Sully Richardson stories

Sullivan Richardson stories

MORMON INDIAN RELATIONS

by Sullivan Calvin Richardson

7 NAVAJOS RELIGIOUS BELIEF
(As copied by Pres. John F. Nash)

They believe three great personages created the earth. One created all the animals except the mule.

At first, heaven was too near the earth, so rainbow was made for a support. Then man was created and put into a beautiful garden. Woman was created in a mysterious manner. It was done in man's time, not God's time. Man had to manage his own. These parents had many children. Finally the great son was born to them. They had great hopes of him. He had great power and controlled lightning and elements. He killed his brother. He became the father of lies. There was contention and bloodshed.

The man and woman discovered they had done something wrong when they found they were naked. They had only squirrel skins to cover their nakedness. The woman was influenced by a serpent so she gave birth to both good and evil. They wear breech clouts in memory of the temptation of their first parents. They multiplied fast. Wicked overcame the good. The Creator sent a flood. Turkey gobbler was obstinate, so sent to the top. Is "Incline bird" or "Sign of the flood".

Only scraps of their history is left, much has been lost. Forefathers came from beyond the great waters. Vessels were stolen by cunning men who made others and went away and never came back. First father had four sons. First son defied the Creator. Second son, called "The Fox" took the records and the wisdom from them and went away. Then came wars and great calamities for hundreds of years. Their only hope of regaining their power lies in some good news ...that a boy had in some mysterious manner dropped from heaven. He was given to a wise and beautiful woman. She raised him successfully, but all nations desired his destruction. They tell what she had to do to preserve him. He became a man and did many wonderful things. He said he helped to create the earth. He gained disfavor of the people. They grumbled with him and won out.

He became very angry with them and confounded their language and went away on a streak of lightning. The people mourned. (Na ho ko ki' Valley of Supplication.) His answer twelve sent instead. But people became wicked. Twelve went away, taking the blessings and promises away from the people.

Then followed calamities, earthquakes, thunder and lightning. Cities sunk. Water came where none was before. Rivers changed. Total darkness prevailed upon the earth for a while. Fire came down from heaven and consumed many people, especially the mound builders. There were only two of them left. They had many difficulties. They inquired what had become of the woman who had reared the beautiful child. They found she was called "Es tun Et Lah" the woman who re unites the spirit and the body, or resurrection. For her conduct she was given a city with twelve pearly gates and it was taken off from where the Gulf of Mexico now stands and placed somewhere in the pacific Ocean.

CHIEF TUBA VISITED BY A MESSENGER FROM GOD

Sam (Benjamin S.) Johnson and wife, Elvira, came from Logan, Utah to Arizona in 1876. They settled in Moencopie with the company of Captain James S. Brown.

There, Uncle Sam was called as an Indian Missionary and became well acquainted with the Moqui Chief Tuba, who became a great friend of the Johnsons. He would drive his sheep past their place and stop for a little visit and for the little meal Sister Johnson nearly always had laid away for his dinner.

He didn't know how old he was, but he was Chief when "The stars fell:" (The shower of meteors occurred about 1830), which would make him very aged. He often told sketches of history of his people. Several times he spoke of a time when his people got "Muy malos." (very wicked). "Would not plant nor live good. Lazy all time do bad."

This made him feel bad. "Heart heavy, because his people not live good. Went out by his house ...his heart crying. Did not know what to do. His head in his hands."

He looked way off across the mesa. "Saw old man coming. OLD: Long white beard. Moccasins. Had stick. Come on. Stop in front of him." Tuba ask him to sit down. "N0: In a hurry: Had message from God for Tuba and his people to tell them what to do. Tuba call them together. Talk to them. If not go to work planting, live good, take care of cattle, sheep three years, (Famine), sick, many die: Starve: SICK: God want them to live good: Tuba ask if "Want drink?" Say yes: Tuba turn, reach to get water look around. No man: Not see him nowhere."

He called his people together and told them the message. Many would not believe and made light of it. Others believed and went to planting and living better lives. Tuba planted all he could. When corn came up "like this, big rain (hail)beat all up. Then sun came, dry all up. Wind blow all away: Many no corn. Some good. Tuba put his away in bin.

"Next year, no watta (water) come down. Wind blow little corn away. Then lots sick. Die here ...there...everywhere: No corn. Women and children come to Tuba. "Give us corn:"

He said he gave them nearly all he had, but MUST KEEP SOME to plant but, "Come more: Hungry: Give us LITTLE: "He could not refuse, and gave them a little. Next morning there would be more, and he kept giving them a little.

They knew then what he told them was true. "All sorry: Would be good: Plant:" They repented and the Great Spirit blessed them. "Got along 'til corn come. Tell how sorry: Now be good all time:"

For many years they were good and feared the Great Spirit. TUBA made plain their tradition, that a long time ago three men were left on this earth. And when his people were in trouble or their hearts were sick. ONE would come and tell them what to do.

Tuba knew this was one of the three.

His people always expected them to come in time of trouble. Tuba accepted the teachings of the Book of Mormon and went with his wife to the temple in St. George and had his blessings.

Tuba's wife, Telish Num Ki (who was the daughter of a noted chief) got a nice lamb, killed and dressed it, then asked Sister Johnson to come and show her how to cook it "like she did". When nicely cooked in the little fireplace in the corner of their wigwam, the Indian woman cut off tender little bits from different places... from the heart, etc. ...cleared the ashes from hot coals in one corner. and placed the little pieces on the coals. As they were burning up, Sister Johnson asked why? The answer was "That God's part. Go up. Thank Him for meat we have."

REPAYMENT OF A GOOD DEED

While living near Forest Dale, not far from the line of the Apache Indian Reservation, Sam Johnson had but $5.00 in his home ...and that he was hoarding for a time of sickness. But what he was inspired to do for an Apache had such an influence that the Indian came and told him that other Apaches were coming on a raid and if he did not go all would be killed. The Indian told Sam that if he himself were found there, "Kill 'em me too." and he went. Uncle Sam quickly hitched up, piled another family in with them and left.

They were not so far away but that they heard the shots that kiled his cow and pigs just as they went over the ridge on the road to safety. But the Apaches did not know how shortly before they had gone.

The company that came back found but little left of their belongings, yet a great plenty showed their fate would have been as other but for the kindness that had been shown to an Indian in need and distress.

NAVAJO JUSTICE

One interesting incident recorded by McClintock (page 157) tells of a crafty Navajo chief. He says it was Piecon, but some think it was Comiyazzi, who tried to entrap the Mormons into pronouncing their own judgement and sentence in regard to killing the Navajo cattle by the Sunset Order boys.

Sometime before a few strayed away from a herd that was driven through, and the owner told the folks they were welcome to them... and supposing they were of that bunch, two head of Navajo cattle were killed. The Johnsons give the account as follows:

One forenoon in July while most of the menfolk of the Moenkopie company were down in the "company field" watering and cultivating the corn; the Indian missionaries, Ira Hatch and Thales Haskell, with Brothers Burnham and Thompson, were at camp with the women folk, a big dust was seen moving across the Mesa. Such was so uncommon the women were troubled. The missionaries though also anxious, said, "Don't worry. It is probably Indians coming to trade."

When the band, well armed with bows and arrows, naked except a cloth around their loins, came near, some of the women went to the brow of the bluff and gave the call that brought all the men from the field.

A number of Indians stopped a little distance away. A few came up with the chief and stopped before Haskell. The chief grunted, "How: "

Haskell went to him and asked him to get down. He did so. Then asked to see the "Capitan". (Meaning James S. Brown)

When all the men were together, the chief asked all to sit down. "Have talk:" When all were seated in a circle, he brought two young Indians and set them in the center and began, "Here two, boys. Go out. Shoot Mormon cattle. Here they are. You want kill "um... all right: If you want lots, lots money, you get 'um. Kill boys. All right: What you want?"

Captain Brown asked, "Where did the boys kill the cattle."

The chief answered, "Down on river." And when asked why, answered "Think 'um wild cattle." and repeated, "Now you kill 'um., All right:"

Captain Brown said, "Why, no. We don't want to kill your sons:" If they thought they were wild cattle, it's all right: Just let them pay back the two that were killed and bring the others."

The chief grew excited. "no. No: You want lots cattle: Lot money."

"No:" was the answer. "We don't want lots of cattle or lots of money. We want just what is right. Just what they killed."

The Chief became so wild, the Ute interpreter was scared and could not talk, and Haskell and Hatch had to say all from then on.

The brethren were quiet and firm. Later the Chief jumped up, "No: No: Navajo want kill 'um: Bring 'um, Mormon boys. Navajo kill ' um.'

Captain Brown replied, "No.' Why do you want to kill Mormon boys? When Navajo kill Mormon cattle. We take only what they killed. We want to be just'. Be friends: Be right:"

In this way they talked and argued until nearly sundown a whole afternoon of excited argument. First for the boys, then for money and cattle. But at last, all ended peaceably. The Chief blew a conch shell or something he put into his mouth, and a lot more Indians came from farther down, painted and bare like the others.

The Johnsons say their hair almost raised at the sight, but the excited Indians yielded to the reasoning and influence of the brethren, and they gathered around and smoked a pipe of peace, passing it from one to another. But it looked as if any other course might have brought the band upon them with dreadful ending.

McClintock says Brown, but they thought Haskell, Hatch and Burnham went with some Indians to Sunset. There the Navajos were paid a fair price for the cattle killed and the affair went into history, but with hair raising remembrances so far as a few of those who witnessed it were concerned.

In regard to the three head of cattle they thought the Mormons had run off, later when they came to see about them, Israel Call says, "There was some excitement in the camp. Some of the boys wanted to pay for them, but Lot Smith said, "No, we did not take them and we will not pay for them." The Indians stayed and took dinner with us, after which horses were brought in. We furnished horses for the Indians to ride and some of them with some of our boys went in search of the cattle which they found and returned with them before night. It proved to be the same three head of cattle that had been there before. (At the time the boys killed the two) This settled the affair so far as we were concerned.

One or two others claimed those who went in search of the three cows down in the iron brush along the river were really led to the animals. They had quite a thrill when they pointed them out to the Navajos and asked, "Are not these the ones you are after?" The Navajos could hardly accredit it all, but entirely exonerated our people.

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