81 formed a
perfect community, remarkable for it's
orderly conduct. When cooking,
kneading my dough or baking it on
the sheet-iron of my little stove, the
whole community assisted at the OPP
Grafton. The part of our rule which
/ then observed the best, after broth
erly love, was the prescription OF
silence. Always strict silence, except
when annoyed by the racket OF rats.
threw at them some French anathe-
ma. which the native rats did not I'M
derstand." Father Gendre died of con-
sumption at the old mission house
near Kelowna.
The Okanagan Indians have improv-
ed steadily under the guidance of the
missionaries. They have, of course, a
long distance to travel to reach civil
and religious perfection. But they
have greatly attained to the state of
Christian family life. They drink too
much strong drink, as we all know
and deplore Those who sell drink to
the Indians must bear large part OF
the blame. White people should not
allow any of their number to reap
profit by catering to the desire for
strong drink in the Indian. The ex-
listing laws are strict enough to pre-
vent it if properly executed. In the
matter of agriculture the Indian is in
a dilemma. If the Government is
very paternal in supplying implements
and other facilities, the Indian learns
to depend too much on the Govern
ment and becomes pauperized. If, on
the other hand, he is allowed the right
of individual property for credit in
buying implements, ETC., he is in dan,
ger of alternating his property foolish.
". The people who sell whiskey to
- ,.ozy~nvncfh1o for rofordino