RED INDIANS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

RED INDIANS

(By Edith Frump)

(Ivy Stratford, of Kowai Bush, has sent in this account of Red Indians by a pen-friend In North America.) If you hear a person speaking about “redskins” you probably know they are meaning Red Indians. Red Indians are not exactly what you would call "red,” they are about the same colour as a fairly new penny. “Redskins” is more of a nick-name for them, just as they use the name ‘pale-faces for us. These Indians belong to North America and they were the only people living there when the white people arrived. ■ Naturally they resented the coming of the white people, and many quarrels took place between the two races, but eventually the Red Indians were forced back and forced back, until they had very little country of their own and to-day most of them are occupied with some useful work in the towns or country. Fortunately it was realised m time that the Indians would soon not be a race of people at 611, so “reserves” were set aside for them*

On these Indian reserves the redskins live their natural life. Their homes are rather peculiar looking things. They use three big light rods and three smaller ones. They put first a big rod and then a small one (until they have used the six) in a ring, the sticks meeting at the top. To these they attach skins, leaving a.triangular opening in front for the door, then their wigwam, as it is called, is complete. The reason why it is so simply made is so that it can be removed whenever desired, because Red Indians do not stay in the same place all the time. When food becomes scarce, the wigwam is packed in a light bark canoe and at the end of a day’s journey, the family and wigwam can be miles and miles away from their former camping ground. . . . Before the young boys are eight years old they are taught to swim, paddle a canoe, run swiftly and quietly and know all the sounds, and also to hunt. The young girls remain at the grounds preparing food for winter, making , clothes and moccasins, and preparing more Sk The Indians are divided into different tribes, such as the Iroquois and Shawnees. The Iroquois were a fiercer tribe, but have in recent years become more civilised. They tamed horses and trained them so that they could hunt buffaloes and moose/ Buffaloes were killed by hundreds, which is the real reason why they are so scarce now. The meat of the buffalo was dried and pounded into a powdery mass which was mixed with fat and berries and then packed into fur bags and buried in the ground. When this pemmican, as it was called, was wanted it was dug up and eaten. It was also wideb eaten by the first settlers in Nort America. ~ _ In the Indian reserves the Indian, are visited by doctors, missionane and teachers so that they do im quite live their old lives, but the are all happy in their reserve and tha,t is the main feature, think, for anyone.