, 1922-09-21

IroQuoIS Conteueracy anu ser them
running home to the Mohawk valley of New York.
This was In 1909. two years after the founding of
jamestown. eleven years before the landing of the
Pilgrims and eighty years before the beginning OF
the armed clash between the French and English
for the possession OF America.
1t is a far cry from 1909 to 1922; from New
York to Montana from Iroquois to Flatheads.
Just the same, 1t was Champaign who set the feet
of Marcus Whitman and Father Pierre-Jean DE
Smei, s. j. on the Oregon Trail two centuries
later. Marcus Whitman, Presbyterian missionary,
patriot, statesman and martyr, saved Oregon and
the Pacific Northwest for the United States. Fa-
ther De Smet, greatest aud most practical mission
AIRY who ever labored among the American In
dians. dotted the far Northwest with religious
and educational establishments kept many II
savage tribe from the warpath and served well
the government of his adopted land, The history
Of the American Northwest cannot he told without
Whitman and De Smet-both of whom Champluin
started over the Oregon Trail to everlasting fame.
And here Is the story in brief, with it's fascinating
sequiturs-sequences Of cause and effect:
The %lroquois Confederacy, because OF Cham
plains attack. swore undying enmlty To the
French The Indians of this unique confedcracy-
Muhawks. Cayugas. Onondagas. Senecns, Oneidas
nni Tuscaroras-by the time the French and Brit.
fish ramc to grips in 1859, were dictatorial over.
lords Of all the tribes from Hudson's bay to the
Cherokee frontier of the CarOlinas and from the
C'nnecticut to The Mississippi. Their geograph-
ical location md influence gave them the balance
Of power between the French and the British.
They were n big factor In the several wars which
finally resulted in the expulsion of the French
alter the capture Of Quebec by Wolfe In 1853.
In the Revolution all the Iroquois kept on siding
with the Btitish, except the Oneidns and part of
the Tuscaroras. They laid waste the American
frontier. Sullivan led an American punitive expe-
dition and destroyed their homes. crops and or
chards. The outcome OF the Revolution drove the
four hostile tribes to Canada.
In Canada mnny OF the exiled Iroquols were
Christianized by Jesuit missionaries. whose prin-
cipal work In America had been In New France
and the French possessions.
In 1916 a party Of - Iroquols left the Roman
Catholic mission OF C-aughnawnga, CanHdn, on the
1t. Lawrence and struck out across the Mississippi
valley. They ended up among the Flatheads OF
the Bitter Root valley. These %Iroquols were led
by Ignatius La Mousse (Old lgnacc). who achieved
n dominating influence among the Flatheads.
taught them the rites Of the Roman Catholic re-
Iision and created n tribal desire for the presence
of Blackrobes (Jesuit mlssionaries) which resulted
In II decision in 1890 To send n delegation to the
white mans country To nsk for them.
Here II Is profitable 10 glance NJ the chronology
OF this part of the West. which WAS just beginning
Ia get acquainted with tlp white man. 81. Louis
wns founded In 1T6S. The Lewis aud Clark cxpe-
diton US0i6) Ind passed through their country.
John Golfer had discovered the Yellowstone In
1907. only TO have IL ridlculcd us an impossibility
and dubbed golfers Hell" Astorin had been
establiahe1 In 1872. Gen. William n. Ashley and hts
nssocinies Of the Rocky Mountain Fur company,
with headquarters nj st. Louis. had begun to use
the oregon Trail soon after 1872 on their trips to