From “Life and Adventures among the American Indians.”

THE NATIVE races of man, occupying every part of North and South America at the time of the first discovery of the American continent by Columbus, and still existing over great portions of those regions, have generally been denominated “Indians,” from that day to the present, from the somewhat curious fact that the American continent, when first discovered, was supposed to be a part of the coast of India, which the Spanish and Portuguese navigators were expecting to find, in steering their vessels to the West, across the Atlantic.

  To an appellation so long, though erroneously applied, no exception will be taken in this work, in which these races will be spoken of as Indians, or savages, neither of which terms will be intended necessarily to imply the character generally conveyed by the term “Savage,” but literally what the word signifies, wild (or wild man), and no more.

  These numerous races (at that time consisting of many millions of human beings, divided into some hundreds of tribes, and speaking mostly different languages; whose past history is sunk in oblivion from want of books and records; three-fourths of whom, at least, have already perished by firearms, by dissipation, and pestilence introduced amongst them by civilized people; and the remainder of them from similar causes, with no better prospect than certain extinction in a short time) present to the scientific and the sympathizing world one of the most deeply interesting subjects for contemplation that can possibly come under their consideration; and I feel assured that parents will justify the inculcation of just notions of these simple and abused people, into the minds of their children, as forming a legitimate part of the foundation of their education….

  The civilized races in the present enlightened age are too much in the habit of regarding all people more ignorant than themselves as anomalies (or “oddities,” as they have been called), because they do not live and act and look like themselves. They are therefore mostly in the habit of treating the character of the American Indians—which, from the distance they are from them, is more or less wrapped in obscurity—as a profound mystery; but there, owing to their ignorance of them, they judge decidedly wrong; for, like everything else nearest to nature, they are the most simple and easy of all the human family to be appreciated and dealt with, if the right mode be adopted….

  Distributed over every part, and in every nook and corner of North and South, and Central America, we find these people living in their rude huts or “wigwams,” at present numbering something like four millions, though in all probability their numbers were nearer twelve or fourteen millions at the time of the discovery of America by Columbus; and yet the world is left (and probably will remain) in profound ignorance of their origin, for want of historical proof to show from whence they came.

  It seems to be the popular belief that the two Americas have been peopled from the Eastern Continent by the way of Bering’s Strait. Of this there is a possibility, but no proof; and I think there is much and very strong presumptive proof against its probability. The subject has been one of great interest to me for many years past, and of so exciting a nature that I have recently made a tedious and expensive tour to Eastern Siberia, to the Koriaks and the Kamchatkas, the Aleutians,—equidistant between the two continents,—and the natives on the American coast opposite to them, and from all that I could learn there has been a mutual intercourse across the strait, sufficiently proved by the resemblances in language and in physiological traits; but no proof of the peopling of a continent either way.

  In the progressive character with which the Creator has endowed mankind, as distinguished above the brute creations, the American savages have, in several instances, made the intended uses of their reason, in advancing by themselves to a high state of civilization; but from this they have been thrown back by more than savage invaders—as seen in the histories of Mexico and Peru—and by the hand of Providence, in some way not yet explained, in the more ancient destruction of the ruined cities of Palenque and Uxmal, in Central America.

  All history on the subject goes to prove (and without an exception to the contrary) that, when first visited by civilized people, the American Indians have been found friendly and hospitable; and my own testimony, when I have visited nearly two millions of them, and most of the time unprotected, without having received any personal injury or insult, or loss of my property by theft, should go a great way to corroborate the fact that, if properly treated, the American Indians are amongst the most honest, and honorable, and hospitable people in the world.

  In their primitive and natural state they have always been found living quite independently and happily, though poor; with an abundance of animals and fish in their country for food, which seems to bound nearly all their earthly wishes. As they know nothing of commerce, and are totally ignorant of the meaning and value of money, they live and act without those dangerous inducements to crime; and stimulated to honesty by rules of honor belonging to their society, they practice honesty without any “dread of the law”; for there is no punishment amongst them for theft or fraud, except the disgrace that attaches to their character in case they are convicted of such crimes….

  The contemptuous epithets of “the poor, naked, and drunken Indians,” are often habitually applied to these people by those who know but little or nothing about them. And these epithets are sometimes correctly applied; but only so to those classes of Indian society who, to the shame and disgrace of civilized people, have been reduced to these conditions by the iniquitous teachings of white men, who, with the aid of rum and whisky, have introduced dissipation and vices amongst them, which lead directly to poverty, and nakedness, and diseases which end in their destruction.

  In their primitive state, these people are all temperate—all “teetotalers”; and sufficiently clad for the latitudes they live in; and their poverty, properly speaking, with their other misfortunes, only begins when the treacherous hand of white man’s commerce and the jug are extended to them.

  To estimate the Indian character properly, it should be constantly borne in mind that these people invariably have, as their first civilized neighbors, the most wicked and unprincipled part of civilized society to deal with; and these white people use rum, and whisky, and firearms, in a country where they are amenable to no law; and amongst a people who have no newspapers to explain their wrongs to the world.

  It should also be known that there are two classes of Indian society; the one nearest to civilization, where they have become degraded and impoverished, and their character changed by civilized teaching, and their worst passions inflamed, and jealousies excited by the abuses practiced amongst them. This district being the first and most easily reached by the tourist, who fears to go further, he too often contents himself by what he can there see, the semicivilized and degraded condition of the savage; and too often indorses what he sees, as the true definition of the appearance and modes of the American Indians; thus doing injustice to the character of the people, and less than justice to those who read for information.

  My labors have generally commenced where that state of civilization leaves off; and, as I have always believed, I have been in the greatest safety when in the primitive state of Indian society. It has been there and there chiefly, where my ambition has led me, and there where I have labored, as the only legitimate place to portray the true character of Indian life.

  The American Indians, as a race, a great and national family, have a national character and appearance very different from the other native races of the earth. They differ in language, in expression, and in color; and in their native simplicity they have many high and honorable and humane traits of character….

  There are no people on earth more loving and kind to their friends and the poor; and yet, like all savage races, they are correctly denominated cruel; and what people are not so? There is an excuse for the cruelty of savages. Cruelty is a necessity in savage life; and who else has so good an excuse for it?

  Indian society has to be maintained, and personal rights to be protected, without the aid of laws; and for those ends each individual is looked upon as the avenger of his own wrongs; and if he does not punish with cruelty and with certainty there is no security to person or property. In the exercise of this right, he not only uses a privilege, but does what the tribe compels him to do, or be subjected to a disgrace which he cannot outlive; so that cruelty is at the same time a right and a duty—the law of their land.

  The Indian’s “cruelty and treachery in warfare” we hear much of, but cruelty and treachery in Indian and civilized warfare are much alike.

  The Creator has also endowed the North American Indians, everywhere, with a high moral and religious principle, with reason, with humanity, with courage, with ingenuity, and the other intellectual qualities bestowed on the rest of mankind.

  They all worship the Great Spirit, and have a belief in a spiritual existence after death. Idolatry is nowhere practiced by them, nor cannibalism, though you may read of many instances of both to the contrary.