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Show SXEKHS BETA1XM IlfflU' TJOS AMUTTBK DBIAIS. Axom shoes who hare assjgM systematically to obtada reliable la-formation la-formation regarding the pnseat movement among the Indiana, Is Capt-B-H. Pratt, Superintendent of the Government Training School at Carlisle, Fa. He natarnHy takes a deep Interest la the subject, as many of tbe students under hie charge are tbe children of Indians affected by the widespread religleua enthusiasm. Captain Pratt recently re-cently applied for lnUIugeace on the subject from what he deesaed authoritative source. He frasaed a series of questions and forwarded them to J. H.Seegsr, whs for many years has lived among tbe Cheyenne, aad Arapahoe. By him they were seat to Major John D. Miles, who has for several yean been agent for those two tribes. Following are Capt. Pratt's Interrogatories: In-terrogatories: First Its origin and the tribes involved. in-volved. Second The mission of this new Savior." Third IU effect upon th tribe. Fourth The candor and effect upon the Indians In tbe aceepUnee of the supposed new religion. Fifth Do the educated Indians believe be-lieve in it? Sixth What gave rise to the new belief? Seventh Was its misapplication or misconstruction of religious Bible truths imperfectly taught by inexperienced inex-perienced teachers or missionaries? Eighth Give your own opinion. In answer, Captain Pratt received a letter from Mr. Beeger, written by Major Miles, which has appeared In the New York Times, and is a follow: fol-low: "In response to your Inquiry hi regard re-gard to tb religious excitement among tbe Indians, will say that I have waited wait-ed mme time before answering. In hopes that I might gain Information that would enable ms to give intelligent intelli-gent answers to your questions, but as there is nothing intelligent or reason-ablo reason-ablo about this fanaticism, my account of it will baaeto be as absurd as the religious belief that I am trying to write about. "The belief that Christ has come upon the earth to re-establish the Indians In-dians In their old ways and to check tho white man in bis eoorts to civilise them originated, according to the best information I can gain, at Shoshone Agency, Wyoming. The first information infor-mation I got in regard to it was from some of my Indians, who bad been to Darllagton and bad returned bringing tbe word that White Buffalo, a returned re-turned Carlisle student, had been to visit the Northern Cheyenne and had brought back the report that Jesus had come down upon the earth again and had appeared to the Indiana; that lie was discovered by two Indians,' who had found Hint by following a light in the sky daring eighteen days' travel over a country destitute of water, yet at each camping place they were supplied with water from a little pool that came oat of the ground and furnished Just enough for their needs, and no more. "At th end or the eighteen days' journey they came to a secluded place near a mountain and there they saw Jesus, and saw where white men had driven nails in His hands and where tbey had pierced His side. Jesus told them that He had come to save the white men and they had crucified Him, and this time he had appeared to tho Indians, and they should go back and tell the Indians what tbey hid seen. "The two Indians were then borne up in a cloud and in a very short time were set down at their home, where tbey related what they bad seen; whereupon the Indians picked out three other Indians to go and substantiate substan-tiate the report of tb other two. as It was hinted they war not a reliable as they migbtbe. I have not heard whether the last party ever mads a report re-port or not. When White Buffalo left tho north they bad not returned, yet ' tbe report that White Buffalo brought awakened a great deal of Interest. It was talked over by old men, and we , soon began to bear a very great deal aboot lu "At first it was claimed that the Jesus that these Indians saw wa exactly ex-actly like the pictures of him in the Bible. This seemed to establish the identity beyond a doubt. There was ' a great deal of stress pat on tbe fact that he wore long hair. It soon became be-came current that Christ would wipe ' oat the whit people sad bring the dead to life among tbs Indiana, "It is to be expected that Jesus will gather all tbe Indians together la one place where be is, and when they start to go to this place if any white man tries to stop them they (the white men) will drop dead. Others claim that when tbey start to go where Jesus is, that if tbe soldiers km them to prevent pre-vent them from going, it will not mst-ter, mst-ter, for their souls will go light on. "After a while it seemed to occur to somo that there might be some mistake mis-take about the report that White Buffalo Buf-falo brought back. There were some letters written making inquires of ths Northern Cheyenne and Arapahoe. Soon after I heard that lettr had been received confirming the report. Tho following 1 a copy of one of them: "hn Rases Aesxcr. Dio. "Dear Brother Tea, it is so abeat Jmi aad all Iadlaas talc las attest U aew Ik beam, eon to save U ladies wilk lose hair arst Una ths wa.t mea Jnu come to nn ladiaas It ta to for p la T when at was, it I set halt tar where be is bow joa but coae to ala as at) tbe ladiaas Jetas aires son berries some buck aad oosm r4 I. two. now ToaallgetUaf aioaf laDwilaftoa. fleas uadmesoBM moaer saa toll Bed Keeks wife to sead money toe. frost jesr brother, broth-er, CaooasD !f osa. "Last whiter th Arapahoe raited about 180 and sent Waahea, Sergeant of Scouts, and Black Coyote, Captain of Police, up North to see whether the story is true or not. They returned and tbe Indians congregated to bear the report. A delegation cam np from th Kiowa and Comanche and from tbe Caddo and Wichita. Tb report was to the effect that they did not go to whsre Jesse was, bat they saw Indians who said it wa true that he had come, and, as they believed this , they case back. "Since then Little Chief, returned Florida prisoner, has tnade a trip north to learn about it, aad casss back with only hearsay evidence. Yet all the camp Indians that I hare met believe be-lieve In it more or lees, and there are very few school children who will say that tbey do not believe It. In answer to Captain Pratt' list of questions Major MUes wrote: "1. Tbe belief originated eosaewhsre near Fine Ridge Ageaey, aad all she tribe are Involved in It that have beard aboot It, "2. Thaaoleeloa of this aew Savior ie to restore the ladiaas aad to remove the acgressjve watt ansa from the country where the Iadlae live; la other word, date the Iadtsas hash about 400 years. "3. Its effect upoa , these tribes (Cheyenne end Arapshnse) Use eaae them to neglect their week aad to leas Interest la their own aregress aad ad-vaaixmentsadloeeeejdageodpartef ad-vaaixmentsadloeeeejdageodpartef their lime fat telMng over she ex-peeted ex-peeted change wassh sale Christ Is about tesaakeU their rttiiiaislsitiM I aad seiuwsillags. I -a. 3a saea-fTssweaslTeTa alias all I BasaBBSSBBBsaasssssBssaasBasssBaaBaBsahsai elsJsa. to believe mthsec?jacor this Jests and ftere are very saw of the educated, Industrious Indians who wfll say that they do not bsMereiatt. The old Indians gore out that, if any of the ladiaas do not UUerelntht aew religion, sickness, ssirtur,nd asay 1 death, will be vlsHed upon thtasselve and famlllea. "5. I can find but three educated ladiaas who will frankly say they do not believe in this Jesus, and It was with some urging that I got thsm to commit themselves. "What gsve rise to this new belief I am Incompetent to say. Ths origin of it 1 ao vague, so noanthentleatad, there 1 no doubt It originated in the saind of tbe Indians who mad oa of Christ as a figurehead in order to saaks this new religion mors acceptable accept-able to the educated Indians and at the asm time hold their allegiance to their own tribe as such, nursing the belief that ths Indian are and have been an abased and downtrodden raeo, and that this Jesus would save them aad bring them out of their troubles. There is no doubt that tbe main Idea have been taken from tbe Bible as taught to thm through Ignorant interpreters, in-terpreters, and by those who did not fUly understand tbe Scriptare themselves. them-selves. "The Ides that this is the same Jesus that came upon the earth over 1S0O years ago, and that Instead of their going to his written word, which tells them all they know about Him, tbey will believe tho vague rumors and pay out money to send members of their tribe to inquire about Jesus, and they come back and say that He aays He appeared upon the earth once before and came as a little child, and the white people treated Blm badly and crucified Him, and now lie has come to save the Indians if they will believe on Him all this has been taught them, yet they do not seem to understand under-stand that Jesus is ever near them, knocking at the door of their hearts, and that they need not take a pilgrimage pilgrim-age to the northeast corner of Washington Wash-ington Territory to find Him, the puce where this person whom they call Jesus la said to be staying. "I did think the excitement would die out, but, notwithstanding the inconsistencies in-consistencies connected with it, it seems to be as firmly believed In ss ever. It was thought at one time that the Indians would make a start to go north to eeo this Jesus. Better counsel coun-sel prevailed, yet they say that should the Indians in the north send for them to come they would start regard-lew regard-lew of the consequences. They have no intention of injuring anyone, as they have fall faith that if Jesus sends for them He will provide some wsy for them to got there, yet they do not talk aboot It much before white people." |
