The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-02-02
Writes Of
Indian ChiId's
Skill In Water

Indians of earlier days chose the
present area of Lincoln county for
their summer camping. fishing and
hunting
The region of the northwest part
of the state of Montana. particu-
larly the area not long ago marked
by fixed boundaries and identified
by its present name, Lincoln Coun-
ty, had long before the coming of
white settlers been the goal of pill
grimages by the Indians of many
tribes Here they touched the realm
of their desire, they were near and
among mountains whose snowy tops
rise close to the region of the
clouds. They walked through the
valleys of high depressions and
around the shores of the many deep
Watered lakes In midsummer they
discovered, high upon mountain
sides, many tracts of the luscious.
ripe huekleberry-a berry ever
grateful to their taste
In lakes, rivers and streams, fish
were in abundance, as were game
of different kinds among the foot
hills and in the valleys. Streams. in
the earlier days. were not spanned
by bridges of whatever sort.
neither did the Indian avail him
self of their use when bridges were
devised and set in order With his
canoe and a paddle to propel and
guide it onward, the point at cross
ing of streams and landing on shores
was his inalienable right of ehoos-
ing.
On summer afternoon back
in the later Cos, | was standing mo-
mentarily on the south bank of
the wide and deep river of the
Kootenai, my position being mid
way between. Libby and Jennings.
Modest and quietly an Indian, fol
lowed by his three children-two
boys and girl, each mounted on a
small pony as was their father, APP
preached the river bank from which
the ponies in their turn stepped
down into the deep water. | stood
aghast at the spectacle before my
eyes, the rivers depth a few yards
beyond them was II feet. Not
Withstanding that the old Indian
and his three children were each
IN the keeping of his individual
pony, how could they hope or ex-
pect, with confidence, their under
sized animals in that depth of swift
rolling waters to pilot their way to
The north shore? had but to pay
attention and watch their artfu1
expedient in order to clear my
unsettled state of opinion: The old
Indian had now dropped from his
pony into the water on the down.
stream side, his right hand clinging
10 the name at the little animals
neck, and his left vigorously pad
ding the water with q will to pro-
pei himself that he might relieve
the animal of that task. The four
teen-year-old boy, with his stocky
buekskin pony. like a fearnaught
brave, followed in his fathers wake.
The girl, within short pace of
brother. She. child of about 10
years, beat the water with her left
arm with remarkable strength.
she, without doubt. could have kept
herself .afloat without the assistance
Of her pony and with gliding mo-
tons she would have been sure to
reach the north shore with Joy and
exultation over her proves as O
daring swimmer.
The six year-old knew his cue.
ms movements were simply repeti-
tlous of those effected by his kin
dred who had gone before. While
slowly approaching the opposite
shore, the line of Indians and pom
les was drifting-drifting in that
part Of the river where the current
flows very swiftly but without act
lal waterfall. Surely, | thought