Missionary Work Among the Ojebway Indians | Page 6

whom I had some conversation in regard to our proposed operations.
"Well, Mr. Leviere," I said to him one day, "what do you think the
Indians will be willing to do? Will they cut down the trees,--square and
haul the logs?" "I have been thinking about it a good deal," he replied.
"You want a church forty feet long; this will take a great many logs, not
much black ash now in the bush. I don't think, Sir, you will find enough

trees. Why not build a frame church? If you build frame, Indians get
out logs, fit the frame one day, raise building next day, board it next
day, get done quick; not cost much money, cost perhaps $100, not
much money." "Now, supposing we were to do this, what would the
Indians be willing to give? Would they work without pay? I want the
white people to see that the Indians are really in earnest; I should like to
point to our church and say, 'The Indians built this church without pay,
because it was their wish to build a house to God.' Do you think the
Indians are ready to do this? Are you ready to give a helping hand
yourself?" "Oh, indeed, Sir, yes! I mean to work, and keep on working
till it is finished; I think there are many who will do so too, perhaps ten
or fifteen altogether; we shall want no pay, only provisions."
Our chief source of discouragement at this time was the opposition of
the Methodist party, who were considerably in the majority on the
Reserve. As Indian land is held in common by all the members of the
band, we were at one time in fear that we might be prevented from
building. A petition was sent to Government, and correspondence
entered into with the Indian Department, and in the end we were
permitted to take possession of one acre of land on the lot of a Church
Indian named Antoine Rodd. The opposition, however, was very bitter
and rather depressing, and our opponents went so far as to threaten to
deprive the old Chief, Wawanosh, of his chieftainship.
On the other hand, we had every encouragement from the conduct of
our own Indians. The opposition that they met with only seemed to
make them more determined to stand by us and assist in the
establishment of the Mission. Directly the land question was settled,
three or four of them started back in the bush with their axes, to fell the
trees and hew and square the timbers for the frame-work of the church,
and I heard that the old Chief had been to the Indian Agent's office and
borrowed ten dollars of the Annuity-money to pay a professed hewer,
as none of themselves were good hands at such work. This, I told them,
was more than I expected of them; if they would give their labour, that
was all that I asked; but no, they would not be dissuaded; they were
quite determined, they said, to raise the frame-work unaided, and they
would much rather themselves pay for any labour they might have to

employ.
The "Raising" took place on the 22nd of September. About fifty
Indians were present, and all took part more or less in the work. In the
afternoon two teams arrived from the town with a large party of ladies
and gentlemen, well supplied with baskets of provisions for a feast,
which they had kindly arranged to give the Indians at the conclusion of
their work. The roughly extemporised tables looked most inviting when
all was spread out, and two or three of the Indian women were most
active and clever in getting everything ready. When the feast was over
the Indians gathered in a circle, and I expressed to them my pleasure
that we had got thus far with our work, and told them that I hoped we
should soon now, with God's blessing, have our little church open and
ready for service. Joseph Wawanosh on behalf of his father, the old
Chief, then expressed his gratitude that a Missionary had at length
come among them, and that a church was in course of erection. After
this we concluded with a short service in the Ojebway language.
It was very encouraging to me to find that our cause was being taken up
in England; a little circular had been printed and distributed, and by the
middle of October L64 had been contributed towards the erection of
our Mission buildings.
In the meantime I was holding service regularly every Sunday in the
vacant log cottage with an average attendance of from twenty to thirty
Indians, and during the week I visited a good deal among the people,
my interpreter usually accompanying me. I had prepared a