Page:Life and journals of Kah-ke-wa-quo-na-by.djvu/268

 the Great Spirit made the Indian he gave him his mode of worship, and the manner of administering and using medicine to the sick. The Great Spirit gave the Indian to know the virtue of roots and plants to preserve life; and by attending to these things our lives are preserved. Brothers and friends, I will tell you what happened to some of our forefathers that once became christians. I have been informed that when the white people first came to this country, our fathers said to one another, Come brothers, let us worship like our white brothers. They did so, and threw away all that their fathers had told them to do, and forsook the path that their fathers had pointed out to them to walk in. When they had thrown away the religion of their fathers, sickness came among them, and most every one of them died, and but a few escaped death. Again, since my own recollection, there was one man who came among the Indians at the River Miamme, who told them the Great Spirit was angry with them on account of their witchcraft and living in the way of their forefathers. They listened to this babbler, and threw away all their medicines, all their pouches, and all their medicine bags, and every thing they used in their arts into the river. They had no sooner done this than great sickness came among them also, and but few escaped death of them that had taken heed to the words of this babbler. Now, brothers and friends, if I should follow the example of those that once worshipped like the white man I should expect to incur the anger of the Great Spirit, and share the same fate of them that perished. I will therefore remain as I am, and sit down alone and worship in that way that the Munedoo Spirit appointed our forefathers to do and to observe. Brothers and friends, how can I, who have grown old in sins and in drunkenness, break off from these things, when the white people are as bad and wicked as the Indians! Yesterday two white men, christians, got drunk,