An Indian Princess.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 32, 6 July 1885, Page 2

An Indian Princess.

Sarah Winnemucca lectured atlthe Metropolitan Hall lately^ ■ on ?' The Manners and Customs of*- Indian Women." Chief Natchez and five or six Plules.sat upon the platform; all deckfid Vith plumes and beads. The Indian Princess made }iu earnest' appeal for homes and land that her race may call their own, and gave /l description of the present condition of the Plates. Chief Natchez ratide a few remarks, which were: translated by his sister. ■ . ;> In the afternoon she gave a lecture to women. She began with a d.escripion of the customs' of her people forty years ago. She told how, in the summer, the : women remained at home gathering roots and herb's while the youug men ranged bve'* the mountains hunlinpfi'the deer! '■■•■ Bh t when the winter came the young hi«n returned homo and all the trib&* assembled in their villages. —Then the sounds of inprri men t rose from the wij»wams. There were games, and songs and dances, and at night; in their own language, they pray e'd the- Great Spirit to keiep ■ ' them from disease and to make them good. In . the wigwan ths "grandniother is lh;e guardian of tKe yoiing girls. Never can they speak witt i any^ man '-who is not a neat relative 7 , farther or brother. With the Indians there is no walking or ridirig with the young, men and boys, "as is corambn with your daughters, my white sisJers," said the PrincesSi The girl at home; But when, she is. no longer a child but a woman, she is treated like a queen. : The children are to a great extent self-taught. The boys are present when the chiefs meet in council, and when the debate is over they go out on some hillside and act it all over. The)' choose and name their chiefs || and talk as they heard their fathers talk. The gij Is, too. in their games, imitate the labours of their elders, and at evening they gather round their grandmother and she tells them Indian legends and traditions, pausing once in a while to say, " You would not have done bo," and the eager little voices cry "No, no." Or she says " You will all be brave like this," and the chorus auswers "Yes." So they learn the history of their tribe. "But," said the Princess* " this was all before my people became civilised, before white, men came among us arid brought 11^ nardl and whisky, and taught us to di ink and He and smoke." She asked in behalf of her people, if th.ey must have civilisation, give them the highest type ; give them the ,ballot so they can stand on a par with the coloured race, and give them deeds of their lands and schools to educate them in the English language.