The Montana courier., 1922-09-20
BY

running home to the Mohawk valley of New YORK.
This was in 1909, two years after the rounding OF
jamestown, eleven years before the landing OF the
Pilgrims and eighty years before the beginning OF
the armed clash between the French and Engnsh
for the possession Of America.
IT is a far cry from 1909 to 1922; from New
York to Montana; from Iroquois to Flatheads.
Just the same, it was Champlain who set the feet
of Marcus Whitman and Father Pierre-Jean De
Smet, 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 and most practical mission
ary who ever labored among the American In
dians dotted the far Northwest with religious
and educational establishments kept many
savage tribe from the warpath and served well
the government of his adopted land The history
of the American Northwest cannot be told without
Whitman and De Smet-both of whom Champain
started over the Oregon Trail to everlasting fame.
And here is the story in brief with its fascinating
sequturs- sequences of cause and effect:
The Iroquois Confederacy, because of Cham
plains attack undying enmity to the
French The Indians of this unique confederacy-
Mohawks, Cayugas OnOndagas Senecas, Oneidas
and Tuscaroras-by the time the French and Brit
ish came to grips In 1859, were dictatorial
lords Of all the tribes from Hudsons bay to the
Cherokee frontier of the Carolinas and from the
Connecticut to the Mississippi. Their geograph-
ica location and influence gave them the balance
of power between the French and the British.
They were big factor In the several wars which
finally resulted in the expulsion of the French
after the capture of Quebec by Wolfe in 1852
In the Revolution all the Iroquos kept on siding
with the British, except the Oneidas and part of
the Tuscaroras. They laid waste the American
frontier. Sullivan led 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 many of the exiled IrOquois
Christianzed by Jesuit missionaries whose prin-
cipal work In America had been In New France
and the French possessions.
In 1916 party Of "a Iroquois left the Roman
Catholic mission Of Caughnawaga, Canada on the
ST Lawrence and struck out across the Mississippi
valley. They ended up among the Flatheads Of
the Bitter Root valley These Iroquois were led
by Ignatius La Mousse (Old Ignace), who achieved
dominating influence among the Flatheads,
taught them the rites Of the Roman Catholic re-
ligion and created tribal desire for the presence
of Blackrobes (Jesuit missonaries) which resulted
in a decision in 1880 to send delegation to the
white mans country to ask for them.
Here II is profitable to glance at the chronology
OF this part Of the West which was just beginning
to get acquainted with the white man. st. Louis
was founded in 1853. The Lewis and Clark expe-
d,tion (18O46) had passed through their country
John Golfer had discovered the Yellowstone in
1907. only to have it ridiculed impossbiIity
.nd dnbbed '.Colter's Hell.' Astoria had been
astahIsbed In 1872. Gen. William a. Ashley and his
sssocates Of the Rocky Mountain Fur company,
With headquarters at st. Louis had begun to use
he oregon Trail soon after 1922 on their trips to