deniq] THE ASSINIBOIN 499 



this place does not appear to be either on the earth or in the heavens. 

 Here is a state of pleasure and happiness, free from all disease, 

 trouble, want, war, or accident. Some are more comfortably situated 

 than others, particularly those who have been great warriors and 

 those who have been attentive to their sacrifices and other cere- 

 monies. No punishment for offenses is apprehended, though re- 

 wards are granted. If still questioned they will describe a counter- 

 part or nearly so of the Mohammedan paradise, or a shadowy image 

 of this life, abstracting the evil. There is no resurrection of the 

 body, though they are presumed to have other bodies furnished them 

 in the future state, that present the same features as in this life, yet 

 are not subject to its vicissitudes. 



Animals of all kinds are found there, though it does not appear 

 that they are the souls of those which lived in this world. Reason- 

 ing powers and immortality are not ascribed to the brute creation. 

 Everything referring to a future state is not made the subject 

 of their conversations, and each man's opinions differ. Some deny 

 any such a state and think death final to soul and body. Others 

 that the soul never leaves the neighborhood of its burial place. All 

 information regarding their belief in futurity is with difficulty 

 extracted, and not much importance is placed on the fact of their 

 being immortal beings; at their death also the greatest anxiety 

 appears to be about their family and relations left behind. They 

 admit its uncertainty, and fear nothing on the score of future 

 punishment. Upon the whole there is nothing in their belief of 

 a future state which affects much their general conduct through 

 life and as little on the approach of death. From this fact we may 

 conclude very reasonably that the foregoing system of their re- 

 ligion is the correct one, as they do not feel guilty of moral offenses 

 toward the Great Spirit entailing future punishment, but expect to 

 be rewarded for their devotedness in their manner of worship. 

 These Indians will also smoke, invoke, and give small pieces of 

 tobacco to the head of a bear after they have killed it. But this 

 does not imply they are to meet the animal in a future state. It 

 is a kind of thanksgiving, through the bears head, to the powers 

 that have enabled them to accomplish the feat of killing it without 

 accident. 



The killing of a grizzly bear by a single man is no trifling matter 

 and deservedly ranks next to killing an enemy. A coup is counted 

 for that action in their ceremonies where they publicly recount their 

 brave exploits. Moreover, every year persons are torn to pieces 

 by these animals when wounded or surprised in thickets where the 

 person can not escape. Therefore all ceremonies to the dead animal 

 would have the nature of invocations for aid and protection from 



