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Show y o W Roosevelt, Utah, . May 12, 1917. ' Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C ., My Dear. Commissioner: '/'•;• We-want" to know why these UMted States Marshalls ccme in here and try to get us to stop church. We like Church. We want to meet once every Sunday and have Church andp pray and be good. We don't want to steal, nor drink whisky, nor play cards nor gamble nor lie and we want to rest on Sunday and then on Monday v/e want to work and farm. We like Church.. One of our old men he says"Long time a^o Indians have Church aid they •vers good people". He says "God tells us to be good and no sfceal^and we want to do this but v/e want to have oouo Church on Sunday. Sometimes sick people sometimes die and sometimes we eat Peote and it'make us better. Sometimes people die and no eat Peote. Theyidie. Ms_/be eat Peote, no die. Horses die, cows die, sheep die. They no eat Peote. You can't stop t:rem dieing. Anything die. Long time live maybe so eat Peote. oe want to be good and we want you to let us have Church an.d not sent Police from Washington to make us -stop. You tell us why you do this. v/e don't know. I have been here a long time and all the Indians like me and they ask me to write and ask you what is "the matter. Handle tt Indians may'oe so they eat Peote. Pretty good, I guess. The White Rocks Indians no eat Peote. Ke like it and they like 7/hiskey and they play cards and fight, maybe so kill'urn. We don't like th&t, we v/ant to be good. Now, Mr. Commissioner, you answer my letter now to me at Fort Duchesne., Yours truly. William Wash. MAV •«*$t33 WfffOF |
