242 The "Dreamers " of the Columbia River Valley. 



There are several churches, all I believe Methodist, and several of 

 the natives are ordained ministers of that denomination. 



But the great mass of the Indians, are "Dreamers," so called from 

 the "'dreams" or trances, through which their prophet, Smoholla, 

 is inspired, or "Drummers" as often called from the ear paralyzing 

 orchestra of seven bass drums, which are a part of all their daily or 

 more frequent services. 



Polygamy has always been practiced by them, and the new religion 

 justifies it. 



The Indian agent, under his instructions from the Interior Depart- 

 ment, at Washington, interfered in all these matters, and sent the 

 Indian police, an armed body of Indian warriors, to arrest and con- 

 fine those most active in dreamer or polygamous practices, or who left 

 the reservation to take up lands under the Indian Homestead laws. 

 The situation was alike annoying to whites and Indians, but mostly 

 to the latter, as they were the weaker, and the singular anomaly was 

 presented of the United States Indian agent on the one hand apply- 

 ing for troops to drive the Indians from their homestead settlements 

 to the reservation, a hundred miles away, and on the other the Indians 

 telegraphing to the military authorities to send troops to protect them 

 from the Indian police. 



General Miles sent me to look over the situation in all its aspects, 

 and instructed me to exercise the utmost patience with the Indians 

 humoring their desire to explain their view, which I afterward found 

 extended to the discussion of the philosophy of the universe, from the 

 creation to futurity; and they were anxious to impress General Miles, 

 through me, with the purity of their intentions, and the theological 

 authority for their opinions. A number had, as I have intimated, 

 taken homesteads. There were many more who would be glad to do 

 so, fearing they might be late in the race with the incoming whites, 

 but who dreaded the vengeance of their " mother, the earth, from 

 whence all things come, and where all must go." 



I was invited to visit every village of Indians, and on my arrival 

 found all the people, from the oldest to the youngest, assembled, and 

 solemnly performing their religious service; the shrill voices of the 

 women making a weird chanting, while the drums heat in unison. 



Occasional silences were broken, by men's voices orating, by ringing 

 of hand bells followed by the drums, and again the weird chanting. 

 At Celilo, Tune water, Umatilla, Yakima Gap and other places, I had 

 seen some disciple of this faith lead his home people in their peculiar 



