A century ago in the Inland Northwest

A correspondent from Lewiston noted a remarkable cultural divide at the annual midsummer gatherings of the Nez Perce tribe at Lapwai, Idaho, in 1906.

In one camp were the tribe’s Christian worshippers, whose Nez Perce ministers spent the long summer evenings exhorting the flock to “follow more closely the teachings of the Bible.”

Less than 100 yards away, the unconverted performed their ancient dances and made “obeisance to the gods of old – the sun, the moon or father coyote.”

Both camps co-existed peacefully, so near that the “beating of the tom-tom mingles with the sacred music of the choir.”

Surprisingly, the unnamed correspondent did not take the easy route of condemning one group over the other.

“To say that the Christian camp had all the good men of the tribe would be an injustice to the dancers, for in that camp is George Moses, the most respected Indian of the tribe, whose counsel is always sought and whose word is a synonym for the truth,” said the writer. “There also will be found Sam Morris and Peo Peo Talikt, both fine specimens of manhood. They have not been converted to the teachings of Christ, but believe devoutly in the religion handed down to them by tradition. In the Christian camp are men of equal strength of character, who preach and pray that their unconverted brothers will some day see the light.”

The writer noted that the Christian camp was 400 strong and growing each year; the “heathen” camp, 150 strong and shrinking.