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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1899)
December 1M , 1SUI ) . OMAHA ILLrSTKATHD 15 MIC. Indians Perform the Sacred Passion Play Imagine Indians , raw , uncouth American Indians , performing the " 1'asslon 1'lny ! " Pic ture to your mind , If you can , the solemn scenes of Christ's passion presented In pantomime by ordinary redskins , anil that , too , fcr the purpose of Impressing the- truths of Christianity more deeply upon their fel lows ! ' Yet this Idea wns actually conceived hy a missionary to the Slwash tribe In British Columbia a few years ago , and what Is more , w"as actually carried cut with great effect. Father Chlrouso was the man who ' did it , and the play maJe such a success In 1SS9 that preparations are under way to repeat It. When the priest , who Is a French Cana dian and a Roman Catholic , took up his work among the Slwash tribes ho found thorn eorcly In need of light. He labored early and late In the little chapels or the dingy , weather-stained tents which' served for chapels , and after a time he found that his efforts wcro net bearing fruit of much premise. It was comparatively easy to teach the Indians the verbal word of God , but when It came to nn understanding of the real meaning of Christianity there was failure. It seemed as if the wonderful story of the Passion could not be brought clearly to them. In their own folk-lore they had many parables , many weird stories of strange d'olngs , and it was not long until Father Chlrouse began to sec that the suf- flcult , Father Chlrouso had to find the ccs- tunics. These had to bo made in the village nni by persons who did not know a tunic from r toga. Spears , uniforms , helmets , girdles nnd other paraphernalia were required , to gether with n cross , stage and divers sets o ! scenery. At first there was some Jealousy. Those clvcu the minor casts were piqued because they had not been requested to take the more Important , and those who had bean left out entirely wcro Inclined to find fault , Father Chlrouso exercised diplomacy , however - over , and at the end of three weeks every thing was in readiness for what In anotlici walk of life would bo termed a dress re hearsal. The I'roKrniii. The first performance wns to be hold In Scachel , the date given out being Juno 0 1SS9. The news had traveled far and wide , and for several days before the specified time the roads and trails leading to Scache ! wcro thronged with both Indians and whites Visitors came from Vancouver nnd Ne\\ Westminster nnd from other places on the Canadian Pacific railway. All the clergy it that section of British Columbia found means to rendezvous in the little native hamlet , and by the Sth of Juno the place ha < : nssumed the appearance of a booming city , The morning of the Dth found a stage 01 platform erected on the bank of the rlvei GATHEIUNG OF SIWASH TRIBES TO WITNESS THE PASSION PLAY IN MIS SION JUNCTION , BRITISH COLUMBIA. ferlng and death of the Savior was to them merely a tale , possibly told to lllus- trato a point. f Day after day he went among them en deavoring to Impress the living truth upon their minds. He had had success in chang ing their moral vlows and had made them moral men and women as Indians go. But ho was not satisfied. There came to him In time what the good father considered n divine Inspiration. It was n happy thought that tore happy fruit , and perhaps the * father was right In placing its source where ho did. How the IiiHiilratloii Came. One Sunday after morning mass , which was held In a small settlement named Scachel , the priest entered Into conversation with an old Slwash somewhat ronuwned as a medicine man. The language used was the Chinook , that universal tongue of the Indians nnd whites In the northwest. Ever mindful of his absorbing ambition In life , the teaching of the Savior's passion , Father Chlrouse repeated the old , old story to his companion , describing in detail the career of Christ and his ultimate cruclflxl < n When he had finally cndefl ho glanced In quiringly at the aged Indian. "Sah-n-lo Ty-eo k'loscho ( Jesus good ) , " re- I plied the Indian , rather Indifferently. "Hut you believe that Ho sulfered and died for our sins ? " persisted Father Chlrouse. The Slwash thought awhile , then with an Inscrutable smile ho answered : "Sco-ow-lst , Pnh-pah. " ( I have eyes , father. ) "Yes ? " "No man-ich. " ( But I did not see that ) "My son , my son , how could you see If" * exclaimed the priest , fairly exasperated. "It happened almost nineteen centuries ago , " T Thou ho went away to think. Within three dnyH a perfected plan rested In the brain of Father Chlrouse. It was the plan of a play to bo enacted by Indians for Indians , a play with living actors , and with scenes / typifying the Passion of Christ. y Ho sought aid in prayer , and f r three ; ' days nnd three nights invoked divine assist ance , neither sleeping nor eating during A- * that period. Then after resting n while ho began - gan his task with confidence. His first duty * was to select the actors. In the cast , if It might bo BO termed , ho needed at least n score. Besides the Savior there were the dls clples , Mary , Pilate , tbo guards and others It was necessary not only to train Indians to , take the parts , but what waa almost as Ulf- which ( lowed past Scachel. It was ai ordinary wooden alfair in Its primary con struction , but the deft hands of the India : maidens had hidden the rough p'.anks be neath a wealth of green foliage and beautl ful ilowers. On all sides were strewn pine boughs an cones , and the balmy fragrance of balsai filled the air. The day was warm an bright and not a cloud marring the dec TABLEAU OF THE CRUCIFIXION IN THE PASSION PLAY OF THE sl\\'ASH IN'DlNS OF 1UUT1S11 COLl'.MHIA azure of the heavens. It seemed as If nature smiled on the scene. The program Father Chlrouso had ar ranged consisted of an open air mass to bo followed by nlno tableaux. These wore : 1. "Tho Prayer in the Garden ; " 2. "Christ Before Pilate ; " 3. "The Scourging ; " 4. "Tho Crowning of Thorns ; " C. "Carrying ot the Cross ; " C. "Meeting of Christ and His Mother ; " 7. "Presenting Christ with a Towel ; " 8. "Tho Crucifixion ; " 0. "At the Foot ot the Cross. " Each scene was to be in the form of a pantomime , none of the characters speaking a word. The allotted time was five mln- utce to each tableau , with an Interval of two or three minutes. There was no arrange ment of curtains , no sliding scenes , no artificial effects. None were needed , Indeed. T ) > n performance carried a solemnity and impresslveness not found In the theater. At 10 o'clock , the hour set for the first tableau , an audience of fully 5,000 people had gathered , and the space around the platform was packed. Father Chlrouse , with his clerical assistants , acted as manager , directors and stage hands , and the opening scene took shape before the spectators. It represented the Savior In the Garden of Gethscmanc , accompanied by Peter and James and John , to pray. The latter parts were taken by three Indian youths clad In roughly-made costumes , but the character of the Savior was typified by a man of rather nohlo features and shapely physique. He was dressed with simple taste and wore a a carefully made beard. His air was one of . humility , and It was plain to bo seen that a the Importance and sacrcdness of his part . had Impressed him. fircat Effect I'roilucvil. The platform had been set with a few d boxed trees and covered with fresh grass , n The three youths took their places at one 1 end , reclining as If asleep. The Indian p representing the Savior knelt In the center with his hands clasped and his face uplifted to the blue sky above. A low murmur came from the Indians In the audience , nnd a woman b nko Into hysterical walling. It wns evident thai the scene nppcalcd strongly to them "No-sl-ka pa-pn klax-to mlt-llte ko-pa en- hole , " ( Our Father , which art In heaven ) , cried one of the spectators , bowing his head. In the background , partially hidden by the platform , Father Chlrouso and his nlds were preparing the next tableau. An as sistant In the nudlenco began to chant n passion hymn , nnd whllo the Intonation swelled into n resounding chorus I ho acono wns changed. Pilate In flowing robeSj. his face rather benign than stern , was seated upon nn Im provised throne. A crown nnd breast plato Indicated his high office. Before him stood Christ bowing , ns If In token of obedience. In the rear wcro Jews nnd soldiers , potno of the- former evidently clamoring for Pi late's decision. iA law rlpplo of npplnuso came from the audience , nnd then came another change. This time it was the familiar scene of the scourging. Pllato stood up and watched with gloomy air , whllo two of the Roman soldiers hold their scourges over the bowed form of the Indian representing the Christ. To give added truth to the lestum , sovornl red lines had been drawn upon I ho exposed back , and a number of the dlhc-lples pros trated themselves as If In nn nn ny of grief. Quickly following this without chnngo of setting came'tho crowning of thorns , which represented the fourth tabfr.iu. Then the scene was changed to represent the proces sion to Golgotha. It wns before that point where the cross was given ever to Simon , nnd the heavy burden rested upon the shoul ders of the pscudo Savior who apparently staggered under the load By this tlmo the emotions of the vast au dience hnd reached n hlti'i ' pitch. Several LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL 1839 FOOT HALL TEAM IT HOLDS A RECORD OF NOT HAVING BEEN BEATEN ONCE IN THE WHOLE SEASON. of the priests were chnnting loudly , the ma jority cf the Indian women and tnmo of the old men wcro crying'nnd wringing their hands. On the outskirts native dogs hnd begun to bark , the whole mm ting n pnn- domonliiin which Father Chlrnusu hastened to check before proceeding with the sixth tableau. This ho did by utartlng n hymn The I' " I ii ul Tiililcnux. The sixth nnd seventh tableaux , tlio meet ing between Christ nnd Mary , nnd the pres entation of the towel before the cross , were given to the apparent satisfaction of the spectators. Then cnmo the most Important scene the cruclflxlnn. Until now the ) character of the Savior had be-on tnkcn by nn Indian , but It onon became evident that thu two last srencs would bo given with n wooden imago of Christ. The Indian descended from the stnr.o end remov ing the tawny benid and wig secured n pilnl of vantage from which ho could witness the rcmnlning tableaux. Father Chlrnuso and Ills iiHHlstnnts pro duced from behind the platform n life-sized figure of Christ. This they fiistencd to iho cross nnd reverently rnlsed It whllo the male choir chanted a hymn. The soldiers mil the multitude ns represented by the group of Indians on the platform , nssumed tholr re spective positions. Finally the young Indian woman who , draped In white nnd with long Mowing hair , had been noting the pnr' . of Mnry , knelt nt the foot of the cro-w nnd clasped the wood with her arms. Thus she remained whllo the two Unmans , one with the sponr and the other wllli the rend bearing the spnngo soaked In vinegar , stood ono on each side. It wns n good cllmnx. Tie ! choir chant , > d brokenly , the vast audience moved rcstlimulf , nnd a hubbub of groans nnd n grent walling broke the quiet. As If to Imprcds the sccno oven more strongly upon the Indians , Knther Chlrouso mounted the platform nnd In ringing ( onus repented the story of the passion. Then , nt n Ign from him , the greater part of the actors withdrew , leaving Mnry nt the foot of the cress nnd sovernl soldiers standing on gunrd. This wan the ninth and Inst nccnu. Flvo ml miles later the platform was o nply HIIVO for n > oung Indian who Intoned In n sonorous voice the Lord's Prnyer. Glorious Sonj of Old Edmund H. Sears. It ( 'nine upon the midnight clour , 'Phut glorluua song of od ! , Kroin mini Is bending near the earth To touch tholr JmrjiH of gold : " 1'oiico on Iho earth , good-will to men. From IHUVOII'H all-gniclntiH King. " The world In solemn tlliiesn ! lay To hoar ihu angels slug. Still through the cloven Hides they come , With peaceful wings mimrloil , And Htlll their heavenly iniiHlc Moats O'er nil the weary world ; Above ItH slid mill lowly plains They bend on linvorlng wing , Ami evi r o'er lln Mabel hounds The bletcd angels sing. For lot the dnys are Imatmiing on Hy prophot-burils foietold , When with the uvcr-clrtlliig yours Comes toiind ihn ago of gold ; When jn .11 o nhall ever all the earth Its aiu i < ni splendors illng , And the whole world lvo buck the song \\hli h now the angels wing. Holy Voices John Cawood , Hark"li.it " ire-an those holy voices .Sweetly sounding tin outfit the pklm ? Lo. the uiigolle host ro.Jolc.e0 , JIe.iv > nly hiillulujahs rice. 1-Hte-n to the wondroim Blory ttnlih they chant in iiyiiuib of Joy : "CJlory In the hlghout glory , CJJoij hu to God on high ! "J'fiue mi oirth , good-will from heaven , Reaching far us man Is found ; Souls mil-Glut ! ! ] and slim forgiven J-oud our golden harps hhull sound. "Christ Is born , the great Anointed : Heaven and ear 111 His praises Him ; ; Oh , reculvo whom Cod appointed For your Prophet , Priest and King. "