January 16, 2004
George Catlin's creed on the Indians.
George Catlin, you may have heard of him, was this extraordinary artist who went all over the Americas during the mid-19th century, painting pictures of the Indians. An amazing man, whose work is especially valuable and unique because he was able to visit the Indians in the American west mostly before their lifestyle was destroyed by the whites.
Anyway, he visited dozens if not hundreds of tribes, and apparently was warmly welcome by all of them, and claimed never to have been troubled or harassed at all. I was looking through this book that my roommate has about him, and came cross this "creed" he wrote, which I thought was worthy of posting. It says a lot about the Indians, and probably even more about him.
I love the people who have always made me welcome to the best they had.
I love a people who are honest without laws, who have no jails and no poorhouses.
I love a people who keep the commandments without ever having read them or heard them preached from the pulpit.
I love a people who never swear, who never take the name of God in vain.
I love a people "who love their neighbors as they love themselves."
I love a people who worship God without a Bible, for I believe that God loves them also.
I love the people whose religion is all the same, and who are free from religious animosities.
I love the people who have never raised a hand against me, or stolen my property, where there was no law to punish for either.
I love the people who have never fought a battle with white men, except on their own ground.
I love and don't fear mankind where God has made and left them, for there they are children.
I love a people who live and keep what is their own without locks and keys.
I love all people who do the best they can. And oh, how I love a people who don't live for the love of money!
An incredible man and artist. One thing you might not know about him was that during his later life, after he painted those in the west, he took his pictures and a group of Indians as well, and went to England and France, where he had what was actually the first "wild west show", long before Buffalo Bill did. He was a big smash there too. Then he went to South America, up the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and more, and painted those as well. And then went up to the American northwest and Alaska, and continued his work there.
