BADiN] HISTORY 69 



as the descendants of that family and the ohject tliat he said was 

 sacred (the drujn) is indeed sacred. It is powerful to the present 

 day. His descendants are the most intelligent of all the people and 

 they are becoming more intelligent all the time. What they did 

 was the best that could be done. The ways of the white man are the 

 best. This is the way they were brought up. 

 This is the end of the history of the Decoras. 



One of the interesting developments resulting from the Indian con- 

 tact with the whites has been the appearance of prophets. In almost 

 all cases these prophets were concerned with attempts to so adapt 

 the life of their fellow-Indians to the new conditions that they 

 would be better able to cope with the invaders who were sweeping 

 all before them. Wliether prophets sprang up only in response to the 

 peculiar conditions resulting from the presence of the whites it is im- 

 possible to say, but there seems no reason to believe that such had 

 always been the case. It is quite possible that conditions similar to 

 those developing from the occupancy of America by Europeans had 

 occurred in pre-Columbian times when one tribe was hard pressed 

 by another. 



The Winnebago seem to have had their share of prophets, and 

 seem likewise to have been influenced by softie of the great prophets 

 of other tribes, like the Shawnee prophet. An interesting accoimt of 

 what he told the Winnebago has been preserved and we will give it at 

 length. 



One of the suggestive things about the following account is the way 

 in which the informant, who is evidently a devout Peyote follower, 

 connects the teachings of the Shawnee prophet with the modern 

 Peyote movement, thus evincing a remarkable feeling for historical 

 continuity. 



WHAT THK SHAWNEE PROPHET TOLD THE WINNEBAGO 



Now this is what the Winnebago heard from the Shawnee prophet; 

 this is what he said, it is said, by those who heard liim: 



"Let the people give up the customs they are now observing and I 

 will give them new ones." This is what he said. 



Some of the Winnebago did this and threw away thcir.war bundles. 

 But he had meant their bad custouLs. Some also threw away their 

 good medicines. At last they decided to go over to where he was. A 

 man named Smoke- Walker led a number of young men over. '' We 

 will walk as the thunderbirds do," said the leader. Then a great and 

 holy man called Dog-Head said that he also was going along. He 

 was then an old man. The leader said, ''You had better not come 

 along for we are going to walk as the thimderbirds do, and for that 

 reason I wish only young men." But Dog- Head said, "I am going 



