The Project Gutenberg EBook of Indian Child Life, by Charles A. Eastman

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Title: Indian Child Life

Author: Charles A. Eastman

Illustrator: George Varian

Release Date: June 27, 2008 [EBook #25907]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: Snana called loudly to her companion turnip-diggers.
Frontispiece. _See page_ 123.]

INDIAN CHILD LIFE

By

CHARLES A. EASTMAN

(_Ohiyesa_)

ILLUSTRATED BY

GEORGE VARIAN

BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1915

_Copyright, 1913_,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

_All rights reserved_

Printers
S. J. PARKHILL & CO., BOSTON, U.S.A.

Transcriber's Note: In the name "Hak[=a]dah" the [=a] represents an
"a" with a macron above it.

A LETTER TO THE CHILDREN

DEAR CHILDREN:--You will like to know that the man who wrote these true
stories is himself one of the people he describes so pleasantly and so
lovingly for you. He hopes that when you have finished this book, the
Indians will seem to you very real and very friendly. He is not willing
that all your knowledge of the race that formerly possessed this
continent should come from the lips of strangers and enemies, or that
you should think of them as blood-thirsty and treacherous, as savage
and unclean.

War, you know, is always cruel, and it is true that there were stern
fighting men among the Indians, as well as among your own forefathers.
But there were also men of peace, men generous and kindly and
religious. There were tender mothers, and happy little ones, and a home
life that was pure and true. There were high ideals of loyalty and
honor. It will do you good and make you happier to read of these
things.

Perhaps you wonder how a "real, live Indian" could write a book. I will
tell you how. The story of this man's life is itself as wonderful as a
fairy tale. Born in a wigwam, as he has told you, and early left
motherless, h