The Iroquois; or, the bright side of Indian characterJohnson, Anna C. (Anna Cummings)
History
The Iroquois; or, the bright side of Indian character
Johnson, Anna C. (Anna Cummings)
Iroquois Indians -- Social life and customs
In another eloquent speech, he painted in glowing colors the curse that
seemed to have descended upon all those Indians who had been made the
object of pious but mistaken missions. “How imbecile, poor, effeminate,
contemptible, drunken, lying, thieving, cheating, malicious,
meddlesome, backbiting, quarrelsome, degraded and despised, the victims
of civilized instruction had become; having lost all the noble
qualities of the Indian, and acquired all the ignoble vices of the
white people;” and then adds:
“Brother:—On the other hand, we know that the Great Spirit is pleased
that we follow the traditions of our fathers; for in so doing we
receive his blessing. The Great Spirit has provided abundance. When we
are hungry, we find the forest filled with game; when thirsty, we slake
our thirst at the pure streams and springs that spread around us; when
weary, the leaves of the trees are our bed—we retire with contentment
to rest—we rise with gratitude to the great Preserver. No luxuries, no
vices, no disputed titles, no avaricious desires shake the foundations
of our society, or disturb our peace and happiness.
“Brother:—We pity you. We wish you to bear to our good friends our best
wishes. Inform them, that in compassion to them we are willing to send
them missionaries to teach them our religion, our habits, and our
customs. We would be willing they should be as happy as we, and assure
them if they will follow our example, they would be far more happy than
they are now.
“Accept this advice, Brother, and take it back to your friends as the
best pledge of our wishes for your welfare. Perhaps you think we are
ignorant and uninformed. Go, then, and teach the white people. Select,
for example, the people of Buffalo. Improve their morals and refine
their habits. Make them less disposed to cheat Indians. Make the white
people generally less disposed to make Indians drunk, and to take from
them their lands. Let us know the tree by the blossoms, and the
blossoms by the fruit. When this shall be made clear to our minds, we
may be more willing to listen to you.
“Brother:—Farewell.”
“A terrible and bitter satire!” and though entirely unjust as far as
true religion is concerned, it is quite unanswerable to a heathen mind,
and is a stumbling-block in the way of many in enlightened communities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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