The Coolidge examiner., 1932-11-04

Observation-Disclosures: a terrible vanguard for
a terrible army. Then, the prehistoric tribes
which followed them, all on foot glorious TO
behold as their painted bodies rippled by. Here
were the lords Of the Red Gods creation, the
children of Mother Earth. who nevertheless
sought battle with their brothers, fighting for
the sheer joy of it.
Then surely, there must be little space to
mark the coming of the white men and the
strange consequences of that coming. After that
again. we would see the tribes which still fought
each other and those who fought with and
against the newcomers. their belts hung with
scalps their moccasned feet eager on the war
path.
Now familiar names and faces pass by Pope
leader OF the Pueblo rebellion of $780, King
Philip whose horrible death in the marches has
been almost forgotten Sitting Bull. Black
Hawk, and others of those superb fighting men
riding by with war-bonnets flying and lances
ready. eye-flling cavalcade whose hatred
for their conquerors must still show on their
keen-vlsaged faces
Those who befriended the white men could
not ride with these grim old war eagles-even
in the Happy Hunting Grounds there must be
division of opinion which nothing. not even
death, could heall But here come Cornplanter,
Red Jacket and 0uray, making the friendship
sign as they pass.
And here strides Negwagon, the ottawa chief
whose espousal of the American cause in the
War of 1912 resulted In his being driven from
his home. He and his people retired to their
hunting grounds, and raised the American flag
over the camp. Happening to be alone. Neg
wagon was visited by British officers, who or
dered him TO strike his flag. Though he was
forced TO obey, the chief wound the emblem
around his arm, and drawing his tomahawk
said TO the officers "Englishmen, Negwagon is
the friend of the Americans. He has but one
flag and one heart: If you take the one, you
shall take the other"
Women would not be lacking in this spectac
ular parade of fighters. Here is Bcaganab, the
Chippewa woman who defeated a band of Sioux
although her own people ran away and left her.
Here is Winema, the woman chief" who. at
the age of fifteen. rallied her people when they
would have fled during an intertrihal war. Here
too. is that unnamed Cherokee woman whose
body, painted and decked like warriors, was
found among her dead menfok. where they had
vainly tried to defend themselves on the Trail
of Tears" as they were driven out of their
homeland.
Warriors, these! And the mothers and fathers
of warriors.
Some historians claim that the entire history
of America would be changed had the Indians
not participated in the Revolutionary war There
is not in the history of the United States
in which these first Americans did not make
themselves known. But ii not until the
World war that they took their places as Amer
ican citizens and fought for the land of their
birth and their ancestry. Then, on strange war
paths, they fought their greatest fight, and sure
ly the great warriors of other days leaped down
from the Happy Hunting Grounds and strobe
with them over the battle fields of France, nod
ding grim approval to each other as their
children showed themselves valiant members of
the fighting race.
Surely, too these World Warriors knew that
they were aided by Those-who have gone before
their faith in ancient things IS as much a part
of them as their fighting hearIS. Perhaps a tiny
stone fetish. with arrowhead tied to it. or
some other charm that was once the protection
of a fighting chief. reposed in an olive-drab
pocket it once had lain over another stout
heart. Perhaps. while the chaplain invoked the
white mans God silent appeal to Wakanda
or to Those Above mingled with his words.
What if the warpath has given place to the
highway? The fighting heart, essential ingredi-
ent of warrior. never dies
Seventeen thousand Indians heard the call to
the great battle in 1917: they enlisted as ma
rines soldiers, Sailors physicians nurses, law
yers, clerks, clergymen, engineers; they came