“It is all ‘bilk’ to me! I cannot conceive that any man, however zealous in the cause of soul-saving, would, without any prospect of worldly compensation, consider for a moment an undertaking so fraught with hardship and deadly danger. To my mind, such course would denote a mental unbalancing.”
“Without the fervent qualities of the true missionary, I agree that it is difficult to comprehend the motives which plunged into the wilderness the Black Robes. And, while I have read of the recognized earliest adventurers to reach our regions, I am confident that the first white man to come among my primitive people, was a priest from the Hudson Bay outfit in Canada. This was years prior to the advent of Lewis and Clark on the waters of the Swa-netk-qha. Doubtless this Jesuit was killed by Indians farther west after he left our tribe. The Schu-ayl-pk from the very first, were peaceful with the whites22 and I cannot understand why investigators have never learned of this visit of the Black Robe and of his subsequent disappearance. He was followed by others who were equally fired with a zeal to serve their church. They were the forerunners; the dispensers of a new philosophy destined to supplant the simpler faith of the forest children. This is the principal reason that the Colville-Okanogans are Catholic adherents. Many of the older natives became converts and proved loyal to the creed. The word of the priest with them has ever been law and whatever that dignitary says still goes, and all my folks are of like ilk. I suppose that it is good. At least it is the only thing that has ever been taught them of this ‘better life.’ But as for me, I tolerate dictation from no dogmatist.”
“Then you are not a professed Catholic?”
“No, hardly! Stemteemä and my sisters are, but I am not. The little grandmother thinks that I am, but the girls know and help me to keep it from her. I claim the freedom to attend or forego any and all churches just as I see fit. It would break Stemteemä’s heart if she knew the truth, and the priest would simply raise the dickens—if not something hotter.”
Cogewea’s low, musical laughter chimed musically with the soughing of the pine tops as she recalled whilom escapades. Amused by the pun, Densmore joined in the merriment, but the girl’s mood changed instantly to one of seriousness as she shot the interrogatives:
“What are your religious views? What is your choice of churches?”
Taken wholly by surprise, the Easterner answered rather confusedly:
“Me?—Oh! mine has been a somewhat varied experience. Born a Methodist, I was immersed in a Baptist pool. By turns a Congregational deacon and chorister; a vestryman and Sunday school superintendent in the Episcopal fold; I eventually landed as an elder among the Presbyterian elite. A sort of free prospector, I have panned wherever the colors showed most promising; which I really have found to be the evangelistic field. There were ‘prophets’ of old and there are ‘prophets’ of today, if only one has the powers of discernment. Aside from man-made creeds, the churches in toto are very much the same, as I may judge.”
“You should be a qualified criterion on church dogmatics!” was the half amused reply. “They are of one specie but different breeds. Lap-poodle, or greyhound; draft-horse or track-speedster; one brandin’ iron should suffice for them all. I cannot fathom this wrangling among the various divines. There must be a diversity of gods to please them all. Some deal directly with Deity, bearing their own burdens to the altar in personal supplication; while others make use of a solicitor, an intercessor, who for a stipend, does the sin absolving stunt. Many contend for an abundance of water—a tank of depth—in the carrying out of a beautiful symbol, while equally conscientious devotees are content with a mere drizzling sprinkle. Why all this bickering discord? Snows before the Indian ever heard of the white man’s God, he firmly believed that there was a higher order—a Great Spirit—somewhere in, or towards the sky mystery. The sun and the moon, he adored as the lodges of the Supreme. The stars were gleaming rays of hope; and throughout all nature there was a recognized governing wisdom, most reverently and devotedly worshipped. Among the tribes there was no quarreling about creeds. Was it right to totally uproot tenets of such philosophy?”
“Judging of what I have seen of the native American since I came here,” observed Densmore, with a degree of warmth, “I do not think that the uprooting has been entirely effective. But, admittedly possessed of redeeming qualities, your philosophy did not lift your race from the thralls of savagery. The coming of the Mayflower was as a spiritual light bursting on a darkened New World.”
“Zealous and good Christians,” rejoined Cogewea, “see in the Discovery by Columbus, a guidance of Divine Providence, in that a new faith was brought to the natives. This may be, but the mistake was with the priests and teachers who did not understand that there was no fundamental difference in the attributes of the deities of the two races. They lacked the perceptive sagacity of a certain great reformer of nearly two thousand years ago; who, when carrying the Message to the benighted Athenians, ‘stood in the midst of Mars hill’ and declared that it was of their ‘Unknown God’ to whom he had noticed an altar erected, that he spake. It was wrong! woefully wrong! to compel the untutored native in some instances with fire and sword—to forsake his ancient beliefs with all their sacred traditions. Has he, by
