Indian boys dearly love pocket-knives. As they have to make their own
bows and arrows, the paddles for their birch canoes, and also the frames
for their snow shoes, of course a good knife is a valued possession. In
whittling, Indian boys do not push the knife from them, but always draw
it toward them. They are very clever in the manufacture of the few
things which they require, and are encouraged by their fathers to do
their work as neatly as possible. So the better the knife, the better
the work which these Indian lads can do, and they are ambitious to
possess the very best knife that it is possible for them to obtain; just
as the older Indians will give any price within their means for the very
best guns that are made. Knowing this love for a good knife, I once
used it among a lot of Indian lads, as an incentive to encourage them to
sing: as our story will explain.
At one of our Indian villages, where a flourishing mission with its day
and Sunday schools exists, the devoted lady teacher said to me on a
recent visit:
"I do wish you would do something to encourage our boys to sing. They
have good voices, but they seem afraid to use them. If I do succeed in
getting one to sing, the others laugh at him, and then there is no more
singing that day."
I gladly promised to do what I could; but before I describe the plan
adopted, perhaps I would better give some description of these Indians
among whom this courageous young lady was living. Their hunting grounds
are in the vast region which lies between Lake Winnipeg and Hudson Bay.
They are called Saulteaux, and are a subdivision of the great Algonquin
family.
Until very recently they lived altogether by hunting and fishing. So
ignorant were they, even of the existence of bread, that when the first
missionaries, who translated into their language the Lord's prayer, came
to the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread," to make it
intelligible to them, they had to translate it, "Give us this day
something to keep us in life."
They were, and still are very poor. Once the forests abounded in game,
and the richest fur-bearing animals, such as the black and silver foxes,
otters, beavers, minks, martens and ermines, were caught in large
numbers; but incessant huntings have almost annihilated some of these
animals, and others are very difficult to find. The lakes once teemed
with fish; but the rapid increase of the white population in the
north-western states and in Manitoba has so multiplied the demands, that
not one quarter as many fish are now caught as formerly.
The result is, that the poor Indians whose sole dependence was on these
things, are not as well off as they formerly were, even with the little
help which they receive from the government. Hence it is the imperative
duty of the missionaries, not only to Christianise them, but to do all
they can, in harmony with the government officials, to encourage them to
raise cattle, to cultivate what land is available, and to raise those
hardy crops which will come to maturity in such a cold northern region.
This was the place; and those were the Indians whose boys the devoted
teacher wished me to encourage to sing. The request was made during the
celebration of a feast which I was giving them. I had taken out from
civilisation such things as flour, tea, sugar, currants, candies; and at
four a.m. the Indian women had come to the place appointed and had
cooked the cakes etcetera, and made all other needed preparations.
At about ten the people assembled on the bank of the river in front of
the church. Everybody came. All were welcome. It was not asked
whether they were Christian or pagan. We greeted them all cordially,
and treated them alike.
Of the happy incidents of the feast, the glad hours of loving converse,
and the religious services held after, we have no room here to write.
Suffice it to say, that at about four p.m. the children's hour came, and
with them we had a very interesting time. I was delighted with their
answers to my many questions, especially with their knowledge of the
blessed Book. The girls sang very sweetly, but not much music came from
the boys, and so I began at once to act on the request of the teacher.
Knowing, as I have stated, the boys' love for pocket-knives, I went to
one of my boxes, and taking out six very good ones, I stood up before
the crowd and said:
"Boys, listen to me. I am going to give these six knives to the six
boys who will sing the best. And look! While five of them are good two
bladed knives, one of them is a splendid four bladed one! Now, I am
going to give this best one, to the boy who will sing the best of all!"
Great indeed was the excitement among the Indian lads. Nearly every boy
in the audience rushed to the front and the trial began. Indians in
their wild state have no music worth preserving, and so in all of our
missions, our hymns and songs are translated, and the tunes of
civilisation are used. The teacher seated herself at the little organ,
and the testing began. They sang such hymns as "Rock of Ages", "Come,
thou Fount of every blessing", "Just as I am", "Jesus my all, to heaven
is gone," and many others.
The inferior singers were weeded out very rapidly, and sent back to
their seats. When the number was reduced to about ten, the work of
selection proceeded more slowly; but eventually the number was reduced
to six. The question now was, Which of these six was to receive the
four-bladed knife? This was not easy to settle. The members of the
committee differed very decidedly; so one boy after another was tried,
over and over again, and still no unanimous decision could be reached.
While the committee was discussing the matter, five of the boys, seeing
our perplexity, took the matter out of our hands and settled it in a way
that surprised and delighted us all. These five were fine specimens of
Indian lads. They were lithe and strong, and full of life and fun. The
sixth boy, Jimmie Jakoos, was a cripple, having one leg which was very
much shorter than the other: the result being that he had to use
crutches. These five had moved over to one side, and were observed to
be excitedly, though quietly, engaged in conversation.
After their brief discussion, one of them sprang up, and looking at me
asked:
"Missionary, may I say something?"
"Certainly you may," I replied.
"Well, missionary," he answered, "we five boys have been talking it
over, and this is what we think about it. You see we are well and
strong. We can chase the rabbit, and partridge, and other game; and
then when winter comes, we can skate on the rivers, and lake; but Jimmie
is lame, he has a bad leg. He cannot run in the woods. He cannot go
skating on the ice. But Jimmie is fond of whittling. He is a good hand
at making bows, and arrows, and paddles, and other things, and a fine
knife would be just the thing for him. And so we five boys have talked
the matter over, and as he is a cripple, we will be very glad if you
will give the best knife to Jimmie."
Noble boys! How the people were thrilled at this speech. It
electrified me, and filled not only my eyes with tears, but my heart
with joy.
I could but think of the past, of the cruelty and intense selfishness of
those dark days, when, among both the young and old, everyone was for
himself, and the unfortunate, and feeble, were neglected and despised.
Now, thanks to the blessed ennobling influences of Christianity, even
the boys were catching this Christly spirit, and would spontaneously act
in this delightful way.
So to Jimmie was given the four-bladed knife and to the other boys were
handed the two-bladed ones; but so pleased was I with the beautiful
spirit displayed by them, that I added to the gift a good shirt or
jacket as each boy chose.