Reading: Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha

Though neither of the speeches we read this week were what I would call enjoyable, I certainly found this speech by Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha a great deal more agreeable. Whereas Seattle’s section was melancholy, even depressing, this speech seemed to exude defiance. I liked very much what he had to day, and how he said it. I found it particularly interesting when Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha commented on the bible it self. He asked the preacher, “We know only what you tell us about it. How can we know when to believe, since we have been laid to so often?” (p 160) This caught my eye because it so paralleled Medieval Europe when all the bibles were printed in Latin, a language most people couldn’t understand, and forced to believe what their priests told them.

Through out this section I felt there were very interesting ideas, but all and all it was the seeming vigor in which these responses were leveled that really struck me. For example toward the end of the reading Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha speaks about how happy they are now, and turns around to mention that the Great Spirit made them this way. He goes on to point out that they should retain their differences that were clearly the Great Spirits intent.

The logic he applied appealed to me as well. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha tells this preacher that if the local people start acting any nicer once that have adopted this new form of religion then they will reconsider. He also uses that fact that God did not provide his people a book, which seemed to be the crux of the missionary’s argument, or the means to read one. Therefore they do not need a book to worship the Great Spirit.

All things considered I felt this was an extremely we formulated argument, and I was able to identify with most of the points made. I can see, with how direct the argument was, how the missionary could be a little put off after words.