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49: White Medicine 1

49

White Medicine

Nurses posed outsidethe tuberculosis sanitarium at Walker.

Photograph Collection ca. 1938Minnesota Historical Soceity

Location no. R2.2 r72

(2-1) I like to smoke. Smoking is a great thing, and smoking maybe is a good


pastime to me, even though I hear so much about it. I just enjoy smoking, that's all.

And course I use judgment to it too. There are times when you smoke too much,

sometime you don't smoke enough. So it can be either way.

I think I feel I want to stand back at about the center of habits--and it's pretty

hard to do at times because I meet friends all over that offer me smoking. I've been

watching these lumber camps and that's where you have to smoke tobacco.

I chewed tobacco too. I chewed small boxes of snuff down, bIn-dah-kwan. I

think they were “nickel boxes.” The “ten cent boxes” [were] a little bigger than a half

dollar. Then the big ones came out and we just laughed at them. We called them

"wash-tub boxes” of snuff. I chewed a box of them a day. I was about nineteen years

old. Oh geeze, I chewed all day.

It was too much.

I cut out that [chewing] just by using my willpower. See? It takes willpower in

life if you're going to quit this. It sets your mind, willpower. Your willpower helps; it

helps you, your willpower. That's the deal there.

In life you have to keep your moral work in your system at all times. You have

to eat a certain amount a day, enough to keep you up anyhow. You should not lose

weight, not lose faith in life, and do a certain amount of work in your life. And when you

do a certain amount of work, that is good for your body, and in life you have

accomplished something. You feel you have gained something for the benefit of the

people that's coming behind you in life.

[Sometimes] you try but they don't.

[But] People don’t, some people don't, look and listen to all. They think it is a

lot of B.S., I feel. I feel that they think too much and [talk] too much. You just have to

do a certain amount of talking, a certain amount of singing, and [a] certain amount of

things in life. Too much is too much, and [if you overdo in any way] you're going to be


out. Same way with religion. Same way with belief. You have to have a certain

amount. It has to be equal. Everything has to be equal. You need balance, a

balanced diet, balanced food.

But me, sometimes I didn't know the limit, because I was without eating at times

too long. So I had to wake up; naturally, everybody does.

I've been without food a day. and [When you go without food, even for one

day,] you get pretty hungry too because nature calls for it. Your mind is working and

that calls for food. But you should take a little of something [, even if it’s water]. Now if

you get too hungry, you take a lot of water; take water every now and then to help your

system. I think it does a person a lot of good to slow down on a certain diet.

Now, if you eat grease food too much at warm weather, it isn't good for you. In

cold weather it is all right, you resist that cold weather with grease food. There is heat

in the oil and certain vitamins for [cold] weather conditions. And there are some

vitamins, there is some food, that will decay quicker than the other.

Like milk is a good thing … [do-do-šah-bo]. It is easy even to in-digest. Milk is

good for life.. Milk is nature brought up to people in the world. The older class is

supposed to be responsible for teaching the younger class how to get along in the area

you're living in.

(2-3) It's hard food--meat and stuff like that--where you labor, where you're

exercising. A little wii-yahš, a little meat, wouldn't hurt at all. Xxx In the past I found that

if you eat too much meat it's not good for you. You have to help your in-digest by

balancing it with wild rice. Wild rice will balance that out. You'll starve if you eat too

much meat. [And] wild rice will hurt you if you eat too much of it. Your brain will tell you

what to eat or what went wrong. Take care of that stomach of yours and you'll be all

right. What you drink and what you eat is a main part of life.

Xxx My favorite food is gii-gõ, fish. It is natural. I like natural food and meat, wild


game. My favorite is bread. Bread is given to me to eat. I feel that it's a good thing.

But there's too much of richness, there's too much of everything. You have to balance

it [what you eat] in your diet.

zzz When we were small we'd try anything. We'd take that pople tree and peel that

bark off and eat that. Boy that was good; the juice would just run down during the

certain time of the year. Zzz Little snacks are good; snacks mostly are good. They

make you cheer up too.

And greens are good too. We used to go out into the waters to get them

bulrushes when we were little boys. I think there’s something to that. We’d pull them

bulrushes up and they're white on the bottom. Then we eat that tender part. We had

good teeth. Oh boy, how good that was. Lots of them would sit out there and eat that

stuff and paddle along. There's something to that too, you know. I believe it. Yes, it

could be because we always went out, not to go out and just to eat them, but we'd play

around them. We`d pull them up and get a good sized one [to eat]; boy that's good.

Yeah, it's good, those bulrushes. I think it's good for you. It draws the intestinal

poison or something. I feel that it draws. So when you pass them, the excess in your

body is gone. You have to keep your body regulated. That's the way I felt all the time.

I would pay attention to regulations and take care of injuries. You should be careful not

to fall down or something and wreck yourself.

(2-4) You have to look after your needs. You have to take care of yourself in

life. You have to watch, and ask the older class what is good for you because you

come to the balance of food all the time. They'll tell you that so much of this, too much

of that, is the limit. When a limit comes then anything could happen. I believe it; I

believe it's right.

So, that's the way I've lived in my times.


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa16A[16-14]xxx I'm talking about what's right and good, what's bad, or what we

are scared of. Everybody's scared of bad things.

In my past, in about 1939, I was going too strong and I was forgetting my

people; I was forgetting. I was able. All I wanted is work. Work, work, work. And if I

could grab a dollar, I'd grab it. [But] I did not use that dollar [right]. I didn't say “thank

you” to my body that I'm able to work. So I took sick; I was very, very sick. I took sick.

I could not raise my hand to feed myself. Zzz That was quite a while ago

I caught cold. I chased cattle through wet meadows, herding them for milk. I

was chasing them to bring them in so I could milk 'em. We had six, seven cows. We

played the Mississippi River bottoms. I came home and went to bed. Boy, I went to

bed. Xxx Something began to react on me. zzz Talk about the fever I got! I took sick

after I took a great fever. I caught cold. I had no resistance. I worked too hard. I had

to walk in the cold and my clothes were always wet. Finally it caught up to me and I got

run down. That was a hard life. But I'm happy. I lived a life. I found my sickness with

the doctors.

zzz

(2-4) There was a time I broke down, in the 30's, like 36 or 37. We had

doctors, m/\š-ki kii wIn-ni-nii, Indian doctor[s], medicine man [men]. We also had

test[s,] and clinics that would go to the Indians. [And some of the Indians would go to

those clinics.] When , but I broke down in ‘37, ’39, I went in the hospital for a check-up.

Zzz Xxx Then I went to the university doctor in the thirties. zzz Xxx It was just small

hospital too, right around Walker. Xxx When I was in the hospital [there] they couldn’t--

[it] seems [as] though they couldn’t--find what's the matter.

xxx The older people were afraid to go to the hospital [them days] because they felt

that it was more of a practice. Xxx [And in Indian they think of ] hospital as a


"sick-house," ah-ko-zii-wi-gham-mIg. zzz Well, they also believe [pretty strong] in [their

religion]. They went to Indian doctors because they knew that the Indian doctor will

work with them. They felt that the white doctor didn't understand the nature of the

Indian. They thought it [the hospital and the white doctors] might be alright for the white

people. They weren't all together down on them, but one would tell another, "Well, it

doesn't do me any good to go to that doctor."

You would find that in many cases, with any nationality. They'll say, "I went to

that doctor; he didn't do me any good." Well that ends it right there. [To find out any

different someone] He has to go and try it himself. And the doctors have to prove

himself [themself] right there [in the hospital].

You always had privilege years ago. If you didn't like the doctor, you could go

to any of the doctors. Xxx The federal government [always] provided doctors, so the

Indians went to the government doctors [if they wanted to]. Xxx About 1915 some

people stopped using these things [Indian Medicine]. They went to the government

doctors. We had government doctors [in] about 1915. That's when Dr. House [or

Hause ? or ?] was around [Cass lake]. zzz Dr. House came, I suppose, about 1906 or

1907. xxx He was jolly, happy. Ya. He married a breed. I don't know [her]! I forgot

her name. She was from Cass Lake. He was a wonderful doctor. He wasn't [You

weren’t] sick around him at all. He made you laugh. He talked to you. [And] when he

was going to doctor you, you had to take the medicine!

We had some good doctors in this area--I'll tell you they were good.

Zzzxxx[2-11] They weren't all experienced, but they took interest in the Indian. I know

they did 'cause they helped [the Indians] along. [And] they had so many different

diseases [and] different cases to take care of in them days. zzz


Doctor Dumas' office in Cass Lake.Photograph Collection, Postcard ca. 1911

Minnesota Historical SocietyLocation no. MC3.9 CL3.1 r1

xxx[When I was a boy, the doctors] didn't have the equipment [they had later

on]. It seems though there [were] cases [where] they didn't have equipment and didn't

have the tests. They only had medicine. They didn't have much equipment. See, they

had the remedy, like aspirins, and x-laxes, and all that stuff. That's all the doctors that

practice had in the olden days. xxx It wasn't [And they didn’t always practice at] a clinic

[them days]; they had to travel. They worked hard. They travelled through hard snows

when they were called. They didn't have [the] equipment. Now you have to be well

equipped [to practice]. Now they have offices, and they have everything to put you

through. [And now they have] m^š-Ki-Kii bah-ĵiš-Kah-wah, shots--"medicine-pick-your-

arm."

ZzzYou know, [We know] they came out [here] to practice. [And] it seems to

me that by practicing they got to be good doctors in surgery, or bandaging, or sewing,

or when people skin themself. They prove lots. A lot of them went to school at that

time and they've passed certain tests. [2-10] Well, when they pass certain tests to be


a doctor, they [the government] send them out into the world. Then they have to

practice--and practice makes perfect. A lot of practice of anything will make perfect.

Without practice, you won't make perfect. You might have the tests, you might have

the tests to answer [the questions about what’s bothering], and all that, but you have to

practice. You might have the answer, but you have the practice to prove your answer.

zzz

Cottage C, State Sanatorium, WalkerPhotographer: Charles J. Hibbard (-1924)

Photograph Collection 1913 Location no. MC3.5 p8

Minnesota Historical SocietyNegative no. 4378-B


Main building from southwest, State Sanatorium near Walker.Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard (-1924)

Photograph Collection ca. 1920 Location no. MC3.5 p27

Minnesota Historical SocietyNegative no. 6468-B

Xxx [In ‘39] I was in the hospital institution. Xxx I was in Walker, at the hospital.

Zzz We had a health program [there]. They looked over me. They looked over me;

X-ray, X-ray, X-ray. Xxx Well, anyhow I was there about three or two months. zzz

They could not find anything. Xxx So I finally didn't feel good, didn't improve.

"What's making me sick?"

I overheard somebody say, "They can not help you."

"They can't?"


"Well," he said, "your body has no nuri-sery; the food don't benefit you."

[16-15] "Yes, I know that from a-way back. I know it don't benefit me. My body don't

benefit me because my body warned me."

"How did it warn you?" the doctor said. "We X-rayed you, we blood-tested you,

we did everything, but we can see nothing."

So, I knew what I was sick about. I knew my ailment.

"Maybe you don't want to tell me?”

[He looked at me.]

“I'm glad you told me that,” [he said.]

“So Doc," I said at the Walker Indian Institution, "you took me in here as a TB

test. We went over and over it and I'm negative. Why do I stay here. I've been here a

long time: three, four months--five, six, seven months, and you have given me nothing

that'll help me. You test me and I'm negative. I ain't positive. When you say ‘negative,’

you're all right. I would stay here if [you knew the] something were [that was] bothering

me. But I think I know I'm sick. So You X-rayed and X-rayed; you had blood tests and

blood tests. I'm glad that you doctors looked through me with tests on the instruments

that you have. You have the best doctors here; you have a bunch of doctors here that

are supposed to be good doctors."

"Yes, yes."

I said, "Doc, will you do something for me?" I said, "If I don't help myself, and if

you don't help me, I'm gonna make a request."

Xxx The doctor said, "Well,xxxxxx "What is it Mr. Buffalo? What is it you

want?"

Start4A. They tried hard to work with me and I worked with them. I knew there

was a specialist in the University. I knew they [the specialists] were up to the

University, so I told one doctor, "Where is a specialist of this hospital at Walker? Have I


got positive?"

"No. We just can't find what's the matter."

“Well, I want a specialist to go into me. Can you call a specialist in here? You

have some at the University of Minneapolis. If the specialist can't find out what's wrong

with me, I believe I know. Thanks."

xxx I kept myself up with certain remedies. I knew that [what] was wrong. If you

can't move and are trying to sweat but can't sweat, it's in the blood; my blood is

poisoned.

He said to me, "In a few days there's going to be a specialist going through this

hospital and when he's here I will bring him in."

Xxxzzz

Well, when the specialist come down--which happened, he came down as

certain specialists go around to different hospitals--So that specialist [he] went through

the patients and read the charts on the patients. Xxx The doctor came in [my room]

and picked the chart up. He came in my room, "What's this boy got? What's wrong

with him?"

"We're checking on him. He's got developments.”

"This gentleman here sweats. Once in a while he sweats and sweats hard; he's

just wringing wet."

The nurse would stand there.

Xxx "How did he come in?"

"He come in with rheumatism. He couldn't move. But now he's moving a little

bit. We put him in hot water."

"Is that good? That helps you?"

"Ya, but I get them chills and sweat. I get an itch in the blood."

"Well, what are you giving him?"


And that nurse said, "Here's the big pink pills that he's getting."

"Uh, ah. Hmm. Did you try that other stuff?"

"No, this is all we give him."

The university doctor asked me, "Did you ever have any trouble [before]?"

"Yes, I did," I said. "I had high blood pressure, blood trouble and everything.

And," I said, "I had trouble with my eyes too."

"Uh huh."

XXX Then he looked at my list; the doctor looked at how I've been acting. The

Doctor read that list and said, "Open your mouth."

"Give me that stick."

He had a blade in his hand.

"Mr. Buffalo."

I looked at him.

"Open your mouth."

Xxx And I opened my mouth. xxx [Well,] he opened my mouth. xxx With that

instrument he tapped my teeth. zzz He put that stick up high and up low, and he turned

around and told the nurse right away, he said, "This boy is poisoning by his teeth. He's

got pyorrhea which he has caught with a cold. And he has to have them out, right now.

Sooner, the better."

That University special doctor that was down there said xxx right off, he said,

"This boy is poisoned. His whole body's poisoned. That's the reason for the sweats.

Zzz This man is dying from his teeth. They are setting in poison in his system. He has

not enough blood to sweat [like he does].”

[16-17] [He looked right at me, ”]Right now we'll get you a dentist to pull the

teeth out. Zzz Yes, you have [blood trouble,” he told me. “And] now your trouble has

gone to your teeth. It's settling in your teeth. Your teeth are decaying, and [they’re]


poison[ing you]. If you take your teeth out, you'll be a well man. Xxx You got some bad

ones, but [and] you got some good ones. [But] I suggest you take 'em all out," he said.

“It'll come back on you if you try to save the few. Take 'em all out." zzz

That's what the special doctor told me at that time. Xxx

"Okay."

"That's all you need so that you can run."

[Then] he told me, "You've [maybe] had that since you were a little boy."

Then he asked me, "What did you eat? What do you eat?"

I said, "I don't know what I ate [then], but I eat game [now]."

"You might've got a hold of a diseased animal. Maybe it's [also] tularemia from

the animals. They carry that."

So that's what they told me. I might've had that too. zzz

[As soon as I hear that, as soon as I found out that they found out what was the

problem, I though,] "Gee, I feel good [already] right now."

I asked the Lord [Manitou] to have a guy like that, that's working with the Lord,

come and save me; I asked Him to bring somebody that [would] tell this institution

what's ailing me. That's the way I put it. I asked. [I] ask with a good way. I was not

lost, “So where's my trouble?” [I asked the Great.] “They want to show good examples

of the hospital. [Help them out.”] With the Great Master and the university specialist I

felt that I'm gonna get well.

Everybody looked.

[That University special doctor continued on,] "I want this man out of this bed. If

you can't get the dentist here, send him home and let him go to any dentist he wants."

"Well," I said, "I don't live in town. I live in the country."

"I'll tell that doctor [in Cass Lake] to give you a pass to the Raider brothers at

the Cloquet Hospital; they'll get a dentist in there."


"All right."

I thank the Lord [Great] though. I know at the time I told Him I didn't want to be

in the hospital because there were no tests that proved me that I should be in there.

But the head doctor wanted to keep me in there. He said, "We'll try to prepare you, but

it may be too late to prepare for you for a dentist. I agree with that specialist that you

should get the teeth out. But before that time what do you wish for?"

[16-19] I said, "That certain medicine. I want that."

And I took that [medicine] one week straight until I was cleared. My vision kept

clear and everything. I felt good. "Now I'm ready to go." One week after that I was

ready to go. Finally I left the hospital. It was quite a while ago.

My teeth were killing me. And I knew it 'cause I had toothaches [a] long time. It

was affecting my brains; it was blowing up headaches in the back of my neck. Earlier I

went to a dentist and he said, "Your teeth gotta be removed." But I never removed

them; I kept on with them. Finally I got cold, caught cold, and that worked on my bad

teeth. I knew when they didn't find anything on me against TB in the "san" that they

would find that my teeth was killing me. It takes a lot of hard work by everybody to find

those things.

The hospital was so busy, the business was so busy, that they couldn't take

care of me right away. It was only for the TB patients, so they got me out of there.

They got me out of there. They got me a release to go to any dentist I wanted

to, which I did. I lived far away from any dentist. The government tried to make it nice

for me. Our own government doctor, the local here at Cass Lake, Dr. House said, "I'll

give you a transfer to Cloquet and I'll have a rechecking of you. I'll have them put you

in a dentist's care. Then They had [have] a car that’ll go to the dentist at the Cloquet

hospital.”

"O.K. Give me the transfer."


So I got the transfer. I went to Cloquet right away. So I stayed there a day and

the Raider brothers called on me, checked me. The Raider brothers said, "What did

your doctors sent you here for?"

"Well, didn't you get a form? I must have a form from the hospital. They say I

have teeth trouble; that's what I got."

"Well if you got teeth trouble," he said, "we have no dentist here, and it'll cost us

too much to haul you to town back and forth where they are equipted for that." So this

doctor said, the Raider brothers said, "I'll give you a transfer and release you [from]

here. When I release you here you go to any dentist you want. " Xxx I went to

Cloquet. "Uh, ah, we have no dentist here. I'll give you a discharge to go back home.

You go back. But take care of them teeth right away, before it gets too warm in the

spring of the year."

Zzz So I went back to Cass Lake and I went to one dentist in Cass Lake, Dr.

Bailey [Daily??]. Xxx I went to the dentist in Cass Lake, I guess Daily was his

name. ??? zzz He looked at me and looked at my teeth; he said, "I have been doing

a lot of work on this [problem]. [2-6] Why did they send you this late here?" He said,

"You should have your teeth fixed up, cleaned out. My list reads that if you want 'em all

out, you can have 'em out."

So I said, "If they're troubling me I want the worst ones out anyhow, right now."

"Yeah,” he said, "are you going to try and hold a few and put in a bridge or

plate?"

"No," I said, "I haven't got the money [to have ‘em all out], but if I have the worst

ones out, I'd feel better."

"Well, I don't think so," the dentist said. "I don't think, Mr. Buffalo, you'd feel

better [with only the worse ones out]."

"Well how come, Doc?"


And the dentist said, "If I pull these worse ones out, some of them are going to

have abscess. Some will probably form abscess. And when I pull these out, that teeth

trouble will go into the good ones in your gums, and that's what's poisoning your

system."

"Right now, if you can, pull 'em all out."

"I just can pull out what you can stand."

So they took my blood pressure and pulled four and five to a time. They were

good doctors. Xxx He was a very good dentist, and he pulled four or five teeth every

time I went. And that blood was just like it was thick and black. And when I had my last

teeth out they told me, "Removed."

And then I met a Spanish nurse there and she said "when you get them out, I'm

telling you, you’re going to be a well man. You will feed good." Xxx The Spanish

nurse went through college and she's [was] out [in] the field. She said, “When you get

those teeth out you'll be a well man.” I didn't believe it, the way I felt. But she said,

'You'll be a well man in six months' time, but don't look for it before six months' time.

Well, You go through that six months and life begins again with you."

That's how she talked to me. I wish I knew that nurse's name. Boy, I thank her

a lot. I listened to her too.

Xxx [“Nurse” is] “medicine woman--“m/\s-ki-kii-I-kway¿, Some [medicine

women] are midwives, like my mother. And some are also for internal injury; they are

"one who knew the medicine." zzz

Nurses are great things: they're taught; they have good education; they'll work

with patients. I spoke to the nurse; they know how to answer a person. I laid there in

bed and she said, "You're going home tomorrow, Paul?"

"Yes, I'm happy about it." I said, "Boy, won't I make up for the lost time when I

get home."


She said, "Here! You should think before you say something."

"Why?"

I looked at her.

"That's your trouble," she said. "You're trying to make up too much in your life.

[2-15] There's a limit to everything in life. You overworked. You caught cold. You

have to take care of yourself."

My eyes just rolled that big.

Xxx I was sitting [laying there] listening to her. [the Spanish nurse]. Boy, she

went to school. She said, "You have to balance yourself any way you go, wherever you

go. You're [supposed to be] equal [in whatever you do].”

zzz I looked at her, "You went to school, didn't you?"

You couldn't tell her anything [she didn’t already know]. I appreciate that, and I

use that word what she said. That helped me a lot. See, that's the way I learned

amongst the white people.

"That's your trouble. You don't know the limit. There's a limit to any little thing

in life." [That’s what she told me.]

“You have to have balance,” [was what she was really saying].


Woman carrying a pitcher,possibly nurse working for

Minnesota Health Departments Indian health service.Photograph Collection ca. 1930

Minnesota Historical SocietyLocation no. R2.2 p152

Oh, you'd start thinking there.

Such a wonderful nurse, yea! I thanked her and when I was leaving she said,

"Mr. Buffalo you have been a wonderful patient. If there were all patients like you have

been in that Cass Lake Hospital," she said to me, "then it'll be easy on us. You have

been easy with us."

I did everything they asked me to do. and I[‘d] fill out my orders, [and] take my

medicine. Some of that medicine was hard to take too. Some of that [those] tests was


[were] hard to go through, but I took it in [a] good natured [way] and was never owly.

Yes, that's what she told me.

She walked me to the door. “Yeah, you have to go; you're well."

She took care of me though. She looked after me. She cleaned my table and

talked to me. She talked to me about life, history. She was a little older that I was.

She was telling me about the law too. She told her troubles too, in her time. [2-16]

She raised a family. [2-17a] “Well, that's my life,” [she’d say].

Zzz

I don't have any problems now. My teeth fits in; I got a new set. I got a new set

put in. And when I got a new set, I eat with them with no trouble. [2-8] I've only [ever]

had one set. Dr. Pete Peterson of Deer River fitted me good [with those]. I have a

difficult time to pull 'em out, but otherwise I don't have any trouble. Thanks for Dr.

Peterson.

Yes, I get along good. 'Course when I monkey around the woods or fool

around the woods--like cutting wood or one thing or another--I'm a great guy to grab

anything and jerk and lift, and I was always afraid when I grip my jaws and lift that I'd

bust them teeth. So that's why I leave them [my teeth] home. But when I eat, they're

good. They used me good. I like 'em.

That Dr. Peterson was a great dentist. He's an old experienced guy. He

worked with me until the teeth fit good.

"I'll fit them good," [he told me.]

[And he did.]

So I returned them twice to him and he ground out where they rubbed and now

they just clamp right up. Oh, I think he's a wonderful dentist. It's too bad if he retires.

He's experienced. He proves it. He's been through that. So that's the same way with

life. He practice[s] that. He can tell about teeth.


Them old doctors could; they're experienced. aaa [Those old] dentists are

[were] very good, ya. bbb Well this guy from the state university, the specialist that

came down to the [Walker] hospital [he was good, but then], he was kind of an oldish

guy too. He was experienced. [He could tell about teeth too.]

So aren't them doctors great, eh? I just think that they do wonderful work up

here by practicing, and proving [themselves by] is being out amongst the people.

It is a great thing when you break down and get sick. Then [When you break

down] you start to re-collect your wrong doings, your mistakes. It gives you time to rest

and re-collect your life. When you're downfall[ed] like I was, you promise, "I will try to

do better, if the Great Spirit would let me up on my feet again." I've tried to do better

because He let me up on my feet.

It's a wonderful thing to have an answer like I had. And I think it helps to slow

down. It helps to think. It helps to consider there's somebody else living besides you,

besides me, besides everybody else. You're not living alone, you're not living on your

own power. There's another power with you. If you use it, you'll get through this world

ok, but you have to use it right. You have to believe what is given to you. It's yours.

Like, you have to stop and feed yourself, you have to stop for lubrication, water, and

food. And then you'll live a life. So much balance is good. Each day is equal to you.

[You’re equal to everybody else.] And You have to think, "I'm not better than anybody

else, and no one else is any better than you [me]." It comes right down to that by

natural thinking. You're just a life, but you can always think, always think.

[And] one thing you have to think about [is that] Xxx when people are called,

they're called. There's nobody'll stop you. zzz Be ready at all times. There must be a

next world. [2-176] That's what everybody thinks that believes in that stuff. There

must be something else in reward for what good you do, and reward for what bad you


do.

[2-18] Life is a great thing. When you're living you have to carry your own.

You have to try to keep your health. Work with the doctor, work with the signs. Work

with the people who are trying to work for a betterment.

I'm glad to hear a good lecture. I'm glad to hear a good speech. I'm glad to

hear people debate. You learn and you listen. I sit there and listen just as if I didn't

know anything. I don't know much, but I'm always looking for more to learn, and I can

learn a lot. Then the answer is there when you're listening to people who are talking, to

people that know something. When you have visitors, use them right. Then sunlight

will be given to you.

There's always a better day in your life, figure. If it gets rough, you figure

everybody else has a rough time [too]. As to complaints, don't complain; just try to look

for a betterment, for better times in life and for better life this world. This world is

something to go through. You don’t get tired if you have futures, if you think that you

can be able to get out and look for provisions for your own. It's [Figuring like that is] a

great thing. It's something that encourages your life. It's strength, it builds you, it builds

you up, it makes you want to go and get there. But if you lose face of your own why

then you won't get anyplace. That's the way I studied. Oh, I got sorrows; I got hard

knocks. But I think, "Some of these days it'll get better." Sure enough, it gets better.

Sure enough, it's brighter.

Then in your life you'll always try to watch for something that's very clean.

You'll try to watch for something with life, for a person that speaks well, a person that's

trying to learn. And he'll probably have something that will make you interested in

learning more. You never learn too much. You're always learning, all the time as you

go. I still learn things by other people. The people you stop for, and look for, and listen

to, will learn you something. You figure out [when] to stop. You figure out [when] to go.


It's just the same thing with the signs in nature.

[2-19] I live by stop and go signs [in nature]. I had times that I was alone. I

travelled alone, through the timber. In my days I looked around for something to live

on: wild game. I got enough to eat, then I went along for another few days. That's the

way I live.

And what you're interested to do [in doing], in the line of your provision[s], of

your life, and living, when you're interested in that line, do it. If it returned [turns out you

like it] it will return a good, a betterment [to your life].

And if one line don't [doesn’t] return you any good, try another one. Maybe

you'll see something else that's better, something that you fit into. And when you get

yourself fit into something that you like to work on, something that you like to make your

provision on, it keeps getting better. It makes a betterment for you, and you feel well.

You're satisfied after you've travelled, after you've looked forward.

I've seen people in my times try everything. But [sometimes] they're not cut out

for that. But they try this and that, they practice on it, and it makes themselves cut out

into what is good for them. They feel it [when they try out something and it’s good for

them].

Then satisfaction sets in. You have to be satisfied as you go along. You have

to be satisfied with each project you go on. I might as well say that if you're satisfied

with a practice, then you'll enjoy it. Then, why when you get tired of that, that branch of

labor or that branch of work, you can try something else.

In my life when I got tired of one thing I said, "Well, I want to try something

else." Maybe I could. I could see everybody else making good on one thing, so I'd try

it. Well, I go along pretty good for a while. And I'd try it. Then I'd begin to think, well,

I'm not cut out for that. Well, then I'd try something else. That's life. That's your

privilege. That's one good thing, that nobody tells you what to do. You have to use


your own mind, your own judgment. You have to use your mind.

You haven't got much time either, because you go fast through the stages of

life. Then again after you pass 40s, 45, 50s, again you begin to slow down. Then you

recollect what you did in the past, in your young life. At least I do anyhow. While I

recollect I say, "Well, I shoulda done better. I wish I knew at that time when I was

younger what I know now. Maybe I'd be advanced a little more than I am. But I don't

mean to say that I am advanced, but I sure lived a happy life.

[2-70a] [But] I think it coulda been a better if I'd-a just considered that I'm going

to get old someday, if I'd-a considered I'd get to where I'm travelling at the old stage

now.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Now I consider that maybe by listening to my history of life somebody can pick

up a word here or a word there that will help them in their own way of life] Xxx It's a

great thing that you want to hear the experience of my life. It's a big history. I

appreciate the way I was used. The Great Spirit that I believe in is always with me,

thank God, all[‘s] Master. zzz

Xxx Study, and I'll do all I can to help. They don't have to listen to me. They

don't have to listen to what I say, but [when] they put people with stories together [and

listen to the bunch of them], then it will sound natural. That's what helps. That would

make a point.

“There's a point there this fellow's got,” [they may think.].

That's what the meetings [are] for. [2-13] That's what discussion is for. I like


discussions. I listen to discussions. [Discussions are] and it's a big practice. This is

the only country that you have free speech. You might as well say you can help one

another [with your discussions]. I hope they keep that up. [I hope they] work together,

respect one another, answer one another, ask one another. That's a big thing. Then

the world is bright. [When you’re discussing,] you're country to [you] live in is bright.

Keep it that way. Don't start to tell you [that you] have to keep it [just the way I tell it, or

that], you have to do what I ask. In [some] cases you should have to [do] in certain

things. [Sometimes] you have to do things, sure. [But generally, keep it a free country.

Keep it a free discussion.]

Gees, this is wonderful, that's true in my life; that's just what I believe in. I stand

pat right to that same story. I repeat it over and over as I live, since that time I broke

down. Xxx There was a [I repeat about the] time I broke down in the 30's. [I repeat

about the] zzz [2-14] It's a good sense. Sure it's a poison in my teeth, [and the]

pyorrhea going into my system. Xxx And [how] the doctor found [that] out, "You're

catching cold from your teeth. Your gums are bad. Your teeth are abscessed." Xxx [I

repeat about how they pulled them all out,] otherwise I'd have been failing, failing,

failing. Xxx [And how, ] when I got them out, I thought, "Sure[, that was it]" Zzz

[45-41] I had my teeth out, but Before that, all that saved [me] was sauna[, the

Indian sauna, the sweatbath, “xxx”]. It [The sweatbath] kept purifying me. That's a

main thing for a person[, a sweatbath]. Dentists are very good, ya.

Now I got [get] along pretty dang good. I was [I’m] happy.

“Oh yeah,” they told me [one time. But] you had that Spanish nurse, [a]

practice doctor, [another] practice nurse, practice doctor and [the] health doctor, and all

went through college working on you.”

[“Yes,” I told them, “but it proved out that they were good at practicing, ‘cause

I’m still here to tell about it!, aren’t I?”] xxx


xxx

[16-18] [And after that time] I took care of them teeth […] I took care of my

gums. Everything left my body. Xxx The sickness left, I'm glad to say, with the

University specialists, the great doctors that helped me. That's why I respect them

Minnesota University workers. They learned from me lots. [They learned by practicing

with me.] Look in my medical book. It proves what I say. Back in 1939, I guess. That

was quite a while ago. Them teeth poisoned me. XxxzzzXxxzzzxxx Before I had

[terrible] sweats. you know. Now I have the teeth out. That was in thirty-seven,

thirty-eight. I felt good ever since the teeth were taken care of by that specialist of the

University, and I still thank him whoever he is. He was a kind of oldish guy.

I feel I owe lots of my life to the University, and I improved, I mended and ever

since that I felt good. Yes, I felt good from that doctor's orders. Xxx Xxx The University

is the leading school, the last school, ni-gah-niy-o-Ik-I-nii-nam-o-gah-mIg. Zzz[2-9]

[The] university is the oldest thing by which we can learn a better way of life. They

have good men and they're well trained, these men. I feel for them, and I ask them

questions. Course, I like to jolly around, to fool around with them. I like to get them

stirred up to see what comes out of them. I'm built that way anyhow. I'm a talk, talk

people, and that doctor from the university, what a wonderful doctor [he was]. Xxx

He's [He is] a wonderful doctor.

It was great work they did to the Indians in the hospitals. They know what

they're talking about. XxxzzzBoy, I know they know something. Because they practice

it, they know.

And I tell my people [that] now, if they have any ailment [and] hate to go the

hospital. I speak right now. I said that isn't like the olden days when they didn't have

equipment. Nowadays, our doctors are sent out into the people with good instruments,

with instruments that they can work with, [instruments] that makes better health for the


community. "Don't be afraid," I said, "They can almost [always] pull you through on the

early stage, but don't awake on [await ‘til] the late stage." Xxx . Now you [can] always

think that you should go to a doctor right now, if you can. Not to wait.

“Zzz[2-12] [And] you should know [when your] your check-ups [are]. You're

[supposed to be] working with your doctor to keep [yourself] informed with you.”

[Nowadays most people go to the Indian hospital.] Oh, they can't get enough

[of that going] now in the Cass Lake Hospital. They are always going. Now if they

have any ailment, right to the doctor they rush.

Do you know why?

Because[, like] I said[,] they have instruments [now]. They have things to work

with. They have stuff to use that eases the pain you have. Now you always think that

you should go to a doctor right now, if you can. Not to wait.

Xxx [Later on, when I] had a carbuncle, I went to the Cass Lake Hospital [again].

Dr. Kingston took that out. This was after [I] went to Walker. It was about 1942. [I] felt

that all the poison had to come out—and it come out in [of] the carbuncle. Zzz

Boy, we have good doctors! I always say we have good doctors and very good

instruments they work with. [We have] fine, fine doctors. They are specialists, college

graduates, you can always count on them for betterment. And that's for all the people

far and near. I believe it's a great thing. this university. xxx So That's the greatest

thing that a white man did for me, and still I believe it. I believe in a white man's orders

and I believe in white man's advice.

Or ??xxx: [I tell the people] that's the greatest thing that a white man did for me. [I tell

that since that time I broke down], and still I believe it.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee end


Xxx zzz

xxx

[16-18] [But after that time] I took care of them teeth […] I took care of my gums.

Everything left my body. The sickness left, I'm glad to say, with the University

specialists, the great doctors that helped me. That's why I respect them Minnesota

University workers. They learned from me lots. Look in my medical book. It proves

what I say. Back in 1939, I guess. That was quite a while ago. Them teeth poisoned

me. XxxzzzXxxzzz xxx Before I had sweats, you know. Now I have the teeth out.

That was in thirty-seven, thirty-eight. I felt good ever since the teeth were taken care of

by that specialist of the University, and I still thank him whoever he is. He was a kind of

oldish guy. It was great work they did to the Indians in the hospitals. They know what

they're talking about. Xxx zzz Boy, I know they know something. Because they

practice it, they know. Xxx The University is the leading school, the last school,

ni-gah-niy-o-Ik-I-nii-nam-o-gah-mIg. Zzz I feel I owe lots of my life to the University,

and I improved, I mended and ever since that I felt good. Yes, I felt good from that

doctor's orders.

Xxx

[2-9] [The] university is the oldest thing by which we can learn a better way of

life. They have good men and they're well trained, these men. I feel for them, and I

ask them questions. Course, I like to jolly around, to fool around with them. I like to get

them stirred up to see what comes out of them. I'm built that way anyhow. I'm a talk,

talk people, and that doctor from the university, what a wonderful doctor [he was]. Xxx

He's [He is] a wonderful doctor.


zzz

2-7] Otherwise I'd have been failing, failing, failing.

He said right off, he said, "This boy is poisoned. His whole body's poisoned.

That's the reason for the sweats."

When I got them out I thought, "sure."

He's a wonderful doctor. He told me, "You've had that since you were a little

boy." Then he asked me, "What did you eat? What do you eat?" … So that's what

they told me. I might've had that too. So that's the greatest thing that a white man did

for me, and still I believe it. I believe in a white man's orders and I believe in white

man's advice.

2.0.2. Teeth/White Medicine [cont. from smoking...eating]

(2-4) There was a time I broke down, in the 30's, like 36 or 37.

…xxx And then I met a Spanish nurse there and she said "when you get them out, I'm

telling you, you’re going to be a well man. You will feed good."

…xxx

[2-7] Otherwise I'd have been failing, failing, failing.

Boy, I know they know something. Because they practice it, they know. He

said right off, he said, "This boy is poisoned. His whole body's poisoned. That's the

reason for the sweats."

When I got them out I thought, "sure."

…xxx So that's what they told me. I might've had that too. So that's the greatest

thing that a white man did for me, and still I believe it. I believe in a white man's orders

and I believe in white man's advice.


…xxx …xxx

[2-12] You should know your check-ups. You're working with your doctor to keep

informed with you.

[Nowadays most people go.] Oh, they can't get enough now in the Cass Lake

Hospital. They are always going. Now if they have any ailment, right to the doctor they

rush.

Do you know why?

Because[, like] I said[,] they have instruments. They have things to work with.

They have stuff to use that eases the pain you have. Now you always think that you

should go to a doctor right now, if you can. Not to wait.

Boy, we have good doctors! I always say we have good doctors and very good

instruments they work with. Fine, fine doctors. They are specialists, college graduates,

you can always count on them for betterment. And that's for all the people far and

near. I believe it's a great thing, this university.

Study, and I'll do all I can to help. They don't have to listen to me. They don't

have to listen to what I say, but they put people with stories together, then it will sound

natural. That's what helps. That would make a point. There's a point there this fellow's

got. That's what the meetings for. [2-13] That's what discussion is for. I like

discussions. I listen to discussions and it's a big practice. This is the only country that

you have free speech; you might as well say you can help one another [with your

discussions]. I hope they keep that up. Work together, respect one another, answer

one another, ask one another. That's a big thing. Then the world is bright. You're

country to live in is bright. Keep it that way. Don't start to tell you have to keep it, you

have to do what I ask. In cases you should have to in certain things you have to do

things, sure.


Oh, man, yeah. Gees, this is wonderful, that's true in my life; that's just what I

believe in. I stand pat right to that same story. I repeat it over and over as I live since

that time I broke down.

[2-14] It's a good sense. Sure it's a poison in my teeth, pyorrhea going into my

system. Now I got along pretty dang good, I was happy.

Oh yeah. "They told me you had that Spanish nurse, practice doctor, practice nurse,

practice doctor and health doctor and all went through college working on you." The

Spanish nurse went through college and she's out the field.

xxx…

Xxx [Later on, when I] had a carbuncle, I went [again] to the Cass Lake Hospital. Dr.

Kingston took that out. This was after [I] went to Walker. It was about 1942. [I] felt that

all the poison had to come out—and it come out in [of] the carbuncle. Zzz

xxx…

xxx

It's a great thing that you want to hear the experience of my life. It's a big

history. I appreciate the way I was used. The Great Spirit that I believe in is always

with me, thank God, all master.

It is a great thing when you break down and get sick.

…

2.0.3. Teeth [16-14]

…xxx

[16-18] I took care of them teeth. I took care of my gums. Everything left my


body. The sickness left, I'm glad to say, with the University specialists, the great

doctors that helped me. That's why I respect them Minnesota University workers. They

learned from me lots. Look in my medical book. It proves what I say. Back in 1939, I

guess. That was quite a while ago. Them teeth poisoned me.

…xxx

THIS part duplicated from 45CHURCHES The priest came in '08, 1908. [37-14]

Father Felix, yea.

[37-16] [Between 1907 and 1910, the government schools, the doctor and the priest

came all at the same time.]

Yea, they all came at the same time. And then we had different churches come

in a little later on.


From 31hospital adds:

31Hospital.add

[81-8 Paul, what's the Indian word for hospital?aa - ku - zii - wii - ga - mIg ; aa - ku - zii - waa - kai - i - g^n , waa - kai - g^n , aa - ku - zii - waa - kai - g^n ,

better understanding. waa - kai - i - g^n is a home.What is aa - ku - zii ?It's sick, where sick people go.

From 91teeth adds

Sauna; teeth

[45-41] I had my teeth out, but before that, all that saved was sauna. It kept purifying

me. And the doctor found out, "You're catching cold from your teeth. Your gums are

bad. Your teeth are abscessed." That's a main thing for a person. Dentists are very

good, ya.

xxx

From original draft of this chapter, p.2.

Cf handwritten notes on green sheet p. 2-2 / 16

I-gii-twah-wIn = a certain religion or practice--that's his belief, that's the way he

lives

maš-kI-kii = (vitamin) - medicine, = “nourishment to your body” or beneficial to

your body

may-no-kah-go = “nourishment to your body” or beneficial to your body

yan-gii-ah-wIn

zzz

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