The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1918-05-04
THE indian IN WAR
(By Col. Clair Hunt

The Indians, before the coming of
the whites. had a clear understanding
of their duty to their government.
When a tribe was in danger of attack.
all of the men allie to fight assembled
and, after council of the old men, the
chief selected certain members who
should constitute a war party and
whose duty it was to fight the enemy.
There were few slackers. The men had
been taught from childhood that their
glory was in bravery defending the
tribe.
The cause of this Indian practice was
that one man. alone, could not defend
his family or belongings. When a suf-
fcient number Joined forces they
could, together, protect their joint pos
sessions. When an alarm came, the men
Immediately left their families md
gave their sole attention to the defeat
of the enemy, realizing that, If the en-
emy were not defeated, their families
and belongings would be taken from
them or destroyed.
The last time the Columbia tribe was
raided by the Blackfeet was in early
spring about ninety years ago Tho
columbia tribe was not expecting an
attack and was scattered for a hundred
miles up and down the Columbia river
ana its tributaries. The chief and
small band We're camped at place
where Moses Coulee joins the Colum-
bia. The camp ground was on the lower
river bench where a creek runs down
from the Coulee. Back from the bench
the ground rises 1900 feet to the
plateau of the Big Bend. now great
wheat fields. At that time the plateau
was untouched by the plow and
through the heavy brown bunch gra So
of the former year, the fresh green of
new crop was showing. Large bands
of wild cayuses roamed over the
plateau. A few broken saddle ponies
were kept near the camp.
One morning the chief and his
brother caught up couple of ponies to
ride up onto the plateau and look up
the wild cayuses and see how they
had wintered. The son of the chief.
Moses, who afterwards became the
noted chief Moses, was at the time
about eight years old. He begged to be
allowed to go along and was permitted
to climb upon the hack of the pony be-
hind his father. They rode up the trail
and finally reached the edge of the
great plateau. From here looking back
westward across the Columbia, above
and beyond the range of rocky bluffs.
they could see the white snow-covered
tops of the Cascade range; looking
eastward the undulating bunch grassed
plain extended as far as the eye could
see.
They started on a Gallop and soon
were riding along little ridge fanked
by gentle depression or gully. In the
gully there was spring around which
grew a small grove of quaken- asp
trees. They were unarmed and uncon-
scious of danger and. when they neared
the spring, were completely surprised
to hear the twang of a bow and the
hiss of an arrow coming from the
bunch of trees. Instantly little Moses
slid off the horse and hid in "A bunch
of sage brush from where he could see
all that occurred and be himself unseen
Out from the trees rode a small war
party of Blaekfeet Indians fully armed
They had journeyed all the way from
their homes in Montana to punish the
Columbia tribe for having hunted
buffalo on BIackfoot territory the pre-
rounded the two Columbias and as
they would not surrender little Moses
saw his father and uncle fall, fatally
hurt. and saw the Blackfeet ride away
with theirstwo fresh scalps.
When they were out of sight the little
fellow trudged back on foot with weary
legs and heavy heart to the camp he
had left in the morning and told what
had happened. Immediately runners
were sent to the nearest camps, war.
riors were assembled and a war party
of Columbias formed This party set
out at top speed after the Blackfeet
and, being familiar with all the trails
and hiding places, caught them. In the
sanguinary fight that followed the
Black feet Jared so badly that they
never attempted another raid on the
Columbias.
The Indian was the first true Ameri-
can and by his patriotic devotion to his
tribe set an example that we, who
came later, may well emulate. The pos
sessions of the Indians were few and
ours are greater, but. the more man
has, the greater his need of protection.
The measure of our duty is in direct
ratio to our need of protection
We have lived in security, safe from
enemy attack, for so long a time that
we have forgotten our dependence on
the government for protection. AS
surely as, in former times, the stronger
Indian tribe destroyed the weaker, just
as surely the Germans will destroy all
that makes life worth while with us,
unless our government proves the