OCR Text |
Show 124 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. GEO. TOPNISH. I see the great chief ; he is a great man. The President has sent you, and you bear his message. My heart is glad to see you to- day. This land ( our mother earth) will understand what you say. PAN- O- PLE- O- PIKE. I see two chiefs here who came from a great way off. Our Great Father is a. great way off, but he sends his children to see us. I am a red man. The ground is here. My father took care of it. Here is where the red man grew on the land. Long ago your brothers came here and talked about this land. It is hard for others to step in and take our country from us. The sun is there and watches over the earth and the Indians that are on it. The sun looks at the earth, and wants to weigh it. ( On being interrupted and told the interpreter could not understand him he said :) Smo- haul- er is not my father. Our Father is in Heaven. God gave us hearts. God made all as one, and none are strangers. That is all. GEORGE WATERS ( an Indian preacher.) Long ago, when a boy, I lived at Fort Vancou-ver. I there heard the soldiers were going to take the Indians and bring them up to this agency and teach them, and that they would become like the whites, and not remain always like Indians ; that they would gather the boys and girls together and teach them the law of the Lord, and so it has been done. I came here in the spring, and Mr. Wilbur came in the fall. Mr. Wilbur had begun school and at once I went to it. My brothers, I tell you, the old people do not take hold. We take the Advocate ( paper) and read it to them, but they don't understand it. I heard the Indians were to be instructed and left on the reserva-tion. We understand the Methodist way of worship. The Catholics make as it were two people; some have not good hearts. These drummersdo not understand what is good, and they do what is bad. JOE STECK. I don't know how to talk much - and may make a mistake. I know the hearts of the whites; from a boy I have been with them. I am a Kliquitat. I was raised in the Willamette. In time of war we were brought here. I was used by General Wright as a guide. I do not want to say anything, except that my heart is good. Iain like my other friends. We think much of the three heads, Catholics, drummers, and our own. Every day we talk about them. My mind is that the great chief ought to know all about it. My heart is glad that the great chief has come. It is as if the President were here and I talked with him. You have taken pity on us and will help us by your coming to this country. The President gives us presents ; we don't care much for them, but we want a good man like Mr. Wilbur to remain with us. I am afraid of men who are sent who are not Christians. Many white men about here want to be friends with me. They say Mr. Wilbur is fooling me, not to mind him ; such is not my heart. Governor Stevens and General Palmer said when we found good men to stick by them, and I find it is good advice. Two years ago it was as if we had been asleep, and when we woke, had found our good man had gone. We want Mr. Wilbur to be left always with us. Kendall, who was superintendent, turned Mr. Wilbur away, and our hearts were sad. We are contented with our agent and all is well. These common white men say that which hurts me when they say Mr. Wilbur takes our money, but I can see he don't. If you see anything that is wrong tell us. TOM. I don't know anything. Long ago I lived away down the valley. When I came to this country I remained awhile at the Dalles, and heard of the trouble between the whites and Indians. My heart wept, for I thought soon I would be killed. In a little while I heard peace was made, and I was glad. Soon Mr. Wilbur came, and all of us then were like as if we slept. Mr. Wilbur took pity on us and made us make up, and that pleased me. My mind is to keep up this instruction. I want all my people to love Jesus and to do what is right. I know this is the heart of the whites, to do us good. They love Jesus and want to make friends with us. Long ago they did not like us, but now they make friends with us and I am glad. I know nothing ; I am young ; but your advice will do us good. My heart is glad to see you. I don't care about cattle and wealth, but I want good words. My heart is pleased to see you, who have come from so far away to see how the Indians live. Many of our people are well off, and I would be glad if all were so. KLIQUITAT PETER. I was a boy and knew nothing. These young men are my brothers ; these old men my fathers. Joe Stuire is the best chief. He is always doing something good for young men, and he don't do anything wrong. Our hearts are different. Some say what we do is not right. That is not the heart of God. Our fathers knew nothing ; they never took good advice. God knows us. The President watches over us. It is with us as among the whites. Some are good and some bad. We are glad to go where good instruction is given. We want to follow good advice, and it is good that you help us. This is all our minds. We don't want to do anything that is bad. We like Mr. Wilbur, and want him to be here and give us advice. Some time ago Captain Smith came and almost ruined us. Some whites said it was good ; but that is not our heart. HEZEKIAH. Long ago I was a boy, and I heard General Palmer and Governor Stevens. They came and told the Indians the words of the Great Father. We received their instruc-tion, and they assigned us these lands. These old men are dead, and a new generation has come up. The young men think it good that this land is ours. We want to follow the instruction from Washington. Some Indians don't want to. The chief at Washington wants to lift up the Indians. Mr. Wilbur instructs the people here, and they follow his |