Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Chapter five of Indian Child Life.This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain.For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Indian childLife by Charles Eastman, Chapter five An
(00:23):
Indian Boy's Training. Very early,the Indian boy assumed the task of preserving
and transmitting the legends of his ancestorsand his race. Almost every evening,
a myth or a true story ofsome deed done in the past was narrated
by one of the parents or grandparents, while the boy listened with parted lips
(00:46):
and glistening eyes. On the followingevening was usually required to repeat it.
If he was not an apt scholar, he struggled long with his task,
but as a rule, the Indianboy is a good listener has a good
memory, so that the stories weretolerably well mastered. The household became his
(01:06):
audience, by which he was alternatelycriticized and applauded. The sort of teaching
at once enlightens the boy's mind andstimulates his ambition. His conception of his
own future career becomes a vivid andirresistible force. Whatever there is for him
to learn, must be learned.Whatever qualifications are necessary to a truly great
(01:30):
man, he must seek at anyexpense of danger and hardship. Such was
the feeling of the imaginative and braveyoung Indian. It became apparent to him
in early life that he must accustomhimself to rove alone, and not to
fear or dislike the impression of solitude. It seems to be a popular idea
(01:53):
that all the characteristic skill of theIndian is instinctive and hereditary is a mistake.
All the stoicism and patience of theIndian are acquired traits, and continual
practice alone makes him master of theart of woodcraft. Physical training and dieting
were not neglected. I remember thatI was not allowed to have beef soup
(02:17):
or any warm drink. The soupwas for the old men. General rules
for the young were never to taketheir food very hot, nor to drink
much water. My uncle, whoeducated me up to the age of fifteen
years, was a strict disciplinarian anda good teacher. When I left the
teepee in the morning, he wouldsay, Hakadah, look closely to everything
(02:42):
you see, and that evening,on my return, you often used to
catechise me for an hour or soon which side of the trees is the
lighter colored bark? On which sidedo they have the most regular branches.
It was his custom to let mename all the new birds that I had
seen during the day. I wouldname them according to the color or the
(03:06):
shape of the bill, or theirsong, or the appearance and locality of
the nest, in fact, anythingabout the bird that impressed me as characteristic.
I made many ridiculous errors, Imust admit. He then usually informed
me of the correct name. OccasionallyI made a hit, and this he
would warmly commend. He went muchdeeper into this science when I was a
(03:30):
little older, that is, aboutthe age of eight or nine years.
He would say, for instance,how do you know that there are fish
in Yonder Lake because they jump outof the water for flies at midday?
He would smile at my prompt butsuperficial reply, What do you think of
the little pebbles grouped together under theshallow water? And what made the pretty
(03:54):
curved marks in the sandy bottom andthe little sand banks? Where do you
find the fish eating birds have theinlet and the outlet of a lake?
Anything to do with a question.He did not expect a correct reply at
once to all the questions that heput to me on these occasions, but
he meant to make me observant anda good student of nature hakadah. He
(04:16):
would say to me, you oughtto follow the example of the shanto Quicha
the wolf. Even when he issurprised and runs for his life, he
will pause to take one more lookat you before he enters his final retreat.
So you must take a second lookat everything you see. It is
better to view animals unobserved. Ihave been a witness to their courtships and
(04:41):
their quarrels, and have learned manyof their secrets. In this way.
I was once the unseen spectator ofa thrilling battle between a pair of grizzly
bears and three buffaloes, a rashact for the bears, for it was
in the moon of strawberries, whenthe buffaloes sharpen and polish their horns for
bloody contests among themselves. I adviseyou, my boy, never to approach
(05:05):
a grizzly's den from the front,but to steal up behind and throw your
blanket or a stone in front ofthe hole. He does not usually rush
for it, but first puts hishead out and listens, and then comes
out very indifferently, and sits onhis haunches on the mound in front of
(05:25):
the hole before he makes any attack. While he is exposing himself in this
fashion, aim at his heart alwaysbe as cool as the animal himself.
And thus he arm'd me against thecunning of savage beasts by teaching me how
to outwit them in hunting, hewould resume. You will be guided by
(05:46):
the habits of the animal you seek. Remember that a moose stays in swampy
or low land, or between highmountains near a spring or lake for thirty
to sixty days at a time.Most large gay moves about continually, except
the dough in the spring. Itis then a very easy matter to find
(06:06):
her. With a fawn, concealyourself in a convenient place as soon as
you observe any signs of the presenceof either, and then call with your
burchand doe. Caller. Whichever onehears you first, will soon appear in
your neighborhood. But you must bevery watchful, or you may be made
of fawn of by a large wildcat. They understand the characteristic call of
(06:30):
the dough perfectly well. When youhave any difficulty with a bear or a
wild cat, that is, ifthe creature shows any signs of attacking you,
you must make him fully understand thatyou have seen him and are aware
of his intentions. If you arenot well equipped for a pitched battle,
the only way to make him retreatis to take a long, sharp pointed
(06:51):
pole for a spear and rush towardhim. No wild beast will face this
unless he is cornered and already wounded. These fierce beasts are generally afraid of
the common weapon of the larger animals, the horns, and these are very
long and sharp. They dare notrisk an open fight. There is one
(07:13):
exception to this rule. The graywolf will attack fiercely when very hungry,
but their courage depends upon their numbers. In this they are like white men.
One wolf or two will never attacka man. They will stampede a
herd of buffaloes in order to getat the calves. They will rush upon
a herd of antelopes, for theseare helpless, but they are always careful
(07:36):
about attacking man of this nature werethe instructions of my uncle, who is
widely known at that time as amongthe greatest hunters of his tribe. All
boys were expected to endure hardship withoutcomplaint. In savage warfare, a young
man must, of course, bean athlete and used to undergoing all sorts
(07:59):
of privations. He must be ableto go without food and water for two
and three days without displaying any weakness, or to run for a day and
a night without any rest. Hemust be able to traverse a pathless and
wild country without losing his way,either in the day or night time.
He cannot refuse to do any ofthese things if he aspires to be a
(08:24):
warrior. Sometimes my uncle would wakenme very early in the morning and challenge
me to fast with him all day. I had to accept the challenge.
We blackened our faces with charcoal sothat every boy in the village would know
that I was fasting for the day. Then the little tempters would make my
life a misery until the merciful sunhid behind the western hills. I can
(08:48):
scarcely recall the time when my sternteacher began to give sudden war whoops over
my head in the morning while Iwas sound asleep. He expected me to
leap up with presence of mind,always ready to grasp a weapon of some
sort, and to give a shrillwhoop in reply. If I was sleepy
or startled and hardly knew what Iwas about, he would ridicule me and
(09:13):
say that I need never expect tosell my scalp deer. Often he would
vary these tactics by shooting off hisgun just outside of the lodge while I
was yet asleep, at the sametime giving blood curdling yells. After a
time, I became used to this. When Indians went upon the war path,
it was their custom to try thenew warriors thoroughly before coming to an
(09:35):
engagement. For instance, when theywere near a hostile camp, they would
select the novices to go after thewater and make them do all sorts of
things to prove their courage. Inaccordance with this idea, my uncle used
to send me off after water whenwe camped after dark in a strange place.
Perhaps the country was full of wildbeasts, and for aught I knew
(09:58):
there might be scouts from hostile bandsof Indians lurking in that very neighborhood.
Yet I never objected, for thatwould show cowardice. I picked my way
through the woods, dipped my pailin the water, and hurried back,
always careful to make as little noiseas a cat. Being only a boy,
my heart would leap at every cracklingof a dry twig or distant hooting
(10:22):
of an owl, until at lastI reached our teepee. Then my uncle
would perhaps say, ah, hakadah, you are a thorough warrior. Empty
up the precious contents of the pail, and order me to go a second
time. Imagine how I felt.But I wished to be a brave man,
as much as a white boy desiresto be a great lawyer or even
(10:43):
President of the United States. Silently, I would take the pail and endeavor
to retrace my footsteps in the dark. With all this, our manners and
morals were not neglected. I wasmade to respect the adults and especially the
aged. I was not allowed tojoin in their discussions, nor even to
(11:05):
speak in their presence unless requested todo so. Indian etiquette was very strict,
and among the requirements was that ofavoiding the direct address. A term
of relationship or some title of courtesywas commonly used instead of the personal name
by those who wished to show respect. We were taught generosity to the poor,
(11:31):
and reverence for the Great Mystery.Religion was the basis of all Indian
training. End of Chapter five
Chapter five of Indian Child Life.This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
recordings are in the public domain.For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Indian childLife by Charles Eastman, Chapter five An
(00:23):
Indian Boy's Training. Very early,the Indian boy assumed the task of preserving
and transmitting the legends of his ancestorsand his race. Almost every evening,
a myth or a true story ofsome deed done in the past was narrated
by one of the parents or grandparents, while the boy listened with parted lips
(00:46):
and glistening eyes. On the followingevening was usually required to repeat it.
If he was not an apt scholar, he struggled long with his task,
but as a rule, the Indianboy is a good listener has a good
memory, so that the stories weretolerably well mastered. The household became his
(01:06):
audience, by which he was alternatelycriticized and applauded. The sort of teaching
at once enlightens the boy's mind andstimulates his ambition. His conception of his
own future career becomes a vivid andirresistible force. Whatever there is for him
to learn, must be learned.Whatever qualifications are necessary to a truly great
(01:30):
man, he must seek at anyexpense of danger and hardship. Such was
the feeling of the imaginative and braveyoung Indian. It became apparent to him
in early life that he must accustomhimself to rove alone, and not to
fear or dislike the impression of solitude. It seems to be a popular idea
(01:53):
that all the characteristic skill of theIndian is instinctive and hereditary is a mistake.
All the stoicism and patience of theIndian are acquired traits, and continual
practice alone makes him master of theart of woodcraft. Physical training and dieting
were not neglected. I remember thatI was not allowed to have beef soup
(02:17):
or any warm drink. The soupwas for the old men. General rules
for the young were never to taketheir food very hot, nor to drink
much water. My uncle, whoeducated me up to the age of fifteen
years, was a strict disciplinarian anda good teacher. When I left the
teepee in the morning, he wouldsay, Hakadah, look closely to everything
(02:42):
you see, and that evening,on my return, you often used to
catechise me for an hour or soon which side of the trees is the
lighter colored bark? On which sidedo they have the most regular branches.
It was his custom to let mename all the new birds that I had
seen during the day. I wouldname them according to the color or the
(03:06):
shape of the bill, or theirsong, or the appearance and locality of
the nest, in fact, anythingabout the bird that impressed me as characteristic.
I made many ridiculous errors, Imust admit. He then usually informed
me of the correct name. OccasionallyI made a hit, and this he
would warmly commend. He went muchdeeper into this science when I was a
(03:30):
little older, that is, aboutthe age of eight or nine years.
He would say, for instance,how do you know that there are fish
in Yonder Lake because they jump outof the water for flies at midday?
He would smile at my prompt butsuperficial reply, What do you think of
the little pebbles grouped together under theshallow water? And what made the pretty
(03:54):
curved marks in the sandy bottom andthe little sand banks? Where do you
find the fish eating birds have theinlet and the outlet of a lake?
Anything to do with a question.He did not expect a correct reply at
once to all the questions that heput to me on these occasions, but
he meant to make me observant anda good student of nature hakadah. He
(04:16):
would say to me, you oughtto follow the example of the shanto Quicha
the wolf. Even when he issurprised and runs for his life, he
will pause to take one more lookat you before he enters his final retreat.
So you must take a second lookat everything you see. It is
better to view animals unobserved. Ihave been a witness to their courtships and
(04:41):
their quarrels, and have learned manyof their secrets. In this way.
I was once the unseen spectator ofa thrilling battle between a pair of grizzly
bears and three buffaloes, a rashact for the bears, for it was
in the moon of strawberries, whenthe buffaloes sharpen and polish their horns for
bloody contests among themselves. I adviseyou, my boy, never to approach
(05:05):
a grizzly's den from the front,but to steal up behind and throw your
blanket or a stone in front ofthe hole. He does not usually rush
for it, but first puts hishead out and listens, and then comes
out very indifferently, and sits onhis haunches on the mound in front of
(05:25):
the hole before he makes any attack. While he is exposing himself in this
fashion, aim at his heart alwaysbe as cool as the animal himself.
And thus he arm'd me against thecunning of savage beasts by teaching me how
to outwit them in hunting, hewould resume. You will be guided by
(05:46):
the habits of the animal you seek. Remember that a moose stays in swampy
or low land, or between highmountains near a spring or lake for thirty
to sixty days at a time.Most large gay moves about continually, except
the dough in the spring. Itis then a very easy matter to find
(06:06):
her. With a fawn, concealyourself in a convenient place as soon as
you observe any signs of the presenceof either, and then call with your
burchand doe. Caller. Whichever onehears you first, will soon appear in
your neighborhood. But you must bevery watchful, or you may be made
of fawn of by a large wildcat. They understand the characteristic call of
(06:30):
the dough perfectly well. When youhave any difficulty with a bear or a
wild cat, that is, ifthe creature shows any signs of attacking you,
you must make him fully understand thatyou have seen him and are aware
of his intentions. If you arenot well equipped for a pitched battle,
the only way to make him retreatis to take a long, sharp pointed
(06:51):
pole for a spear and rush towardhim. No wild beast will face this
unless he is cornered and already wounded. These fierce beasts are generally afraid of
the common weapon of the larger animals, the horns, and these are very
long and sharp. They dare notrisk an open fight. There is one
(07:13):
exception to this rule. The graywolf will attack fiercely when very hungry,
but their courage depends upon their numbers. In this they are like white men.
One wolf or two will never attacka man. They will stampede a
herd of buffaloes in order to getat the calves. They will rush upon
a herd of antelopes, for theseare helpless, but they are always careful
(07:36):
about attacking man of this nature werethe instructions of my uncle, who is
widely known at that time as amongthe greatest hunters of his tribe. All
boys were expected to endure hardship withoutcomplaint. In savage warfare, a young
man must, of course, bean athlete and used to undergoing all sorts
(07:59):
of privations. He must be ableto go without food and water for two
and three days without displaying any weakness, or to run for a day and
a night without any rest. Hemust be able to traverse a pathless and
wild country without losing his way,either in the day or night time.
He cannot refuse to do any ofthese things if he aspires to be a
(08:24):
warrior. Sometimes my uncle would wakenme very early in the morning and challenge
me to fast with him all day. I had to accept the challenge.
We blackened our faces with charcoal sothat every boy in the village would know
that I was fasting for the day. Then the little tempters would make my
life a misery until the merciful sunhid behind the western hills. I can
(08:48):
scarcely recall the time when my sternteacher began to give sudden war whoops over
my head in the morning while Iwas sound asleep. He expected me to
leap up with presence of mind,always ready to grasp a weapon of some
sort, and to give a shrillwhoop in reply. If I was sleepy
or startled and hardly knew what Iwas about, he would ridicule me and
(09:13):
say that I need never expect tosell my scalp deer. Often he would
vary these tactics by shooting off hisgun just outside of the lodge while I
was yet asleep, at the sametime giving blood curdling yells. After a
time, I became used to this. When Indians went upon the war path,
it was their custom to try thenew warriors thoroughly before coming to an
(09:35):
engagement. For instance, when theywere near a hostile camp, they would
select the novices to go after thewater and make them do all sorts of
things to prove their courage. Inaccordance with this idea, my uncle used
to send me off after water whenwe camped after dark in a strange place.
Perhaps the country was full of wildbeasts, and for aught I knew
(09:58):
there might be scouts from hostile bandsof Indians lurking in that very neighborhood.
Yet I never objected, for thatwould show cowardice. I picked my way
through the woods, dipped my pailin the water, and hurried back,
always careful to make as little noiseas a cat. Being only a boy,
my heart would leap at every cracklingof a dry twig or distant hooting
(10:22):
of an owl, until at lastI reached our teepee. Then my uncle
would perhaps say, ah, hakadah, you are a thorough warrior. Empty
up the precious contents of the pail, and order me to go a second
time. Imagine how I felt.But I wished to be a brave man,
as much as a white boy desiresto be a great lawyer or even
(10:43):
President of the United States. Silently, I would take the pail and endeavor
to retrace my footsteps in the dark. With all this, our manners and
morals were not neglected. I wasmade to respect the adults and especially the
aged. I was not allowed tojoin in their discussions, nor even to
(11:05):
speak in their presence unless requested todo so. Indian etiquette was very strict,
and among the requirements was that ofavoiding the direct address. A term
of relationship or some title of courtesywas commonly used instead of the personal name
by those who wished to show respect. We were taught generosity to the poor,
(11:31):
and reverence for the Great Mystery.Religion was the basis of all Indian
training. End of Chapter five
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