Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Edited with Notes and Biographical SketchDenig, Edwin Thompson
History
Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Edited with Notes and Biographical Sketch
Denig, Edwin Thompson
Assiniboine Indians; Indians of North America -- Missouri River Valley
On subjects in which their actual experience and observation are at
fault, even if supported with good arguments, they are suspicious
and incredulous. They listen, doubt, but say little. On all such
topics their minds receive a bias from their superstitions and lack
of appreciation of motive. They can not conceive of any efforts made
through motives of charity, benevolence, or pity, nor realize any other
disinterested action, even if it be for their benefit, because all
they do is in expectation of reward, and being destitute of the above
principles of actions are disposed to attribute interested views to
everyone else. In reviewing such subjects with them, and supporting the
moral principle by argument, they are silenced, though not convinced;
they do not grasp it, but will not contradict, for the thing may
be so. Hence their thoughtfulness and apparent apathy, also their
uninterrupted deliberations in councils and conversation, all arising
from a desire to hear the subject in all its bearings, either with the
view of forming an opinion or of the propriety of expressing it.
Regarding their temperament, it is peculiar and general. We see none
of those great differences in disposition observed among the European
races.
There appears to be a uniformity of individual feeling and action
among them. Being all the same on like occasions, it would seem a
national and natural feature, calling forth corresponding feelings and
actions with circumstances as they arise, exhibited in overwhelming
demonstrations of grief or joy, in seriousness in business, ceremonies,
and worship, excessive gayety in their amusements and lighter
conversation, with earnestness in matters of personal interest.
They have strong powers of memory and forecast, are of a reflective
habit, their physical propensities predominating over the moral, in
their general conduct grave, can be and are very gay on occasions,
but upon the whole are rather of a cold than a fervid temperament.
We are unable to say whether their reasoning powers are brought out
or strengthened by education, never having witnessed its application
to any of these tribes, but see no reason why they should not be as
capable of improvement in these respects as any other race of people.
Their ideas are by no means groveling, nor is their form of government
to be derided. Neither can we conscientiously assign to them a lower
place in the scale of creation; perhaps not so low as any other race of
uneducated sentient beings.
We are not well enough acquainted with the capacity and history of the
oriental stock to say whether these assimilate in any great degree;
most likely the inference can be drawn from what has been written in
these pages.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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