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An Indian Visitation

It was late September, already the autumn tints had begun
in the foothills and along the river. The hill tops were brown
and the atmosphere hazy with the calm restful quiet of the
"Indian Summer" days.

Toward evening a band of Cree Indians pitched camp on
the banks of the river. They were tired and anxious, for
they had journeyed far, and had met with much abuse from
the white settlers who had driven them from the camping
grounds with curses and with insults to their wives and
daughters. Four hundred miles they had traveled from
the north in search of a people whom the Great Spirit
had shown in a vision to one of the young men of the
tribe--a people who could tell them of their forefathers
and the Great White spirit, of whom they had learned in
their legends that were told by the old men of the tribe
when they were peacefully gathered around their camp
fires at night. The Great White spirit, who they said,
would come some day, and bring happiness and freedom.
These would be the signs by which they would know
when they had found this people: The men would be
honorable and would not seek to destroy the virtue of
their wives and daughters; they would be made welcome
to the homes and camping grounds of these people; they
would be given food.

It had taken many days to make the journey, and much
faith to push on under the trying circumstances. Now winter
would soon be upon them, and they were quite unprepared
for winter. Little wonder that hope began to fail, and a feeling
of sadness was with them. Hurriedly they prepared for the
night and for rest, for when morning came they might be
ordered on to find new camping grounds.

While they are asleep, let us draw near the camp and learn
a little more of who they are and where their journey leads
them.

The "Crees" are a tribe of Indians of high intelligence and
high moral character from northern Alberta. At the time when
the different tribes were placed on the reservations, the
Crees refused to be confined to a reservation, and as a
result they are free to roam about from place to place. But
they have no home and no help from the government as the
other Indian tribes do. So they must make their own living
which makes them more industrious and capable. As the
white people settle more thickly, times become harder for
them, good hunting grounds are more scarce and they have
many hardships.

There was only one part of the tribe camped on the river banks
that night--about sixteen teepees and probably two hundred
of the tribe. The rest were back in their camping ground in
the northern wilderness, east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Yellowface, chief of the tribe, had come with his family and
others, because of a strange incident that had occurred,
back in their summer home, to one of the young men of the
tribe who, during a severe illness, realizing he was about to die,
begged his people not to bury him until every spot on his body
was cold. Then he apparently died and for three days they
kept him in the wigwam. Under his left arm, over his heart,
there remained a spot of warmth and they hesitated to bury
him for they had given their word they would not. At last, on
the fourth day he revived again and told his people that he had
been to the spirit world. That he had been given a message for
them - that there was a people to the South, who had a record
of their forefathers, and they must go and find this people. He
also gave them the signs where by they might know them. He
gave them a description of the man to who they must go, and
to none other, and told them many things about the Spirit World
and the Great Spirit. After a few days he died and was buried.

Then the Indians proceeded as soon as they could get ready
to do as they had been bidden. They had traveled south to
what is known as the "Church Ranch", a tract of land or a
ranch in Southern Alberta - a beautiful stretch of prairie land
from three to five miles wide and some thirty miles in length - in
all, sixty-six thousand acres. It was bounded on the west by the
Coutney River, on the south by the Rocky Mountains and on
the east by the Belly River, running from one to three thousand
head of cattle. This beautiful ranch belonged to the L.D.S.
Church and Bishop Parker, bishop of Mountain View Ward was
the manager of the ranch.

The Indian camp was on the Belly River within a short distance
of the ranch house. In the following morning three or four of the
cowboys: Ole Olsen, Jim Anderson and others from the ranch
spied the smoke from the Indian camp and out of curiosity, rode
down among them. The Indians were afraid that they had come
to order them to move on, but the boys were friendly. They
bought some moccasins, gloves etc. from them, paid no undue
attention to the women and on leaving invited them to come up
to the ranch house as Mr. Olsons wife was in charge at the
ranch-house.

Here with joy, the Indians witnessed the first sign fulfilled. Had
not these young men manifest a spirit of kindness and honor?
Their faith was renewed, a council was held and two women
were sent over to the ranch-house, apparently on a friendly
visit, but possibly to make sure that the sign was certain.

There was a man and his wife Olaf, and Charlotte Olson,
living in the Ranch-house ,who had charge while Bishop
Parker was absent (which was quite often, for he had Ward
duties and his own family, many times he was absent for days
at a time.)

The squaws were made welcome by Mrs. Olson, who
talked with them as best she could with their limited
knowledge of English. But she liked their way. These squaws
did not beg, but, not knowing why she did it, she gave
them food, meat, bread and dried fruit when they were
leaving.

Oh! How great was their joy and the joy of the tribe on their
return. The second sign was fulfilled and they were fed by
the hands of this people.

It was necessary then to make an effort to find the man to
whom they were to go for the information they were seeking.

On the following day the chief himself and some of his men
with an interpreter went to the ranch house. On seeing Mr.
Oslon, they knew he was not the man they were looking for.
But they asked permission to camp on the river. Mr. Olson
told them they had permission to camp until the boss came
to see about it. "What does the boss look like"? they
inquired and upon getting a description they knew at once
that their search was ended for they had only to wait until
the boss came. Surely that would not be long.

But disappointment was once more to try their faith and
patience, for Bishop Parkers' visits were always hurried
ones. The Ward and home were seven miles from the ranch
and the fastest means of going and coming was horseback,
so that although he had been told that the Indians were
very anxious to see him, he had supposed they were only
wanting permission to hunt and trap, or some other of the
many favors that other Indians were always asking. He had
made no special effort to see them. They had moved their
camp up the river a mile away from the ranchhouse, and
when they came to the ranchhouse, he was not there. When
at the ranch he did not stay at the house, but was out on
the range with men and cattle. At last they made it known
to Mrs. Olson, that they had a very important message for
him. Several weeks passed and it was November.

One day there was a blizzard so severe that to ride the
range was useless. The snow fell so thick and fast that
only a few feet around could any object be discerned.
Bishop Parker was at the ranch, and after lunch he
proposed to Mr. Olson that they go down and see what it
was that the Indians wanted. Mr. Olson was only to glad
to go, for he and his wife had witnessed the anxiety of the
Crees, and had been curious to know what it could mean.

The two men arrived at the camp, smoke was rising from the
teepees. These people too were not venturing far from their
shelter. Outside the tepees two furbuyers were bartering with
Yellowface and the men for some furs and hides and no one
noticed the approach of the visitors until Mr. Olson spoke,
telling Yellowface that he had brought the boss. Yellowface
turned, and an expression of joy covered his face, and he
shook hands with the men. For he recognized Bro. Parker
from the description. Then he gave two shrill yells, which
startled the visitors.He dismissed the fur-buyers without
ceremony and led the men to his own big tent in the center
of the enclosure. They noticed as they went toward the
tent that everybody was hurrying in the same direction.
The yells of their chief must have been a signal for them to
assemble. At the tent door they noticed quite a commotion
going on inside. Several dogs who had been enjoying the
shelter and warmth of the tent were being driven out by the
chief's squaw with a big stick and so much force behind it
that they were losing no time in making their getaway. The
chiefs' two daughters were cleaning up the tent, and they
arranged a seat by spreading a robe on the floor and
placing a box upon it, then spreading over this a beautiful
robe of mountain lion skin. When all was ready, Yellowface
took Bishop Parker by the arm and seated him upon the seat,
placing his interpreter at one side of the tent, standing, and
himself standing opposite where he could see the faces of
both men. Mr. Olson squatted down beside brother Parker.
At a signal all of the others crowded into the tent and sat
upon the ground. The two daughters of Yellowface sat
directly in front of Bishop Parker with their needle-work. All
was done with wonderful order, and then all was still.
Yellowface spoke, nodding to Brother Parker,"You talk"
he said. Brother Parker had not dreamed of the nature of
their mission and he felt a peculiar feeling all during the
time they had been gathering themselves about him. What
did it mean? Why all this honor? Then he answered, "no, I
came to hear you -- to see what it is that you want to see
me for, they said you had a message for me. "No, said
Yellowface "you have a message for us,tell us about our
fore-fathers." "You have a book--that tells of them long
ago."

Bishop Parker was so surprised and so thrilled at the
experience that he knew not what to say or where to
begin. His life and his work had been on the frontier.
He had never been a student of the scripture, not given
to study to great extent. He had read the book of Mormon,
knew it was true and its worth. But to tell about it now, as
he was expected to do, he felt wholly unable. But offering
a silent prayer to his Heavenly Father for help, he began the
story of Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem, speaking in
a few sentences, then waiting while the interpreter repeated
the story to them in their own language. It was a never to be
forgotten sight-those dusky faces upturned to him, watching
every movement of his lips, drinking in with, oh, such interest,
every word he spoke! Not one movement. They seemed like
statues. For five hours they sat, listening to the story of their
forefathers. Yellowface stood raised to his full height. He was
tall, and straight as an arrow, his arms folded across his breast.
He did not move, only asking a question now and then, or
offering an explanation as he did to tell why they had come,
and of their trials and the signs which they had received. His
daughters, with their needle work in their hands sat motionless
for the 5 hours, without even moving a muscle in their face
it seemed.

The story progressed with wonderful success, for the Lord did
indeed help with his spirit and power to bring to the memory
of the relater, things long forgotten, to give him power when
he had to wait for the interpreter to repeat his words to the
Indians in their own tongue and his interest had been
diverted in watching their expressions and interest - to
take up the story again without hesitation and to make
the story impressive to the ones to whom it ment so much--
who were they, where they came from, and why they were
dark skinned, and what the future held for them.

When Brother Parker had told his story, Yellowface turned
to his people and in their own tongue talked to them for half
an hour in very serious tones, and although Brother Parker
could not understand the words he felt the spirit, and knew
he was teaching them and exhorting them to live good lives.
Then, speaking again thru the interpreter, he held his right
hand up and said he knew what had been spoken was the
truth, "For the Great Spirit has told me, HERE," he said,
laying his hand upon his breast.

Then he told many things of the legends of his fore-fathers,
of the Great White Spirit ministering to his people. He also
told experiences of his own father, with visitations of the
spirit world. Things which he considered very sacred and
begged the men not to repeat them to anyone, less they
might not be told exactly as they were, and some might not
believe.

Night comes early in that country in November, and it was
with regret that they had to leave and return to the routine
of life. But they were happy, all of them, in the blessings
of the day, and they met again many times.

Often in the evenings, old Yellowface with interpreter and
others of the tribe could come to the ranch-house and
Sister Olson would read aloud from the Book of Mormon
to them. They listened intently, and tears of joy would run
down their faces, as they listened to the words and promises
made therein. A Book of Mormon was given to them and there
were those among them who could read English.

Yellowface and Brother Parker became great friends. The Cree
Indians camped all winter where they were (on the Church
Ranch) and as long as Brother Parker was manager there
he was able to give them assistance in many ways when
times were hard for them.

Brother Parker, and both Ole Olson and Charlotte Olson have
signed this story.

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