Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874-1884Eells, Myron
Religion
Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874-1884
Eells, Myron
Clallam Indians -- Missions; Missions -- Washington (State); Skokomish Indian Reservation (Wash.); Twana Indians -- Missions
F. A. was a Clallam, and one of the earlier school-boys. He had left the
reservation previous to 1874 and lived and worked with his friends at
Port Discovery. In April, 1875, he returned with three of his Port
Discovery friends on a visit in good style. He said that he had worked
steadily, earned hundreds of dollars, and he gave a brother of his in
school quite a sum; that he had taught a small Indian school; that he
was trying to have church services on the Sabbath; that the Indians at
Port Discovery were about to buy some land for one hundred and fifty
dollars; and that he had now come for advice, religious instruction,
school-books, and the like. The agent furnished him with school-books
and papers, and I gave him four written prayers, two Chinook-jargon
songs, and a Testament. This was only a week after Balch and some of the
Indians at Jamestown had visited us, who were making good progress. One
of the employees on seeing F. A. come, just after the other (Clallam)
Indians had visited us, said: “The agent is making his influence felt
far and wide for good.” But before F. A. left he wanted to be made head
chief of the tribe. The agent said that the present chief was doing
well, that he had no good reason for removing him, and that he would not
do so unless a majority of the tribe desired it, but that he would make
F. A. a policeman if he wished so to be. But he did not want this. He
said that after what he had told his friends before leaving home, he
would be ashamed to go back without his being made chief. His three
friends said also that they wished him to be chief. This showed that
something was wrong, and by the time all was ferreted out, it was found
that he had procured the horses for his party at Olympia at a high
price, which he had said the agent would pay, that his style was all put
on, and that in reality he was very worthless. It cost his friends more
than twenty dollars to pay for the use of the horses, which he had
afterward to work out, as he had no money. He tried to run away with one
of the girls not long afterward, and never said any thing more about his
school, church, and land. In 1883 he returned to the reservation to
live, but does not help the Indians much in regard to Christianity.
L. was from Port Ludlow, fifty-five miles away, a half-breed, and was in
school for a year or two. In the fall of 1879 he took hold well in
prayer-meetings, and wished to join the church; but he was too desirous
for this, it seemed to me, and answered questions too readily. The
church deliberated long about him, for several were not fully satisfied,
yet, on the whole, it was thought best to receive him, and it was done
in January, 1880. The next summer he went home to remain, but while in
most respects he has been steady and industrious, having a good
reputation about not drinking or gambling, yet he does not honor a
Christian profession.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account