Three California Writers:
Inspiration Of The Mission
by Samuel J. Rice
Edited by: Cindy Beck
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INSPIRATION OF THE MISSION INDIAN FEDERATION
The day is calm, serene, and the sky is just as blue, the sunlight
just as warm. Something of alacrity amongst the song birds is
evident. The strongest, the conclusive evidence is most
clearly seen-the birds are telling each other of the arrival of
spring. Spring of happiness and warmth.
Life’s inspiration is stirred in the souls of the living
chieftains, captains and the headmen. They sing with the birds
to greet the dawn-to bless the night. Then, sometimes by day,
sometimes by dusk into the night, the hosts meet drawn together by a
force as irresistible, mysterious as magnetism - finally the story
of the great journey is in their counciling tongues. In fact,
once more of the advent of the great convention.
The inspiration of the thought of their convention renews the face
of the earth. It brings them home to the plain realities of
life, all through the intimacy with nature. Were it that
nature ruled them as it rules the birds of the air, they would
flourish and seek not their conventions for protection and justice.
But what of the forces of law upon the hand that crushes?
America preserves history, if there be history.
Representatives of history tell us this in the volume of history on
any principle or human probability. Politicians, how long did
the shadow of a destitute race on which your conventions and
treaties had not smiled languish on the plains of this country?
As inquirers, we have no methods open to us whereby we can come to
an understanding with our Government representatives. The
light of the Mission Indian Federation inspires them to seek methods
in righting the wrongs. This new hope for inspiration makes
them bestow their confidence in their organization.
Many have worked against their program the perverted instincts of
some designing group of financial men and individuals, who, for
purely selfish purposes, are not only opposing, but are plotting to
overthrow the policies of the Mission Indian Federation for one that
is promising them piratical rights, justice and liberty.
The free man of us, whose rights had been rooted in the soil of
their native land, not becomes a tennant [sic], a serf of the
usurpers of our rights and seem to be completely at the mercy of
masters and ever active landlords, who gratefully join together in
the policy of robbing and exploiting the Indian people of their
scant property.
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