Page 41 - 2003 DT 12 Issues

What’s Inside!

Featured Articles
Big Medicine.........................................1
Special
Boot Tracks............................................5

Departments
News & Notes........................................2
June 2003 Programs & Hikes.................................4

Desk Schedule.......................................6

Bulletin Board.......................................8

Big Medicine ○ ○ ○ “happy hunting ground” had far less ○ ringing of bells, singing, and even the
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appeal for the Pueblo, who was more
Mass in Latin impressed Indians. This
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. . . Missionaries in the ○ ○ interested in a good harvest. ○ ○ strange language might have special
The European missionary arrived to
powers. To make it more understandable
Southwest and their impact ○ ○ find many tribal beliefs puzzling, and ○ ○ to the Indians, the Church called the Sac-
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on Native American tribes. ○ ○ none more so than the Indian’s concept ○ raments “The Seven Medicines.” The
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of “big medicine.” Their medicine ○ Protestants, on the other hand, were
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by Chuck Kleber ○
○ wasn’t herbs and the like solely meant ○ ○ inclined to stick to strict preaching, ad-
to treat illness, it was connected with the ○ monishments about “sin,” and readings
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ettlers, soldiers, gold seekers and ○ ○ desire for power. It could encompass ○ ○ from the Bible. It was a much harder
others had their impact on the ○ ○ anything that might be lucky or unlucky, ○ “sell” to the Indians.
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SNative American tribes of the or it might involve a vision. It was soon ○ Fearful that the English or even the
Southwest, but missionaries had a par- ○ ○ evident to the Indian that the white man ○ ○ Russians might colonize California,
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ticularly unique effect on the order of ○ ○ had “big medicine.” Perhaps he, too, ○ Spain launched expeditions to secure the
things. In many ways, Indians ○ ○
○ entire area. The Franciscan padre,
did not find it difficult to accept ○ Junipero Serra, accompanied one of
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a new “spirit.” After all, their ○ them. He had a dream of missions, each
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beliefs encompassed many spir- ○ within a day’s walk of the other, stretch-
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its, both good and evil. So it was ○ ing north from the first mission of San
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with the Christians; there was ○ Diego de Alcala, established in 1769. By
both a God and a Devil. The ○
○ the time of his death in 1784, Serra’s
Christians had visions and sym- ○ dream seemed to be firmly in place.
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bols of faith, and so did the ○ Beautiful missions dotted the California
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Indians. If the Christian carried ○ coastline, places where local tribes could
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a cross, the Navajo might carry be taught agriculture and other skills and,
a carved shell for protection of course, learn the message of Chris-
against evil spirits in some place ○ ○ tianity. No mission was more beautiful
where evil spirits dwelt, like Diorama of Mission Dolores, 1799 ○ ○ than the one at Santa Barbara. It serves
Monument Valley. ○ as a good example of the mission system.
The Indian’s house was his natural ○ ○ could participate through adopting at ○ ○ The local Chumash tribe was gathered
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environment; the earth, water and sky. ○ least some of the missionary’s beliefs. ○
○ ○ into mission life, and at the start they
He saw it all as a oneness to respect, and ○ The Spaniards were the first, and ○ embraced it. The padres were quite tol-
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thus a brave might offer a drop of water ○ ○ with their military forces there was ○ erant of Indian ways and there was much
to the sky before drinking, or a woman ○ nearly always the padre, a representa- ○
○ ○ free time. Those who did not work in
would apologize to the earth before dig- ○ tive of the Catholic Church in its mission ○ ○ the orchards were taught many skills, up-
ging up clay for pottery. But, like the ○ ○ to convert pagans. In many ways, the ○ wards of fifty different crafts. All of this
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white man, there were some variances ○ ○ Catholics had a distinct advantage over ○
in how the Indian viewed a Great Spirit ○ ○ Protestant missionaries. Their ○ ○
and an afterlife. The Comanche’s ○ ceremonies included colorful rituals, the ○ Big Medicine, continued on p. 7