238 
FOREST AND STREAM 
The American Indian Language 
By R. J. Fraser. 
nation to his rank among our species. His men¬ 
tal powers are of a far higher order than is com¬ 
monly supposed. 
“Of all the Indian tribes perhaps the Algon- 
quins and the Iroquois have been to us the most 
interesting—certainly so from a historical view¬ 
point. The former race stood out in relief a* 
one of the most conspicuous among the many 
nations of northern America. From their great 
numbers and subdivisions as well as the large ex¬ 
tent of territory which they at one time ruled 
and inhabited, they derived a paramount distinc¬ 
tion. Because of their long intercourse with our 
race, commercially and otherwise, they ought to 
have a strong hold on our affections. Theirs, 
the ‘Algic’ tongue, is the mother tongue of a 
great many of the northern tribes. The Mon- 
tagnais of Quebec, the Ottawas, Pottawatomies, 
Ojibways and Chippewas, the great Cree family, 
the Chippewyans, and others, all speak dialects 
which are derived from the Algonquin language. 
“No Indian dialects present more similitude 
than the Santeux, or Otchipwe dialect, which is 
the correct name of the language of the Canadian 
Ojibways and Chippewas, and the Cree language. 
This latter dialect is the One spoken by the 
Indians and half breeds of Manitoba and Kee- 
watin. The Otchipwe, which is nothing else 
(with but few variations) than the Algonquin 
tongue, forms one of the daughters of the great 
Algic family. Otchipwe harangues were heard, 
in olden times, on the borders of the St. Lawrence 
and Mississippi rivers, on the shores of -Lake 
Superior and Hudson Bay, and even as far west 
as the immense plains of the Red River and the 
Saskatchewan. .The names of rivers, lakes and of 
THE “MASCOT” WEEDLESS BAITS 
Wobble, Dive, Float, Surface or Underwater 
THE WEEDLESS “MASCOT” 
NEAR SURFACE OR SURFACE BAIT 
We guarantee that you can cast this bait 
among thick lilies, rushes, underwater weeds, 
logs, stumps, snags, etc. Also that it is a sure 
killer. It runs at varying depths from the sur¬ 
face to two feet deep and will either Wobble 
orswimstraightasdesired. Is also reversible. 
Made with Red Head and White Body or all 
Red, White or Yellow. 
PRICE EACH, 75 CENTS, Postage 3 Cents 
These Baits have been tested and are endorsed and recommended 
by the leading authorities on bass and pickerel fishing. 
WEEDLESS No. 1 WINGED “MASCOT” 
DEEP WATER OR SURFACE BAIT 
This bait is also very weedless and a dead¬ 
ly killer. It can be used as a strict surface 
bait, throwing a spray of water, or as a deep 
water bait, running five feet deep or more. 
It “Wobbles, ” dives and floats when at rest. 
Fully guaranteed iu every respect. Made 
with Red Head and White Body or all Red, 
White or Yellow. 
PRICE EACH, 75 CENTS, Postage2 Cents 
EXTRA HOOKS, EITHER DOUBLE OR TREBLE 5 CENTS EACH OR 10 CENTS PER SET OF THREE 
Send stamp for catalogue in colors describingthe “Mascot” Baits, “Coaxer” Baits, Trout and Bass Flies, 
and Spoons, Weedless Hooks, Leaders, Non-Kinking Sinkers, Jamison’s Special Bait Casting Lines. 
THE W. J. JAMISON COMPANY, Dept. T 736 S. California Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 
HE Indian language is a perfect 
one—it cannot be altered to be 
improved upon.” Thus spoke 
Pere Richard. Tesuit mission¬ 
ary to the Ojibways of Lake 
Superior. We were seated in 
the cabin of the “Missionary,” 
the little auxiliary sailboat in 
which the Father patrolled the shores of the lake, 
visiting and ministering to the scattered mem¬ 
bers of his dark-skinned flock. “But one would 
suppose, Father, that during the many years and 
generations in which the two races, Indian and 
white, have intermingled and intermarried, the 
native tongue would have been greatly affected 
by the other, and have suffered many changes. 
We presume the Indian to have been an illiterate 
person until he came under the influence of the 
white race, and that the teaching of your prede¬ 
cessors and yourself would have introduced a 
new and improved method—a more scientific and 
modern one—of construction of their language.” 
“You are wrong there, very wrong,” replied 
the missionary. “In spite of the intimate knowl¬ 
edge which we have gained through several cen¬ 
turies of intercourse between our northern 
Indians and the white man, our people still have 
many false ideas about the former. Canadians 
in general are very ignorant regarding the noble 
language of the American Red Man. 
“The American Indian, notwithstanding his 
long connection and intimacy with the whites 
has been generally considered as coming under 
the head of a class of untutored savages. A 
study of his language dispels such illusions and 
leads one to raise him from this degrading desig- 
divers places are still in use to attest, in future 
times, to the existence of these languages, and 
reclaim their rights of just possession.” 
Henry R. Schoolcraft, a prominent student of 
Indianology, said: “The true history of the 
Indian tribes and their international relations, 
must rest, as a basis, upon the light obtained 
from their languages.” 
Bishop Baraga, an Oblate missionary to the 
Chippewas,\ published in 1885, a grammar and dic¬ 
tionary of that (or more correctly, the Otchipwe) 
language. He claimed that fifteen thousand 
natives, scattered about the shores of Lake Su¬ 
perior, and the surrounding inland tracts, spoke 
this tongue. Several other tribes spoke the same 
tongue with very little alterations. 
“He who can understand Otchipwe,” he 
wrote, “can readily converse with Indians of 
these other tribes, and besides, quickly gain a 
speaking knowledge of the dialects of several 
others.” 
“It is a perfect language,” repeated Father 
Richard. “That is why it has not been altered. 
It is a natural one; as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin 
are natural languages, differing from French 
and English which are artificial ones. 
“Why,” he continued, “I have manuscripts 
written in the Otchipwe tongue three hundred 
years ago, and the language is that of to-day. 
The Indian learns to read and write it quite 
readily, in the native characters, of course. Un¬ 
fortunately the Indians are dying off so rapidly 
that the language is fast disappearing. There 
are not now so many true bloods left, and the 
half-breeds, though speaking their own tongue 
fluently, prefer the French or English. 
“The Indian’s language again is a natural one 
because he has never been taught it. He has 
really acquired it. It is, in its largest sense, a 
matter of progressive and systematic learning 
from childhood up to the age of maturity. He 
arrives at this latter age without any artificial 
helps, but instead, by a natural, necessary pro¬ 
gressive development. Here, now, he has his 
stock of materials, his nouns and descriptive ad- 
Find the best load 
for your gun—How? 
From November Recreation — 
“To find out what your gun, he it shotgun or rifle, 
will do with different loads and which is the load best 
suited to it, for each particular need, there is no way 
to get at the facts except to experiment, and none so 
good as to load your own ammunition and try it out.” 
From December Field and Stream — 
Every gun shoots better with some loads than with 
others. The man who loads his shells can easily 
make up a few shells in various ways, and when 
he strikes the one that is Best for his particular sun, 
he may perfect it at his leisure.” 
Why don’t you experiment? It’s a mighty 
inter esting pastime—you get better results—and save 
considerable money. You can get empty shells at 
t.he gun club —an assorted lot 
- 1 of all makes—after a trap shoot. 
(Every gun club should reload 
shells for practice, and cut down 
ammunition expense). 
Free—the Ideal Hand Book- 
160 pag es—tells a! 1 about the powders, 
bullets, primers, tools and methods for 
loading and reloading rifle, shotgun and 
pistol ammunition. Fullinformation to reload your shells under- 
standingly. Free to any shooter who will send three 
stamps for postage. Send for your copy today. 
7//ar/isz firearms Fa 
27 Willow Street New Haven, Conn. i2 
