115 



Notes on the ShaevER Chuech of the Indians. 



By Ai.uert B. Reacjais-. 



'CoutiniiocI from jiage 71. Proceedings, Indiana Academy of Science, 1908.) 



The Shaker Indians (if the West Coast are now taking steps to in- 

 corporate the Shalcer faith in an organized church. Judge Giles of Olj^m- 

 pia, Wasliington, is now working up tlie articles of incorporation for the 

 Indians. Soon tliey will have an organized chnrch, a church bj* Indians 

 and for Indians only. Temperance is their watchword; and healing the 

 sick through prayer and laying on of hands and "shaking"' over them is 

 one of their tenets. The church about to be incorporated is copied in part 

 from several denominations, besides imbibing the doctor — "tomanawis" be- 

 liefs of the old times including a part of the "tomanawis" ceremonies. The 

 Episcopal church furnishes the idea of chanting prayers'. The Catholic 

 church furnishes the custom of burning candles during the service and the 

 rid custom of making the sign of the cross and the bowing of the knee 

 when "Jesus-Man" is mentioned. The shaking, body-jerking, the contor- 

 tions, the muscle-quivering, the wried face, and the hypnotic influence are 

 derived from the slianianistic customs of the old times. Hjimotism and 

 shamanistic inlluence in general are the leading powers and are the things 

 which actuate the Indian to perpetuate the religion. 



In talking with a "shiiker," he will always tell ynu he has felt the 

 "power" and that is why he shakes so hard. "It is the power of God tak- 

 ing hold of him that makes him shake," he aflirms. From the start it 

 was my opinion that the "power" the shakers felt when shaking is Iiyi»- 

 uotism. To satisfy myself I went in among the actors several times. At 

 once I could feel the "power." There was no mistake about it. I had 

 often felt the same "power" at the old style medicine singings and dances 

 from the Pueblo and Apache country to the land of the Norman Lion. 



^ The chanted "doxolo.sy" in the church language of the Shakers i.s : 

 "Kwax tsnah.s maliali' stee ftali nah' s((!e tah' tsohu tohs pray' kloli 



maliahs' stee stah'." 



Note. — The "stee" above is pronounced as though the first two letters were 



medium between "s" and "t," ranging between "st" and "ts" in pronunciation. 

 The accented words are much prolonged. 



