Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific CoastCrosby, Thomas
History
Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific Coast
Crosby, Thomas
Indians of North America -- Missions; Salish Indians
Snak-wee-multh, or Old Sam, was a native of Vancouver Island, though
in his boyhood he had been seized in one of the many slave raids and
carried away to the far north, where he remained for years, until he
had forgotten his own language, but never lost his love or longing for
the old home of his youth. Long after middle life he found his way back
to his own tribe, but never recovered the fluent use of his own tongue.
In youth he was trained in heathenism, and afterwards acquired a
knowledge of the still more savage customs and heathen practices of the
north people. He was first in all dark deeds and in the heathen dance
among his people; and as he had many new tricks of savage life to show
them, which he had learned while a slave, the dancers looked upon him
as a kind of demi-god, for, as they said, “he had so much power, he
could do more wonderful feats than any one of them.”
Sam kept on this way until he became very sick, and as he lay on his
sick bed I visited him, and had the joy of pointing him to Jesus.
During this sickness he several times begged me to give him some
medicine to make him sleep. He said he wanted it so strong that he
would not wake up again. He said he had heard the white man had this
medicine, and if he could only take some it would be so good of me to
give it to him. Again and again did he beg for a sleeping-powder.
I told him I could not give him that kind of medicine, but if he would
only give his heart to Jesus he would then be happy all the time. I
kept up my visits regularly, carrying him simple foods from day to day.
Finally the light came in upon his dark mind, and oh, what a change!
How he would thank me and praise God for the comfort he had in his
heart!
For years he had been very fond of tobacco, and, like most of the
Indians, had used so much of it that no one could come near him without
noticing the dreadful effects of it. Everything seemed to be saturated
with the smell of tobacco, and he would use it the last thing before
going to bed and the first thing in the morning. After he was converted
he had a dream. He dreamed that One grand and pure sat by his side and
said, “You would have been lost if it had not been for your wife”--she
had helped him to the light--and the pure One went on to say, “You will
have to stop the use of tobacco, for if you get up to the shining gate,
and the great and pure One smells any tobacco on you, He will send you
away, as no one can go into that happy place who smells of that stuff;
it is not so much different to rum and whiskey, so stop it or else you
will be lost.”
Poor Sam had a great struggle, but he got the victory. And finally,
after months of sickness, when he was sinking rapidly, he told us that
“with a clean mouth, and not with the smell of dirty tobacco, he was
going home to heaven, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and had no doubt
of a welcome in the skies.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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