The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Soul of the Indian, by
[AKA Ohiyesa], Charles A. Eastman

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Title: The Soul of the Indian
An Interpretation

Author: [AKA Ohiyesa], Charles A. Eastman

Release Date: July 5, 2008 [EBook #340]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOUL OF THE INDIAN ***

Produced by Judith Boss

THE SOUL OF THE INDIAN

An Interpretation

By Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa)

TO MY WIFE
ELAINE GOODALE EASTMAN
IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF HER
EVER-INSPIRING COMPANIONSHIP
IN THOUGHT AND WORK
AND IN LOVE OF HER MOST
INDIAN-LIKE VIRTUES
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

I speak for each no-tongued tree
That, spring by spring, doth nobler be,
And dumbly and most wistfully
His mighty prayerful arms outspreads,
And his big blessing downward sheds.
--SIDNEY LANIER.

But there's a dome of nobler span,
A temple given
Thy faith, that bigots dare not ban--
Its space is heaven!
It's roof star-pictured Nature's ceiling,
Where, trancing the rapt spirit's feeling,
And God Himself to man revealing,
Th' harmonious spheres
Make music, though unheard their pealing
By mortal ears!
--THOMAS CAMPBELL.

God! sing ye meadow streams with gladsome voice!
Ye pine-groves, with your soft and soul-like sounds!
Ye eagles, playmates of the mountain storm!
Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds!
Ye signs and wonders of the elements,
Utter forth God, and fill the hills with praise!...
Earth, with her thousand voices, praises GOD!
--COLERIDGE.

FOREWORD

"We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has
been handed down to us their children. It teaches us to be thankful, to
be united, and to love one another! We never quarrel about religion."

Thus spoke the great Seneca orator, Red Jacket, in his superb reply to
Missionary Cram more than a century ago, and I have often heard the same
thought expressed by my countrymen.

I have attempted to paint the religious lif