Indians of North America -- Religion; Indians of North America -- Rites and ceremonies; Peyotism
[About 1891] John Wilson was on his way from Anadarko to
conduct meetings among the Delawares around Copan. While
passing through the Osage nation he visited Tall Chief, a
Quapaw married to an Osage woman. While here Wilson was stopped
by an Osage who had previously attended Peyote meetings among
the Delawares and requested to meet a group of Osage and tell
them about his revelations and his convictions and instruct
them in its rules. He consented and complied with their
wishes. The Osage in attendance at his meeting were convinced
and converted. He accordingly stayed on with them about
three weeks. Black Dog was at the time Chief of the Osage.
His tribe was won over in force to the Wilson sect of Peyote
worshippers.... J. Wilson then returned to Anadarko, leaving
behind him among the Osage two young Delawares who stayed back
attracted by the prospects of fortune offered by the wealthy
Osage. Wilson had received presents from the tribe of new
converts amounting to considerable value, a wagon, a carriage,
a buggy and teams of good horses and harness for each and other
horses, fourteen in all, not to mention blankets, goods and
money.
His death occurred after a similar mission to the Quapaw. He had been
among them to conduct a meeting and was returning to Anadarko in a buggy
with a Quapaw woman and another woman. Wilson’s wife was still living
at the time, and he was either offered the Quapaw woman or demanded her
while among the tribe. Speck quotes his nephew:[19]
Anderson said he did not like to think this but that the Quapaw
were not all good people and had possibly been actuated by a
desire to establish a home for Wilson in order to keep him and
his ministry in their midst.
In any event, Wilson had been given a number of horses, which were tied
to the back of his buggy. While crossing a railroad track, these horses
pulled back and prevented their crossing just as a locomotive bore down
upon them. Wilson was instantly killed. His detractors maintain that this
was just punishment for his failure to live up to his own teachings.
Since this period many communicants have fallen away from his “moon,” for
his own[20]
moral instructions ... referred to abstinence from liquor, to
restraint [in] sexual matters and fidelity to matrimony.
Though influenced by Catholic teachings, Wilson had a peculiar and
specific attitude toward the Bible.[21] According to Speck,[22] he
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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