Page:Life and journals of Kah-ke-wa-quo-na-by.djvu/144

 was contented and happy. Now I suppose if the Great Spirit had intended the Indian to worship like the white man he would have made him white instead of red, &c. Our forefathers have told us that when an Indian dies, his spirit goes to a place brepared for him towards the sun-setting, where Indians dwell for ever in dancing and feasting; and should I become a Christian and throw away the religion of my fathers, I am not sure that the Great Spirit would receive me into heaven. And how should I look after worshipping like the white man? Perhaps when I come to die my soul might go up to heaven, and the Great Spirit would ask me, "What have you come up here for, you Indian? This is not your place; you must go where your forefathers have gone; this place is only made for white people, not for Indians, therefore begone." How foolish then should I look to be driven from heaven; therefore I think I cannot become a Christian, and throw away my old ways; and, more than this, I do not see that the white men who are christians are any better than the red men, for they make fire-waters, get drunk, quarrel, fight, murder, steal, lie, and cheat. Now when the Indian gets drunk he sometimes quarrels and fights, but never when he is sober; but I have seen white men fight when they are sober, and go from their meeting-house straight to the tavern; so that I do not desire the white man's religion, neither do I think that I should be able to forsake the sins which I have already committed." In answer to these arguments, I told him that the good book said there was only one way to worship God, and that the Great Spirit required all nations to believe and accept the offers of salvation. I also informed him that we once had the same prejudices to overcome, but that since we had commenced praying to the Great Spirit we had found Him to be the Indian's as well as the white man's God. I also told him what he said concerning the bad white man was too true, but informed him