First Impressions of Civilization
I WAS scarcely old enough to know anything definite about the "Big Knives,"as we called the white men,when the terrible Minnesota massacre broke up our home and I was carried into exile.I have al-ready told how I was adopted into the family of my father's younger brother,when my father was betrayed and imprisoned.We all supposed that he had shared the fate of those who were executed at Mankato,Minnesota.
Now the savage philosophers looked upon ven-geance in the field of battle as a lofty virtue.To avenge the death of a relative or of a dear friend was considered a great deed.My uncle,accord-ingly,had spared no pains to instill into my young mind the obligation to avenge the death of my father and my older brothers.Already I looked eagerly forward to the day when I should find an opportunity to carry out his teachings.Mean-while,he himself went upon the war-path and re-turned with scalps every summer.So it may be imagined how I felt toward the Big Knives!
On the other hand,I had heard marvelous things of this people.In some things we despised them;in others we regarded them as wakan (mysterious),a race whose power bordered upon the superna-tural.I learned that they had made a "fire-boat."I could not understand how they could unite two elements which cannot exist together.Ithought the water would put out the fire,and the fire would consume the boat if it had the shadow of a chance.This was to me a preposterous thing!
But when I was told that the Big Knives had cre-ated a "fire-boat-walks-on-mountains"(a loco-motive)it was too much to believe.
"Why,"declared my informant,"those who saw this monster move said that it flew from moun-tain to mountain when it seemed to be excited.
They said also that they believed it carried a thunder-bird,for they frequently heard his usual war-whoop as the creature sped along!"Several warriors had observed from a distance one of the first trains on the Northern Pacific,and had gained an exaggerated impression of the won-ders of the pale-face.They had seen it go over a bridge that spanned a deep ravine and it seemed First Impressions of Civilization 281to them that it jumped from one bank to the other.
I confess that the story almost quenched my ardor and bravery.
Two or three young men were talking together about this fearful invention.
"However,"said one,"I understand that this fire-boat-walks-on-mountains cannot move except on the track made for it."Although a boy is not expected to join in the con-versation of his elders,I ventured to ask:"Then it cannot chase us into any rough country?""No,it cannot do that,"was the reply,which I heard with a great deal of relief.
I had seen guns and various other things brought to us by the French Canadians,so that Ihad already some notion of the supernatural gifts of the white man;but I had never before heard such tales as I listened to that morning.It was said that they had bridged the Missouri and Miss-issippi rivers,and that they made immense houses of stone and brick,piled on top of one another until they were as high as high hills.My brain was puzzled with these things for many a day.
Finally I asked my uncle why the Great Mystery gave such power to the Washechu (the rich)--sometimes we called them by this name--and not to us Dakotas.
For the same reason,"he answered,"that he gave to Duta the skill to make fine bows and ar-rows,and to Wachesne no skill to make anything.""And why do the Big Knives increase so much more in number than the Dakotas?"I continued.
"It has been said,and I think it must be true,that they have larger families than we do.I went into the house of an Eashecha (a German),and Icounted no less than nine children.The eldest of them could not have been over fifteen.When my grandfather first visited them,down at the mouth of the Mississippi,they were comparative-ly few;later my father visited their Great Father at Washington,and they had already spread over the whole country.""Certainly they are a heartless nation.They have made some of their people servants--yes,slaves!We have never believed in keeping slaves,but it seems that these Washechu do!It is our belief that they painted their servants black a long time ago,to tell them from the rest,and now the slaves have children born to them of the same color!
"The greatest object of their lives seems to be to acquire possessions--to be rich.They desire to possess the whole world.For thirty years they were trying to entice us to sell them our First Impressions of Civilization 283land.Finally the outbreak gave them all,and we have been driven away from our beautiful country.
"They are a wonderful people.They have divided the day into hours,like the moons of the year.In fact,they measure everything.Not one of them would let so much as a turnip go from his field unless he received full value for it.
I understand that their great men make a feast and invite many,but when the feast is over the guests are required to pay for what they have eaten before leaving the house.I myself saw at White Cliff (the name given to St.Paul,Minne-sota)a man who kept a brass drum and a bell to call people to his table;but when he got them in he would make them pay for the food!
"I am also informed,"said my uncle,"but this I hardly believe,that their Great Chief (President)compels every man to pay him for the land he lives upon and all his personal goods--even for his own existence--every year!"(This was his idea of taxation.)"I am sure we could not live under such a law.
"When the outbreak occurred,we thought that our opportunity had come,for we had learned that the Big Knives were fighting among themselves,on account of a dispute over their slaves.It was said that the Great Chief had al-lowed slaves in one part of the country and not in another,so there was jealousy,and they had to fight it out.We don't know how true this was.
