of his evil courses. While in the woods he knelt and prayed to God, and
began seriously to think of the error of his ways and of the evil days
that had fallen on his few remaining native friends. Whisky, gambling,
idleness, and general vice had almost exterminated his people. His
eyes were opened to the folly of these facts, and he prayed. He,
however, became sick; and as his sickness increased, these ideas became
brighter in his mind and his duty more clear. He grew worse, and one
day he died. He was pronounced dead by all present, and was laid out
for burial. His brother went to Olympia for a coffin, and a grave was
prepared. He died at 4 oclock in the morning, and late in the afternoon
he again resumed life and recovered consciousness.”
“His recovery was rapid, and immediately he told those present that
during his term of death his soul had been to heaven, where it had been
met by the angels, who, after a proper inquiry as to his name, etc.,
told him that he had been bad on earth, and reminded him very forcibly
of his shortcomings while there, and finally wound up by informing him
that he could not enter heaven, but that he could either go to hell or
could go back to the earth and preach to the Indians and tell them the
way to heaven. He accepted this latter proposition, and the result was
that his soul again returned to earth, reentered its old body, and has
from that day to this animated Slocum with the spirit of a crusader
against gambling, whisky drinking, and other ‘Boston’ vices.”
“About a year ago I was employed by these people as their attorney, and
at their request attended the meetings in Mason county, and had a long
conference with them. As a practical person would, Slocum undertook
to demonstrate to me his honesty and the divine character of their
religion, and at a large meeting composed only of Indians, members
of his church, he made to me a long public statement of facts, and
explained, through an interpreter, the character of their religion and
of their belief. I wrote down at the time a synopsis of what was said
to me, and now quote it at some length as being the exact words of
Slocum, and as the best explanation of their religion.”
“Standing before all his people, in the most solemn and impressive
manner, in their church, he said in substance:”
“The witnesses have spoken the truth. I was sick about two weeks,
and had five Indian doctors. I grew very weak and poor. Dr Jim was
there. He could not cure me. They wanted to save me, but my soul
would die two or three hours at a time. At night my breath was out,
and I died. All at once I saw a shining light—great light—trying my
soul. I looked and saw my body had no soul—looked at my own body—it
was dead.”
“I came through the first time and told my friends, ‘When I die,
don’t cry,’ and then I died again. Before this I shook hands and
told my friends I was going to die. Angels told me to look back and
see my body. I did, and saw it lying down. When I saw it, it was
pretty poor. My soul left body and went up to judgment place of
God. I do not know about body after 4 oclock.”
“I have seen a great light in my soul from that good land; I have
understand all Christ wants us to do. Before I came alive I saw I
was sinner. Angel in heaven said to me, ‘You must go back and turn
alive again on earth.’ I learned that I must be good Christian
man on earth, or will be punished. My soul was told that I must
come back and live four days on earth. When I came back, I told
my friends, ‘There is a God—there is a Christian people. My good
friends, be Christian.’”
“When I came alive, I tell my friends, ‘Good thing in heaven. God
is kind to us. If you all try hard and help me we will be better
men on earth.’ And now we all feel that it is so.”
“A good Christian man prayed with me four days. After four days,
a voice said to me, ‘You shall live on earth four weeks.’ My soul
was told that they must build a church for me in four weeks. I had
lumber for a house, and my friends built church. Had it all done in
four weeks but 6 feet of roof, and spread a mat over that. Soon as
the church was finished the people came and filled the house and
began to worship God. I felt strong—bigger than today—all these
men know this. My friends worked hard, and I am here because they
finished the house in four weeks. My soul was told to remain on
earth four weeks more. All my friends came, and every Saturday we
worshiped God. In four weeks more my soul was told that I should
live on earth four years if I did right and preached for God. All
felt thankful, and people joined the church—about fifty people. I
was promised more time if we worshiped God.”
“A bad man can’t reach heaven. I believe in God. I saw how bad I
used to be. God sends us light to see. They know in heaven what we
think. When people are sick, we pray to God to cure us. We pray
that he take the evil away and leave the good. If man don’t be
Christian, he will suffer and see what is bad. When we remember
Jesus Christ’s name, we always felt happy in our hearts. This is
good road for us to travel if we hold on. If we do, God’s angels
are near to our souls. Power from this to help us. When we pray, it
helps us lots in our hearts. We don’t do good sometimes, because
our hearts are not right. When our body and heart feel warm, we do
good and sing good songs. As Christ said, he sends power to every
believing soul on earth.”
“While one man can try to start religion here on earth, it don’t
do much good; they won’t believe him much. That’s why we join to
worship. Now we are preparing ourselves for judgment. For it is
said, it don’t make any difference if he prays good and does good.
God gives him help and words to speak. Makes no difference if
‘Boston’ or Indian, if God helps we know it. These things are what
we learned. We learn good while we pray—voice says, Do good.”
“It is ten years, now, since we began, and we have good things. We
all love these things and will follow them all time. We learn to
help ourselves when sick. When our friend is sick, we kneel and ask
for help to cure him. We learn something once in a while to cure
him. Then we do as we know to help him and cure him. If we don’t
learn to help him, we generally lose him.”
“This is a pretty accurate synopsis of the speech delivered to me
by Slocum, and translated by another Indian, who spoke pretty good
English. But that a more thorough knowledge may be given of their
religious belief, I give also a brief synopsis of another speech made
at the same meeting by Louis Yowaluch, a full-blood Indian, who is the
legal head of this church. It is about as follows:”
“Well, my friend, we was about the poorest tribe on earth. We was
only tribe now full blood and nothing else. We would not believe
anything. Minister came here, but we laugh at him. We loved bad
habits—stealing—and John Slocum died. He was not a religious
man—knew nothing of God—all of us same. We heard there was a God
from Slocum—we could see it. Same time we heard God, we believe
it. I was worst of lot. I was drunkard—was half starving—spent
every cent for whisky. I gambled, raced horses, bet shirt, money,
blankets—did not know any better.”
“John Slocum brought good to us; his words civilized us. We could
see. We all felt blind those times. We lost by drowning—our friends
drink whisky and the canoes turn over—we died out in the bay. Today
who stopped us from these things?”
“John Slocum came alive, and I remember God and felt frightened. We
never heard such a thing as a man dying and bring word that there
was a God. I became sick for three weeks, four weeks. I hear a
voice saying to soul, ‘Tomorrow they will be coming to fix you up.’
Had just heard about John Slocum, and knew it was punishment for my
bad habits. My heart was black—it was a bad thing.”
“Now I have quit swearing—my heart is upside down—it is changed.
After I heard the voice I heard another say: ‘There it is now—some
one to fix you up. Have you prepared your heart? If you don’t
believe in Christ, you will go into a big fire and burn forever.’
I saw a man’s hand coming to my heart. That day I got up—was
well—talked to my friends, advising them. I will remain a follower
of Christ as long as I live.”
“Long ago we knew nothing at all. When Slocum came back from God,
we found out there was a God. From that time we have prayed for
anything we want. We follow God’s way. God teaches us if we do bad
we will go to hell. That’s why we pray and avoid bad habits. If
we don’t ask grace, bad things come when we eating. When we drink
water, we think about God before drinking. If we don’t think of
him, may be we get sick from water. If traveling, may be we die if
we don’t think of God. We are afraid to do wrong against God. Long
time ago we worked on Sundays, but no more now. Our brother Christ
has given us six days to work. On Sunday pray to God. God put
people here to grow—puts our soul in our body. That’s why we pray
so much. If we quit, like a man quit his job, he gets no pay. We
would go to fire in hell. We have no power to put out hell fire.”
“Louis Yowaluch is the strong man of the Shaker church. He is 6 feet
tall, rawboned, muscular, and rather slow. While he may once have been,
as he says, a drunkard, he is now a Christian man. His conservativeness
makes him a fine leader for the organization, while all the Indians
respect him for his humanity and charity, for his honesty and
uprightness, for his fearlessness and love of right. He fully and
freely places John Slocum at the head of the church, as the man who
ascended to heaven and brought back a personal knowledge of the road,
but at the same time he takes the lead in laying out work, building
churches, and sending out preachers to new tribes.”
“A new feature of this religion is found in Sam Yowaluch, the brother
of Louis. He is younger than Louis, and has more of the native
superstition in his character. He has by common consent been placed at
the head of the faith-cure branch of the church. The following synopsis
of his ‘talk’ will be an explanation of his position:”
“Among the Shakers, John Slocum is first. Louis is next. I take
power and cure people when they are sick. Long time ago I knew
nothing—just like an animal. No doctoring, no medicine—no good.
I was a drunkard, was a thief, and a robber. When I joined this
religion, I was told to be good. When John Slocum was preaching, I
heard that if I prayed I would have power and be a medicine-man,
and could cure the sick. From time John Slocum preached I tried to
be a good Christian man. I prayed and was sick—my soul was sick. I
prayed to God and he pays me for that. There is lots of difference
between this power and old Indian doctoring. This is not old power.
I can cure people now. I have cured some white men and women, but
they are ashamed to tell it. I cure without money. One big, rich
man, Henry Walker, was sick—had great pains in his ear and leg.
Doctor at Olympia failed to cure him, and he came to John Slocum
and me. We worked for him, prayed, and he lay down and slept and
was cured. He offered us twenty dollars—but no, we refused it. God
will pay us when we die. This is our religion. When we die, we get
our pay from God.”
“No, we do not believe the Bible. We believe in God, and in Jesus
Christ as the Son of God, and we believe in a hell. In these
matters we believe the same as the Presbyterians. We think fully
of God today. A good Christian man is a good medicine-man. A good
Christian man in the dark sees a light toward God. God makes a
fog—good Christian man goes straight through it to the end, like
good medicine. I believe this religion. It helps poor people. Bad
man can’t see good—bad man can’t get to heaven—can’t find his way.
We were sent to jail for this religion, but we will never give
up. We all believe that John Slocum died and went to heaven, and
was sent back to preach to the people. We all talk about that and
believe it.”
“The Shakers use candles, bells, crucifixes, Catholic pictures, etc.,
in their church and other ceremonies. As Mr Ellis says, they use
paraphernalia of the Catholic, Presbyterian, and even some of the
Indian religion. They cross themselves as the Catholics do; they say
grace before and after meals; they stand and pray and chant in unison;
they set candles around the dead as the Catholics do, and believe in
the cure of the sick by faith and prayer. In times of excitement many
of them twitch and shake, but in no instance do they conduct themselves
in so nervous a manner as I have seen orthodox Christians do at old
Sandy Branch camp-meeting in Illinois. They believe that by praying
with a man or woman and rubbing the person they could induce them to
join their church, and could rub away their sins; but they have no
rite, no ceremony, no belief, no policy, no form of religion that is
not in use by some one or other of our orthodox people.”
“Their religion, in brief, is a belief in God as the father and ruler
of all, and in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of
mankind. They know there is a heaven, for John Slocum was there, and
believe in a hell of fire for the punishment of sinners, because the
angels in heaven told John Slocum about it. They do not care for the
Bible. It is of no use to them, for they have a distinct revelation
direct from heaven. This is the only practical difference between them
and the orthodox believers, and this they do not care for.”
Two of their songs, as recorded by Mr Wickersham, are as follows:
_Stalib gwuch Kwē Shuck, or Song of Heaven_
Alkwē klū sutlh akwē schelch huchum akwē shuck;
When we get warning from heaven;
Gwalch clah tlōwch kwē lehass;
Then the angels will come;
Gwalch clah gwä tä äddō kwē kä-kä tēdtēd;
Then the wonderful bells will ring;
Gwalch clah ass kwā-buch kwē kä-kä tsille;
Then our souls will be ready;
Gwalch clah ōwhuh tu shuck;
Then they will go up to heaven;
Gwalch clah tālib tōbuch ah shō-shō-quille;
Then we will sing with Jesus;
Gwalch clah jōil tōbuch ah shō-shō-quille.
Then we will be happy with Jesus.
_Quā-dā-tsits Stālib, or Preacher’s Song_
Chelch lä tā lā, beuch;
Then we shall sing;
Chelch lä tā lā beuch;
Then we shall sing;
Chelch lä tā lā beuch;
Then we shall sing;
Al kwe shuck älläl.
Up in heaven’s house.
Chelch lā jōilla;
Then we’ll be happy;
Chelch lā jōilla;
Then we’ll be happy;
Chelch lā jōilla,
Then we’ll be happy,
Al kwe shuck älläl.
Up in heaven’s house.
Chelch lā jōilla;
Then we’ll be happy;
Chelch lā jōilla;
Then we’ll be happy;
Chelch lā jōilla,
Then we’ll be happy,
Yuchquē shō-shō-quille.
Up with Jesus.
Mr Wickersham then gives an account of the persecutions to which
the rising sect was for a long time subjected, chiefly at the hands
of agent Edwin Eells and his brother, Reverend Myron Eells, already
quoted at length, who was at that time the missionary on the Skokomish
reservation. As Mr Wickersham’s statements in this regard are mainly
in the form of extended quotations from Ten Years’ Missionary Work
at Skokomish, written by the Reverend Mr Eells himself, they may
be regarded as conclusive. It is apparent that a part at least of
this persecution, which took the shape of banishment, chains, and
imprisonment, and even the forcible seizure of a dead body from
the bereaved relatives, was due to the fact that the Shakers, who
considered themselves a genuine branch of the Christian church,
were disposed to lean toward Catholicity rather than toward the
denominational form upheld by the agent and his brother.
However, religious persecution failed as utterly in its purpose in this
case as it has and must in all others. Quoting from Mr Eells, “The
chiefs did not care if they were deposed, were about to resign, and did
not wish to have anything more to do with the ‘Boston’ religion or the
agent. Billy Clams was ready, if need be, to suffer as Christ did. He
was willing to be a martyr.”
Mr Wickersham continues:
“While Billy Clams and some of his people publicly abandoned the
forms of Shaker religion rather than be banished, yet John Slocum
and his people refused to so surrender, and the agent sent out
his police and arrested John Slocum, Louis Yowaluch, and two or
three more of these people—good, true men—and, loading their limbs
with chains, confined them for several weeks in the dirty little
single room of a jail at the Puyallup agency, near Tacoma. Their
only offense was worship of a different form from that adopted
by the agent and his brother. They had broken no law, created no
disorder, and yet they suffered ignominious incarceration in a vile
dungeon, loaded with chains, at the pleasure of the agent. The
Shakers believed in God, in Jesus Christ, in heaven and hell, in
temperance, sobriety, and a virtuous life. They abandoned the old
Indian religion and all its vices and forms, including the power of
the doctors or medicine-men. These medicine-men had a great hold
on the Indian mind, and they joined the minister and the agent in
their fight on the Shakers, because the Shakers fought them; so
that there was seen the unique spectacle of the savage shamanism
of the American Indian and the supposed orthodox religion of
civilization hand in hand fighting the followers of Jesus Christ.”
“Imprisonment, banishment, threats, chains, and the general ill
will of the agent and all his employees were visited on these
Shakers who continued to practice their forms of worship, and yet
they did continue it. In spite of the fact that they occupied a
place only half-way between slaves and freemen, and were under the
orders of the agent and subject to be harassed and annoyed all the
time by him, yet they continued nobly and fearlessly to practice
their religion and to worship God and Jesus Christ as they saw
fit. To do it, however, they were forced to stay away from the
reservations, where the greater number of employees were located,
and their churches were built on Mud bay and Oyster bay, far away
from the reservations.”
“But a brighter day came for these people, a day when they could
stand up and defy every form or force of persecution. In 1886
Congress passed the Indian land severalty bill, an act providing
for dividing lands in severalty to Indians, and providing that
those who took lands and adopted the habits of civilized life
should be American citizens, with all the rights, privileges, and
immunities of any other citizen. In 1892 I was appointed by Judge
Hanford to defend a prisoner in the United States district court at
Tacoma. The prisoner was accused of selling liquor to a Puyallup
Indian, but it appeared on cross-examination that this Indian owned
land in severalty, voted, paid taxes, and exercised other rights
of citizenship. The question was then raised by me on motion to
dismiss, that these land-holding, tax-paying Indians were citizens
of the United States, free and independent. The United States
prosecuting attorney appeared to contest the claim, but after an
extended argument Judge Hanford held with me, and the prisoner was
discharged.”
“The effect of this decision was far-reaching. It meant that all
land-holding Indians were no longer wards of the government, but
free citizens and not under the control of the Indian agent. The
Shaker people, hearing this, sent a deputation to see me, and I
held a long consultation with them, assuring them that they were
as free as the agent, and could establish their own church, own
and build houses of worship, and do both in religious and worldly
matters as other citizens of the United States could. This was
glorious news to them. It meant freedom, it meant the cessation of
persecution and annoyance by the agency employees, and they were
jubilant.”
“Accordingly they met on June 6, 1892, at Mud bay, at Louis
Yowaluch’s house, and organized their church on a regular business
basis. The following officers were elected: Headman, Louis
Yowaluch; elders, John Slocum, Louis Yowaluch, John Smith, James
Walker, Charles Walker, John W. Simmons, and William James. At
this meeting the following persons were also appointed ministers
of this church, and licenses were issued to them, to wit: Louis
Yowaluch, John Slocum, James Tobin, John Powers, and Richard
Jackson. Provision was made to establish a church at the Puyallup
reservation, where the power of the agent had hitherto kept them
out, and William James, a Puyallup landowner, gave land for a
church. After much talk about sending out ministers, etc., the
meeting adjourned, after a two days’ session, and the Shaker
church, after eleven years’ fighting against persecutions, was an
established fact, free and independent, with its own officers,
ministers, and church property.”
[Illustration: +Fig. 68+—Shaker church at Mud bay.]
“The spectacle of an Indian church with Indian officers, preachers,
and members, and of houses built by the Indians for church
purposes, was too much for the average citizen of Puget sound, and
the Shakers were continually disturbed, not only by the whites,
but by the Indians who could not and did not appreciate the change
to citizenship, so that I was constantly applied to for protection
by the ministers and members of the Shaker church. A ‘paper’ has
a great effect on the average Indian, and I issued on application
several papers addressed in general terms to those who might be
disposed to interfere with them, which had a quieting effect and
caused evil-disposed persons to respect the Indians and their
religion, or at least to let them alone. They now feel quite
confident of their position, and are acting quite like the average
citizen. Even the persons who persecuted them for eleven years now
felt obliged to retire from the conflict, and a day of peace is
reached at last.”
“The Shaker church now reaches over nearly the whole of western
Washington. The story of Slocum’s death and visit to heaven, and
his return to preach to the Indians, is accepted by them as a
direct revelation of the will of God. They say that they do not
need to read the Bible, for do they not have better and more
recent testimony of the existence of heaven and of the way to that
celestial home than is contained in the Bible? Here is John Slocum,
alive, and has he not been to heaven? Then, why read the Bible to
learn the road, when John can so easily tell them all about it?
The Bible says there are many roads; the Catholics have one, the
Presbyterians another, and the Congregationalists a third; but John
Slocum gives them a short, straight road—and they choose that.”
“The Shaker church now has a building for church purposes at Mud
bay, at Oyster bay, at Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Puyallup. They have
about a dozen ministers regularly licensed, and about 500 members.
Most of the Indians at Skokomish belong, while the Squaxins,
Chehalis, Nisqually, Cowlitz, and Columbia River Indians, and in
fact the majority of the Indians of western Washington, either
belong or are in sympathy with its teachings, so that it is now the
strongest church among them. They are sending out runners to the
Yakimas east of the Cascade mountains, and expect before long to
make an effort to convert that tribe.”
“The Indian is inclined to be weak, and to adopt the vices of the
white man, but not his virtues. However, this is not true of the
Shakers. They do not drink intoxicants of any kind, and make a
special effort at all times to banish liquor. This is the strong
element in their faith, and the one for which they fight hardest.
They feel upon their honor in the matter, and contrast the members
of their church at every place with those belonging to the other
denominations—and it is too true that an Indian does not seem at
all to be restrained from drink by belonging to the other churches
as he does in the Shaker church. In the others he feels no personal
interest. The honor of neither himself nor his people is involved,
and if he disgraces himself it reflects, in his opinion, rather
on the white man’s church. Not so with the Shakers. No white man
belongs to their church, and it is their boast that no white
preacher can keep his Indian members from drink as they can—and it
is true. After their opposition to liquor, next comes gambling.
From these two vices flow nearly all troubles to the Indian, and
the Shakers are certainly successful in extinguishing their spread
among the Indians. They make special war on drunkenness, gambling,
and horse racing, and preach honesty, sobriety, temperance, and
right living.”