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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1926)
The Chemawa American Printed at Chzmawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education Vol. XXVIII Wednesday, December 1, 1926 THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS “When it’s Christmas man is bigger And is better in his part; He is keener for the service That is prompted by the heart. All the petty thoughts and narrow Seem to vanish for awhile And the true reward he’s seeking Is the glory of a smile. Then for others he is toiling And somehow it seems to me That at Christmas he is almost What God wanted him to be.’’ —Edgar Guest This is December, the month of the year in which we date the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is the month of Christmas, which brings with it the joys of living, of doing good deeds that others may share the joys we feel. It seems to us that the history of the race has proved that ever since the dawning of conscience there has been an urge to better things. The work-aday old world has a superabundance of strife, of toil, of sorrow, of heartache, and of calamity and evil; hence, it is fitting that we should know a period of calm—a period when strife shall cease and hatreds be forgotten. Christmas is a sort of armistice day for many people, only better. It is a day univer sally observed for making people happy. It is a time for presenting gifts to friends; a time of good wishes and cheery greetings, a day when friends and neigh bors, yea! even strangers call to one-another, “A Merry Christmas.” It is not the value of the gift in money that should appeal to us. It is the spirit that prompted the be stowal of it. It is the friendliness, the love, back of it that thrills us with inexpressible joy. For one whose heart is right, and who has the true spirit of Christmas, a costly gift, a card of remembrance, or a modest token of love and good will, all are on a com mon footing in our appreciation—each is a spark from the God-given image. They, the gifts, regardless of value in coin of the realm, cry the gladsome message, “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men.” Whatever makes for peace, for good will to men, assumes a place in the hearts of all of us which cannot be treated lightly. There is a Santa Claus today just as there was fifty years and more ago. We find Santa just as real as he ever was, but he has grown less material and more spiritual. There will always be Christmas, the spirit of Christmas; there will always be Santa Claus. In the spirit of things it shall be so. Many of us drop all thoughts of the “Christmas Spirit” after New Year’s Day and return to a state of strife. After the holiday season too many of us begin to enlist in industrial, commercial and financial wars; we begin to think more of self and less of the other fellow; the “square deal” idea goes into the dis card and we deliberately promote a condition of “root, hog, or die.” If we could but remember that the “Christmas Spirit” would be as delightful in July as in December we would certainly have made a wonder ful advance in those beautiful features of life which attach to the joys of living. Let us try. FROM TWR FAR NORTH At Sitka, Alaska, is located the Sheldon Jackson School for the natives of the Far North. For many years the school has published a paper. We have read the paper for a long time and from it have formed a most favorable opinion of the capacity of the institu tion. The Verstovian is the name of the paper in question. In a recent issue is an article on Eskimo life before and just after the appearance of white people among the Eskimos. It was written by Flossie George, an eighth grade pupil, and is really a most interesting and instructive narrative. We believe its merit justi fies us in making a reprint, as follows: Before the white people came to Barrow the natives there did not know of the other people. They thought they were the only people on this earth. They lived mostly by hunting. The houses in winter were made from the driftwood covered with grass or moss and a window in the center of the roof was made by stretch ing sealgut over the wooden frame. There were no dogs until they began to train the little wolves. Before this, boys and girls as soon as they were old enough were taught to pull the sleds. Boys were taught to hunt, while the women stayed home and did the heavy work. They had to chop wood, get ice and do the cooking. When the men got home from hunting they were greeted with a drink before they entered the house. After entering they sat around the fire while their wives waited on them (Continued on page 4)
