Show I hi Indian dian Not Who Whooping p Barbarian After All Author Reveals M. M R. R Gilmore Corrects Erroneous Impressions si Retells Retells' t Prairie rairie Smoke By Ham Hampton ton Godbe Contrary to accepted be beliefs the American merIcan Indian was waa not a bloodthirsty bloodthirsty blood blood- thirsty whooping g. g shouting barbarian bar bar- barian n 1 spen spent all Ills hIS spare time collecting scalps of or white settlers settler He wt wa as i p peaceable ceable thrifty indus us- us to certain ert f doctrines doctrines doctrines' doc doe trines trines' bec because uso they had Imd bce Jegen- Jegen davy dary bc beyond ond m memory r mory in Iii hIs hIlt nation I and Ills his philosophy of oC conduct and J morals orals was as bi based ased ed o on a great t love I and andrev rev reverence for b beautiful J lands In which ho lived ed and the tho a animal and v vegetable kingdoms he respected respect respect- ed and d from which he Jle drew his his' ex ex- Isten cc That Is something of ot the picture so 80 graphically painted by Melvin Melvln R. R Gilmore In his charming little volume entitled prairie Smoke Mr l G Gilmore keenly feels that calumny y has bas b been tile tho I Indians Indian's dlan s lot lol at the hands of oC historians and other r recorders cordel's of second-hand second In in information information formation about American peoples and traditions He strives to corr correct correct cor cor- r ct it only as one can who has U lived ft among the Indians Indians' and knows knos them as as they really were Co Couched d In be beautiful language Mr Ir ores ore's book more than fulfills fulfills ful tul- ful- ful fills fJUs his purpose In bringing something something something some thing of their theil appreciation i ot of their love and reverence for the l nd and Its native lit something of cSt t their r respect sp for r Its Us sacred places and h holy l associations something of ot their theil sense so of oc its charm its its' beauty and wonder rond r that we we may the more worthily oc occupy and more more sympathetically sympathetically enjoy our tenure of this this- land Jand Laying stress a on their folklore an and anil legends Mr Gilmore corrects dos dor- ens s of erroneous impressions without without without with with- out appearing to todo do so There is absolutely nothing bitter in the time vol volume ume or l' l an anything bordering an an on such sucha I a thing But to the tho reader it Is plain that lI the e author IS IS' sorrow borrow ful fuI that the Indian has been BO ao greatly misunderstood tood It is c commonly held that In Indians In- In dl i ns are aro very ery taciturn lacking any souse sense of ot humor or enjoyment of ot f fun n he ho sa says s in part It Is e even een eri 1 said sail that Indians a aie aro o sullen But But- I this i is Is not not truo I do not know of tiny Iani raCe m loving fun nd or 1 keener r sense j of humor Among uong other other- things Ho lie corr corrects the common s saying t that the thc island of ot Manhattan was pu from Uc tlC Indians for the tim value of 24 4 In In traders traders' goods It U Is not true th the re reason son that Indians did not and could not no t think of ot the po possibility sl ty off or conveying property in inland laud land he lie writes What th the In Indians In In- of ot Manhattan did conceive was the idea of ot admitting Dutch 9 settlers to live Uve in the theland land as s neighbors neighbors neigh neigh- bors to lo share sharo its benefits But the they had n no Idea Idea of of selling the tho lan land landat at any price No Indians of ot Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan Man Man- hattan or elsewhere entertained at at- any timo any such idea RoWe Howl shamefully the Indians were trent treated d on this and other similar dealings with the white while settlers is Is' Is common kno knowledge ledge But Bul these points points' of Mr book are secondary He Hc tells of th their lr legends bas based d on nature and fabled Cabled through through- scores pf pt Indian na na- na Ho tells of home Hf life in the tepee of their commerce of ot the time laws Jaws which governed their conduct of ot U their clr love 10 for the time kingdoms king king- doms dorns of ot the tho air the time four footed tribes es and the tho plants H He describes describes' their agriculture and how th their ir tribal life Ufe was carried on on wh what t their symbols mean h how w their theirs young young were ere educated In short all phases phases- s' s of ot aboriginal existence Too much praise cannot be given to this charming book U tt is one th that t. t will wll appeal to all classes of readers readers' as asa asa a welcome dl ri Columbia Col I University Press s New York |