Having no other stock but horses, which are constantly herded and
watched during the day time, and shut up in enclosures in the village
during the night, fences are unnecessary. While absent from their homes,
their fields are subject to depredations from prairie wolves and deer,
which however no ordinary fence could restrain. Because these poor
people have no other agricultural implements than hoes, the spots which
they are obliged to select for fields are often at great distances from
each other, and frequently from five to eight miles from their village.
When abroad, to prepare and plant them in the spring, and gather the
corn in the fall, they are often exposed to attacks of their enemies.
While the husband is watching from some neighboring eminence to guard
against the stealthy approach of any hostile force, the wive is engaged
in the labor of the field. With fear and trembling their field-labor is
thus performed, and many a one, while so employed, is suddenly fallen
upon and killed by a marauding party of enemies.
When we visited them, they particularly requested us “to beg their Great
Father, the President, that he should be so kind and again break up some
ground for them, as he had done in former years, that they might be able
to plant more corn.” We have brought in the petition of these destitute
people before the proper Department at Washington, and it is greatly to
be desired that our benevolent Government may do something for them in
their wretched state.
As has already been remarked, they were in an almost starving condition
when we visited them. The hunt had proved unsuccessful, so that in the
lower village they had no meat whatever, and had to depend upon the
little corn that they had raised the preceding year. In the upper
village they were also in a miserable condition, for, though they had
yet a little dried buffalo-meat, the Sioux had during their absence on
the hunt, destroyed their village (their present lodges had been rebuilt
since their return) and carried off a portion of their corn, burnt
another portion, and thus very little remained concealed in the
“caches,” which are made in their lodges.
HOSPITALITY.—The Indian has always been renowned for his hospitality.
This trait of character is noticeable among all the tribes. Thus the
Pawnees, too, though in actual want themselves, showed their good will
towards us by preparing for us the best they could afford. One chief
placed before us, besides dried buffalo meat, a small dish of marrow,
which by them is considered a great delicacy.
LABOR.—The more enlightened a people has become through the benign
influence of religion, and the cultivation of the arts and sciences, the
more the weaker sex attains to that rank in society, which the Creator
intended for them; but the more debased and sunk in heathenism a Nation
lies, the more is woman enslaved, and held in subjection. So among the
Pawnees, too, the men are the lords, who, while they themselves are not
disposed to do any work, and generally consider it a shame to labor,
direct the women, as inferior beings, how everything must be done. The
females, besides attending to the housework, generally incumbent upon
their sex, are obliged to cut and carry all the fire-wood; prepare the
fields for cultivation with their hoes, plant the corn, weed it, and
finally, when ripe, gather it in; and take care of the horses of their
lords, when not used by them.
The most difficult labor, however, that falls to their lot, is the
erecting of their lodges. As the upper village had been burnt by their
enemies during their absence, the labor of rebuilding of course devolved
upon the poor women, and in the course of about two months, when we
visited them, they had completed nearly 150 lodges. When we observed
that the nearest timber to the site of the village was two or three
miles off, and that they have no beasts of burden, but that all the
building material, much of which is very heavy, was carried so great a
distance on the shoulders of the women, it seemed almost incredible to
us. We noticed even girls of 12 to 14 years bearing baskets on their
backs, filled with wet turf, to cover or repair their lodges, which must
have been very heavy. Thus early the females are trained to carry
burdens (either at home or while travelling), which inures them to
hardships, but at the same time deforms them, rendering them low and
bent in stature, and pitiable objects to the beholder. While the men,
trained to no work whatever, are erect, tall and well-proportioned in
their form, and almost feminine in their features, the women are short
and low, with stooping gait, downcast looks, harsh features, and hair
dishevelled; and dirty, ragged, and filthy in their appearance. Such is
a picture of heathenism! Have we not cause to be grateful for the benign
influence of the gospel upon our land, so that we are elevated far above
such a miserable state of heathenism? Unto the Lord be all the praise!
Though it is generally a feature among heathen nations, that it is
considered a shame for the men to labor, while all the work devolves
upon the females, still the Pawnees seem not altogether indisposed to be
instructed. Mr. Sharpee, who has been acquainted with them and other
Indians in these parts for nearly 20 years, told us that the Pawnee men
were unlike those of other tribes, since they were willing to lay hold
of a plough or any other farming utensil, and only the instruction was
wanting to make them industrious. Mr. Allis, too, who has been
acquainted with them for the last 20 years, and has lived among them a
great portion of this period, informed us that when the missionaries
were formerly living among them, several of the Pawnees had already
commenced the use of the plough. The good beginning was, however,
interrupted by their missionaries having to leave them.
DRESS.—The dress of the men consists in nothing but a small piece of
cloth, fastened around the middle. This, we observed, was generally the
only covering they had on, when in their lodges. When abroad, they had a
buffalo robe or blanket wrapped around them. The females are more
decently clothed than the men. Their dress consists of leggings,
generally made of scarlet cloth, over which a piece of blue or brown
woolen cloth is tied around the waist, the ends lapping over each other
and extending a little below the knees. The upper dress consists of a
shirt, or short gown, made of calico, reaching to the middle. Over the
whole a blanket or robe is slung, above which, on the back, may
frequently be discovered the black sparkling eyes of a little “papoose”
peering forth.
INTOXICATING DRINK.—It is somewhat remarkable that the Pawnees are not
so fond of “fire water” as other tribes, who are fast dwindling away
from the demoralizing and debasing effects of intoxicating drink.
Nothing, perhaps, has aided more in diminishing the population of
different Indian tribes, than spirituous liquors. To the missionary it
is always gratifying and encouraging to observe, when a tribe takes a
bold stand against the introduction of this destructive poison. The
Pawnees allow none to be brought into their villages.
BURYING THEIR DEAD.—On the highest mounds in the prairie, we often
observed little hillocks of earth, which we were informed were the
places of sepulture of their chiefs and others of their tribe. A tall
bush was frequently stuck in the ground, to designate the spot. We were
also informed, that among the Pawnees and other wild tribes the cruel
practice prevails, when they are on their hunt, and their old people get
so feeble, that they can no longer accompany them, of leaving them
behind, and even burying them alive.—In allusion to this fact Mr. Allis,
pointing to their old and feeble chief, addressed the other chiefs as
follows: “I have learned that you intend to put aside your old chief,
because he is now feeble and sickly, and perhaps you will even think of
burying him, when he can no longer follow you; but I want you to take
care of him. He has been like a father to you. When he was yet strong,
you know his kettle was always over the fire with plenty. He has always
been a friend of the whites, and you ought to esteem him for the
services he has rendered your nation, and not to bury him before he is
dead.”
More might be added, to show the wretchedness of their present state,
but we should fear to become too tedious. Sufficient, however, has been
said to prove that these poor people need the assistance of missionaries
to better them in their outward condition. But, when we consider their
spiritual destitution—their ignorance, darkness and superstition—
“Shall WE whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high,
Shall WE to men benighted
The lamp of life deny?”
“Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” But “how
shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:13, 14). In the face of all difficulties,
let us not be deterred from bringing the glad tidings of Salvation to
these benighted savages; thereby perhaps paving the way for still more
extensive operations among the aborigines of our country; and thus, by
breaking unto them the bread of life, proving the means of repairing, in
part, the numberless wrongs inflicted upon this poor abject race, by
people who call themselves christians.
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● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
○ Typographical errors were silently corrected.
○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only
when a predominant form was found in this book.
○ Text that:
was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).