Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-01-14

One Of the most entertaining
and instructive books recently
written about Indians Is RED
Eagles of the Northwest" by
Francis Haines, erIy Of
Helena, which was released by the
Scholastic Press Of Portland, Ore.
MIR. Haines Is the SON of MIR. and
Mrs. III. b. Haines of Helena.
Red Eagles of the Northwest"
carried the subtitle. THE Story Of
Chief Joseph and His People" but un-
like ordinary histories, 1t lays its
foundation in prehistoric times, when
the Nez Perez Indians, with whom it
deals, were unable to write their own
records, and traces their development
to the present.
Also unlike ordinary histories, it
does not deal simply with overt, physi-
cal conflicts such as the blood-and-
thunder Of scalping parties and other
indian activities. There is blood-and-
thunder in the book, Of course, because
one of its outstanding sections deals
primarily with the battle of Chief
Joseph at the Big Hole, but all the
battles and raids are treated not as
the main excuse for the book but as
the result CT several less dramatic
conditions. The purpose Of the book Is
to describe these conditions without
prejudice, so the reader will under
stand that the old saying about the
only good "Injun" being dead one
is wrong.
Impartial Treatment
Mr.. Hatnes presents his characters
neither as poor, downtrodden heather
who deserve sympathy, nor as q COM
pletely brave, noteworthy race. He
presents them as people, with good
ones and bad ones In about the same
proportion as he finds good people and
bad people among the Caucasians. As
for the white characters in the book,
Mr.. Haines portrays their characters
as impartially as he portrayS the
characters of the Indians. william
Clark Of the Lewis and Clark expedi-
ton, for instance, is wildly portrayed
Indians, fair and trustworthy In ali his
dealings. Incidentally, he was the
first red-haired person the Nez Perces
had ever SEEM John Clarke (no rela-
ton to William) was quite different,
however. Unduly proud and overbear-
ing, he caused much more than his
share Of trouble wrangling with the
Indians and doing petty little things
to hurt their feelings.
The conflict presented in the story
Is not merely contest between marks
men nor Is 1t merely struggle over
territorial rights and privileges It is
a sensitive study of the differences
between the sturdy, closely knit civiIi-
zation OF the Indians and the many
sided, constantly advancing civiliza-
ton Of the whites.
Had Moral Code
Initerate and ignorant of many
things, the Indians were not, as less
histories might say, UNI
civilized. They had a definite moral |
and religious code; they had at least |
two kinds of dwelling place-the we'll |
known teepee and the less known pit |
with wooden or skin roof. They were |
excellent hunters and fishermen, and, |
after the 18th century, they were |
excellent horsebreeders. Before the |
seventeenth century few northwestern |
Indians had horses. When they did |
obtain them, however, it was the Nee |
Perces who devised means of selective |
breeding and who produced by far the |
best animals in huge area.
But the Indian civilization was al |
most changelesS, compared to the |
white mans. Such simple things as
compaSSes, magnets and talking |
paper" (known to the whites, Of |
course. as writing) completely mysti- |
fled the Indian. What could he think, |
then Of guns, cannons, trains and all |
the seemingly supernatural things /
that followed? And how could he |
adapt himself to them.
Whites Also Blamed
Mr. Haines points out that the white |
men themselves, by presenting their
CIVILIZATION wrong and by otherwise |
miStreattng the Indians, were partly to