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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 Translation. To THE IToN. Mr. Lanoevin, C. r>., Minister of Public Works. Sir, I exceed ino-lj' veirvct not to be able to dofer 1113- departiiro for m}' missions. J sliould liave boon very i,Had to have had an opportunity of meetin^^ several of the honorable members of the Government; but unfortunately they are absent, and the atlvanced Heason does not admit of ni}- slayinn of liis crop^, oven hlioulil ho li:ii-\rsl t'lioiiLi'li, to sow his l.'iiids the I'ollowiiii;- yoar. Pei'haj)s in huildiiiL;' houses for (he liidiiiiis, pi'ovidiiii;" acconiiiKuhilioii Cor their animals, puttinu' at their head inissioiiarios whorn.thoy like, (•aj>al>lc ol' direetiiii;- their works wliih' hihoui'inj^' willi them, — who would juit hy each yeai' in reserve the seed rec^uired for the siieet'edini;' year. — perliaps, thus, some ivsults would he ohtuineih I >ay perhaps. I»eeause the means have always heen wanting- to enal»h' mh' to try this phiii. Ilowevei'. if it isa (piestion ol'eivili/.in_<^ the liidiaii^ liy means of little childn-n, 1 will not say '' per- hajis" — on thai point my mind is lixed, having made the ex])eri- ment. I allow myself to attach to this a letter I formerly addressed to a lady unhappily without fortune, hut I'ich in heart and H'ooij will, and who would have heen very i;-lad to have helped nu'. This letter was not written to he placed hefore the honour- ahle memheis of the (Jovei'nment. and will all the hettcrmake plain my naUi'd thoughts on the suhjeet of the Indians. I am convinced thai t!u' oidy eliicacious means of savinir the hidians of the Xoi'th-wi'st IVom ()ssihle, to make him foi'get the usages, hahits and language of his ancestoi-s. Those atlopting him should- not only keep him in their charge until the age of 12 or 13 — he would be suhjeet at that period loo much to Fndian influences — he should he taken care of until his marriage. It is to Indians thus trained 3 that the ifovfriiinont can with aiie nothing- so nuieh as the haj)piness oi' their chililren — they (iiiile foresee the future whieh awaits them, and they often hei;' that we will take them, and prepare for them u more promisini;- fntiin\ luit we are oiilii^ed to j'efnse to receive them for hick of means. When we lake them it is with the express condition that we shall have conlrolof them until their marria,ii;e, oral least until they have arrival at a liL ago to marry. In three dilVeriMil olahlishrrM n-s in my diocese we are hringing up 100 children, and 1 can say that we are not meeting the expenditure that this woi-k entails, except hy im}K)sing on ourselves privations; hut at least we have ^ucceede(l in proving that the civilization of Indians through (ln-ii- children is possihie. It would not be ])roper for njo to render testimony to the etl'orts we have made, hut this work has not heen done in secret, ^lessieurs the memhers of the governmeni, .M.M. the officerH of the Hudson Uuy Co., travellers of all nations and every religious denomination, who have visited our estab- lishments, have been able to ascertain themselves the result of our otVorts. J may cite amongst other witnesses, HIh Ex- cellency Lord Dutferin. Ue did not visit our North-west estab- linhmentH himself, but he and his suite visiteil the Si. Honiface Orpbanage, where the Indians were very numerous. So that full information on the subject can be had from jjcrsons capable of bringing a soiukI judgment to bear upon ''* \ place of 100 children, whom we are educating, we cou . ! '■ ■ 000 or more, we could marry each year a good numbei .^ . Indians, who, doubt' ss, would not be such industrious settlers as those emigra- tion brings us, but who \vould cede to no one in iMobity and fidelity to tho Government. 1 would wish, then, to-eidaige oui- thi'ce eslablishmenis, and create at least three or four othei-s, so that Indiar.s from all jiarts may experience less dilliculty in placing their children with us. T We \\'A\v injttle i) triiil to hce il' wo ^ll(tllI^^ succeed. \m\ the (i(»vei"ii- nieiit iiifuriii \\>v\\' ;is to the results olitained ; if it is not satisfied fiom tlieni, let it also make a trial; let it pay, for instance, at least half the cost of hoai'd, kv., say SlO a yvi\\\ tor a certain numher of children that it may confide to us at the ai^e of live years. 1 ask nothini;' after they have reached 15 j-ears of ajjjo ; it (the (lOvernnuMit) nii^ht put aside the cost of the keep of these children [aftcj- that a^o], and give the fnoney to them on tlier marriage, and so assist them to get on to a little farm. If this experiment satisfies the (Jovornment, it should contiinieand eidarge the work; if not, renounce it. I venture to suggest another plan, having for its ohjcct rather to save fi'om destruction than to civilize — at least, immediately — those of the Indians who inhabit the North west lands not sus- ceptible of colonization. These Indians, beset as they are by traders of all sorts, hunt and destroy everything in their country in order to supply the traders not oidy with furs, but also with provisions. The result is, the land is greatly impoverished, and it is also the cause of the Indians suH'eringfrom hunger, and will end by their disa])pearing. I am therefore convinced that it would be rendering a true service to these poor Indians only to allow trading to bv, carried on by a single company under the control of the Government. This would also be a powerful remedy against the immorality that this multitude of strangers cannot fail to bring with it. This company having authority, to the exclusion of all others, would evidently make large j)rotits, and it would be just that the Indians should profit a little by them. Besides a reason- ai)le payment for their furs, it would be necessary that this com- pany should maintain in each district at least one establishment, where orphans, the aged, intirm, idiots ami the sick, could be received and charitably and intelligently cared for. The life of the poor Indian is a very sad one, but that of the aged and sick, and generally of those who are not able to help themselves, is most dej)lorable, and could not be more wretched. One might say that the savage dies rather from want of care than from sick- da 1 i noHH. Tn almost every mission we rescue nOiiio of these poor abandoned ones, but what wo do only servos to fill us with sorrow that wo are not able to aeconiplish more. Is it not just that those who enrich themselves at the expense of the Indians should be compelled to como to their assistance ? A company, under a wise and just control, hay iu}!; no compeWi'um to tear, mi«;ht be ablo to prevent the total destruction of the animals of the country, those at least on which the Indiana subsist. Here, Sir, are the means which seem to me etH('aci .,,[, „„> (•„, i„fi„ „,..,(!„„ ,o- .-IHVtin- my inissicn.,, ll,i„lalio kindly |ii(iiiml:;;ili'(l ;i law wliicli is ol' iiical assisliiiH'c to IIS ill lliis iiii|iiirt:iiii woiU ; it i^ixcs td whooviT adopts an aiiaiidoiu'd cliild, a liilln'i's rit'lit over this iiilaii', so that tlicsi- cliildrc'ii do not Ivnw u> vA tiir ai^c of I'i^lit to I'Icvoii, as tVcqiioiitly l)a|i|ic'iu'd ■])i"ovioiisly, Wii'trlu'd ii-lalions, wlio \vislu'y tlu'.-i' {•liildicii tliiis traiiiiMl, pcrsiiadt'd tlu-ni that tlicy wvvv sla\('s wiili us, tliat tlu-y would lio lictttT I'imI and, aliovo all, I'rcci' on tlu^ |tlainsaiid in llu' foicsis. The child allow- ed hiiiiself to he eiilieed away ; lu' leanti (iui(d lit I le deserter shunned us. In'came a sava_i.';e a^ain, and our expenditure ami troiihio wore almost eiitireh- thrown awaw The < io\eriunent has niiieli faeiii- tated our work hy passim;- this law, hut it is lu'eessai'V, further, that they should ij,ive to the missiimarie-- who are ahle thus to ( hai'u'e themselves with the I'diiealion of these litile ehildri'ii, ecrtain funds for the inereasiiiM,' of the ii;imher()f these estahlisli- mcnts, and 'or the reelaimini;' of lari^e numhers of these poor Indians. iln}' would haw nothini;' of tin savage (so phieod), in their morals or manners, and in iliis wa^ ihe Indians would dis- aj»[»ear as sa\:ier of the farmers and jieasants of I'lirope The mis- ionarios litiveonly ])i>en ahle to carry on this iinjiortant work' on a small scale; up (o the jiresent it lias only heen. so to speak, an issay. They have only lieen ahle to :ipi>Iy a portion of the alms uiven for the Pi'o- pagalion of the Paitli, and the)- have not heen ahle to carry on these two works siinultaneously, excej)t in u small way, and hy their economies, their lalxuirs, and, I may s;.y, their [)riva(ioiis. They have had to lefuse to take little (diildren who had relatives, and, even amoni;' the orphans, they havi* had to choose the nioBt unfoi-tiinate — those who were exposiMl to almost eei'tain death. Koi' example: — A little hoy, of the Blackfeet trihe, Imricd alive witli Ills dciid iiKilluT, Mini savo i'i(>c trilu', \vli(», iil'li'i' lia\iii<4' lost liis falluT iiiid mot I If r, was luiiiid aloiu-, aliamloiu'tl, near llic ('orpst' nl'liis latlioi'; st'i'iiii;' \\\v <\i)ixs (U'Noiir it, ho ran away liM'riru'il ; lio Wwd many days in tin' woods, catini^; wiM triiits, and ita^scd Hi'voral ni,i;'Ids in this way diirini;' the cn\i\ autninn reason; at last ho was di.x'ovt'i'od \>y an Indian and l»roiii;ht ( * tho mis- sionary. Is it lu'ci'ssavy to cite tho case oC a yomi^ ;;'ifl of the same trihe, whom a misorahU* heathen wislu'd lo devoiii- (() a|>|)('ase jus hiini;'er! We have taken \>y ])reterenee liltio cii|)|»i('s, the Mind, lame and idiots, who prohahly would not have lived hao('iely eivili/ed enildren — tiny I'cmain always on our hands, a ehai'i^e on our ostaMishnionts, and making' it impossihio lo I'oplaco thorn. For this important woi'k— llu^ odneation of tho suvai^o — money is neeossaiy, hut ahovo all devotion and aiine^a- tion. This (Miristiani/iini;' and civilizini;' u'(»rk, as it can only he ('arrie(| oul hy memhers of a rtdigious hody [having" no family lies], and consequently hy C.itholie missionaries, tnany ricii persons, olhei'wise uell disposed, will not have any connec" lion with it. Our (Jovermnent, which professes not to favoui* any religious denomination, as .such, has, no douht for this reason, up to tho present refused to assist in our work, at least, hy furnish- ini;' us with mono}'. It is quite willini^ to assist us in the matter of Indian schools, but it is not with the modest salary of a teacher that wo can build numerous and vast establishments, whicli in order to be complete, should be double; it is necessary that tho sexes should be sepai'ule, and that the boys shoidd be under tho dii'oction and supervision ofpriests or brothers, while tho littleyirls should be under the absolute direction of tho sisters. It would be almost necessary even to have a third eslahlishmont, where idiotic and cripi)led children should go when tliey are of maturer age. Tlioy are then often more troublesome than when they are small, and the impossibility later on of placing them in a pottition, nuikes 9 I llu'in wvy (lhiigi"«'i';il)K' l<»\v;ii(h tlic oilier cliiMri'ii, .'iimI oIUmi • latiitcroiis. Hilt I would console (nysi-lf tin' not linviiii;' tin' tliiid t'sliiMisJinuMit it' I could ohtiiiii tlic two otliors in acconlancc with our r('<|uii'(.Mn('nls. So tlnil, to \nkv lriili:in clMldrcii, ol' toiider !ii;;o, civili/i' tJicni \^y a ( 'lii-istinn lito, mnkr i;-o(ul i-jt i/A'ns ol" llictn, alik' to live liont'stly l>y tlioir lalMtur — is a work lliut I'vccy one slioiild Hnd important and !j;(»od. This woi'l< is possiiilc, loi* wo have lrie(| it and suceeetled. I do not s|)eaU here of th(> Oi'phan- a,ue of the St. M )nifaee Aieh-diocese. and of (he Maekonsje Vicariate — I am .,o( commissioned to do so; let in(|uiry l)C made, if desiivd, of the employes of the Flon. IIudson'H Hay C'o., of l']n,i:;lish, Canadian and Am(>rican travellers, who have hoen al»lo to visit oui' establishments at St. Albert, Lac 'ation of Obhitsdc >rai'io Immaculee will fi'i-nish mo for this purpose with Priests and 15 others. The Sisters of Charity, called the drey Nuns of Montreal, will siip]»ly mo with Sisters. Those I'riests, those I'rotheiN antl Sistern, would forsake, for the success of the Work, thoir family, their country, and, one mi.i;'ht say, every hope of enJo3'ment of the woild anhoidd remark, howevef, that I havo Couiid in this ('(Mnu'clion ha|»py exceptions — exam[>ies ot' the most toiiehins;' clarity. Il' it were noeossary to found in France or I'aiu'land, or in any town of ('anarlh-wi'sl. one will tind in all the Indian c.imi)s, or in places whei'o they are in the liahit of fre phanai;'os little ehildi'on wild an their mothei-s. — (Jouil ! I trust they would make bettei' use of it than theii- falhei-s! Ves, \ repeat, there ai'O strangers who think of the Indians, hut it is to enrich ihemselvos at their expense ; the}' teach them hy theii* oxamjde to lie and cheat, insomuch that the most immoral Indians, and those the most dillicult to reclaim and civilize, are those wlio are tutored in this way hy slranj^'ei-s. Yet are we happy thatthe commerce in intoxicating- drinks has been put a slop to hy the ({overnment. I'he work of tho Propa«^'ation of tho Faith procures for us, as much as it can, tho means of announcing' the gospcd to the heathen — that of St. {'iufance assists us under the same conditions to take charge of and educate llio>e little ones; hut yet again I would Hay this work should he taken up on a large scale, and we havo not been able to do that hitherto, and cannot do it with tho alniH alone that wi^ receive from these admirable associations. If 1 11 If J spoke Eno-lish more readily I would not liosltato lolnivcl llirongh Kiio-hmd, Irelund and Scotland, and a portion ofllu' United Slates and Canada, in oi-der to awaken an interest i?i this work of the civilization of Indians throiii;-h their youni,' children. 1 would addresss myseli", l»y preference, to the inhahitants olthis country, because 1 reii;ard them as more under oMii^^ations to do something- for the Indians who live in their country. I would address especially Catholics, on whose symi)athy I thiidv 1 am nioiv wan-anted in couutini;-. Kx|>ericnce, howevei-, has shown me, that 1 can i-eckon as much on the m-nerosity of oni' hrothers who do not participate in our i'eli,«;ious convictions. There are Pi'otestants, especially, who have visitiMJ our establishments, and 1 could mention a numbei- who have shown themselves truly f.'-enerous. I venture to name His Honor the Lieutenant- Governor Morris, who has been kind enoui;h to adopt a little In- dian _i'-irl. She bears his name, and. thanks to his charity, .slie has ceased to bo a sava<;-e. She will, 1 hope, be a wife aiul a Christian mother, who will do honoui- to her yenei-ous j)rotector and to those wlio will have educated hei-. How many rich, of all creeds, might obtain for themselves the same honour and the same credit! With the dilficulties that we experience in procur- ini>; the necessaries of life in this inhospitable country, each child costs not less than $80 (400f.) each year. How many niioht either themselves, or by associalini;' themselves with others, adopt a child at this cost, and so extend the reign of God and of civilisation! The greater number may not bt^ able to help this work ver}" considerably— let them give at least their mite, and thene wmall contributions, added together, may, as they have in the Propagation of the Faith, have great results. Is there a young woman in the boarding schools, or a young man at colley results ? Some years ago, while crossing the ocean, I had an opj)or- 12 tunity of eonvorsin<]j wi(li my fellow voyagei'H on tlio Bubjoct of my fjivorilo Work. A noble Aniei'icHU, formei'ly Governor of one of tlie States of the Union, whiles sjK^akin^ to the others pre- Hont, gave utteranee 1o a beautiful remark that I shall nevei* forget: " J do not hold the religious eotivictions of Monscignenr, " but I looe what is (jood wherever I see it. We cannot deny " that this is an eminently civilizing and religious work. We " cannot consequently be inditferent (o it." Then taking his liat he went round the saloon himself and placed in ni}' hands fiOO fcs. whicli lie received ti'om the ])assengers of various nationalities and I'cligiouH convictions. At St. Albert I have often been visited by Protestant »minis- ters, with whom I tirid myself in oj)en opposition, since our doc- trine is not the same ; they none the less gave me a very precious contribution from themselves for my little Indians. They also without doubt, " love what is good wherever they tind it. " ii", as you say, Madame, you can through your friends, make my plans known, and interest in them j)ersons in a position to aid me in realising them, I shall be for ever gi'atel'ul to you. You could remit the contributions they are kind enough to give, to the E. 11. P. P. Oblats, They have establishments in Fi-ance, England, the United States and Canada, All these Missionaries, my brothers in religion, would be happy to procure for me thus the means of doing good, in sending me the remittances destined for my hands. Excuse, >iadame, the length of this letter, which is never- theless very incomplete. And believe me Your respectful servant in J. C. & M. I., f VITAL I., ^v^QUE DE St. Albert, O. M. I. ci of of re- :ov ur, ny lilt ;c's. ios lis- MIS I so. 1 i ,11 ike to oil. ve, ice, ^t be in er- I.