Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-28
Call Rack Shirts Of the Dead.

CaIl Back Sp!fltS oI VIC D
Let us go back in our memories
to the time when the Treaty was maze
at Walla Walla. Let us call PACK
the Spirits of the dead! From Their
graves | summon Governor stevens
and other white men who represeh'eu
your government. | also call on the
Spirit of my father who was the Chle1
Meninock who signed that treaty
and the other chiefs. l will repre-
sent the spirit of my father Menl-
mock and | will speak the words ne
told me often. When the Chiefs at
that council did not want to sign the
treaty. Stevens asked them why, ana
the IE dian said: II we give you pos
ession OF the lands we will lose our
rights to fish in the streams, out
Stevens said no, The whites wanetd
only to farm and would never inter-
fere with the Indians fishing at the
old fishing places. But my father
said when we are dead then VINO
will be witness to what you promise,
Then Governor Stevens said, Il Will
write it down in the treaty that you
and your people have the right to
take fish at these old fishing places,
and l pledge the Americans to keep
this promise as long as the noun
ta'ns stand, as long as the sun shines
and as long as the river runs. Those
were his words, and my people be-
LEVIED in him and signed the treaty.
Now l can call in the spirits Of the
dead to say that l speak the truth,
as / call in the witnesses that Cover
nor Stevens himself appointed. For
the white topped mountains still
stands, the sun still mels it's snow in
to the rivers that still carry its fresh
waters to the sea that invite the sal
mon to come our old fishing places.
Top-tut, where we were arrested for
fishing Is one OF those places where
the Indians were fishing when Cover
nor Stevens gave the solemn promise
which our people accepted as the
pledge OF the Government. And We
say that when your officers punish us
for taking fish at the places reserved
you violate your treaty and your
promise, and while you may punish
us because you have the power, yet
before God, whose justice is more
than that of men, we are innocent of
having done wrong.
Il have tried to speak as the
Spirit of my father would speak. He
never laugh me lies. He taught me
to spaek the truth and to stand by
what is right, and we hope you will
speak as the Spirit of Stevens would
speak II he were here today. We are
sure he would never want is said
that he deceived the Indians with
lying words or that he made prom
Uses for the white people that they
would never keep.
Take Treaty Out of the Grave.
Then take this treaty out of the
grave where it lies buried in error,
shake of the dust from it SO you can
see it's words plainly, read 1t as the
Spirit of Governor Stevens and of
our fathers would want you to in
terpret 1t as they understand it and
agree to it. Then hold ii up high
so all the people can know its truth,
for when the white people really
know this truth, l am sure they will
see to it that the Indians may have
the rights which the treaty secures
for them.
For years | have been trying to
defent the rights of my people !
have come to Olympia many times to
see the Governor and the officers.
l have brought interpreters with me
and spent much money, and l am now
poor and old and may never come
again. 1t does not matter much what
may be done with me, but it makes
me sad that l have been able to ac-
complish nothing for my people, and
the thought that l may die without
having secured for them their rights,
Will break my heart, but then God
Knows l did my best