Benton High School - Wahwahlanawah Yearbook (St Joseph, MO)

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6 Interest And Servic

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arose. Suddenly, both sides reached for their weapons and a bitter skirmish followed. When the Indians finally retreated into the woods, it was found that one white man, Charles King, had been killed. To avenge his death. King's comrades buried his body on the summit of- Wahwahlanawah. This was a great desecra- tion, for only the bodies of great chiefs were permitted to be buried on the peak of the sa- cred hill. After burying King's body, the whites christened the hill, King's Hill, the name it is called today. The coming of these first whites was to signal the invasion of Mohosca's territory. The whites felt it was wrong to waste such abundance on the red man. Great pressure was exerted on the white men's chiefs to remove the Indians from this land. Soon the whites would be as many as the leaves on the trees. One white man who was an exception to Mo- hosca's bitterness toward the whites was a fur trader named Joseph Robidoux. Robidoux had always treated the Indians fairly and did not try to take advantage of them as others of his kind had. He demanded nothing of the Indians ex- cept to be treated fairly in return. His trading post, in the Blacksnake Hills, a few miles up- stream from Mohosca's village, attracted Indi- ans from many miles away. Here they brought the furs of animals to be traded for steel knives and hatchets, cloth and beads, and iron cooking pots which they could not make themselves. As more white men pressed against the boundaries of Mohosca's territory, their cries for the removal of the Indians grew louder and louder. They approached the chiefs of other tribes who finally agreed to sell or trade their lands and move across the great river. Mohosca, however, refused all offers. His people would remain in their valley beneath the protecting shadow of 'Wahwahlanawah' until they re- ceived a sign from Gitchee-Manitou that they should leave this land. Before long, Mohosca found his territory shrinking before the advance of the white set- tlers. Sadly he mounted the hill to the sacred spring to make a sacrifice and to pray to Git- chee-Manitou for guidance. For three days and nights, he prayed and fasted, asking for a sign. Finally, in despair, he raised his arms to the sky. Was it the will of Gitchee-Manitou, the Creator, that the white man should possess Wahwah- lanawah? As he bowed his head in silent con- templation, a look of hopelessness and despair came across his wrinkled face. Only a few inches from his moccasin-clad foot grew three stalks of plantain. Mohosca knew that this was the sign he had been seeking. Among his peo- ple, the plantain was called the footprint of the white man. He knew that his people must leave their sacred place and never return. With his heart heavy with sorrow, Mohosca gazed for the last time upon the valley so dear to his people. He saw the peak of Wahwah- lanawah sheltering the graves of his ancestors, touched by the last rays of the setting sun. The woods upon the hillside were filled with dark shadows. The great river, reddened by the sun setting in the west, continued to move ever so slowly to the sea. Finally, he looked down one last time to see the lodges of his people nestled in the valley. The next day the old chief watched as his people assembled to hear his words. Gitchee- Manitou has given us a sign. The tribe of Mo- hosca must leave 'Wahwahlanawah.' Let the whites advance in peace. And so, the red man departed from Wah- wahlanawah, driven westward by the steady advance of the white man. Compiled by — John Foley Edited by — Tim Ervin Conclusion 5

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What Makes This Year Different ? interest and service What projects were accom- plished? Where did clubs go? Cardinal spirit emerged in what forms? Who represented the stu- dents? What arts did students en- joy? Who spoke out on issues? Which services were pro- vided to the community from students? Interest And Service 7 Jim Goss — Younger members. Laura Colley — Their generat- ing more enthusiasm and more involvement. Membership is growing, number of people trying out is growing. Judy Chatfield — Last year's clubs were dead compared to this year's. Dennis Markt — I have no opinion on that. (A statement given by many teachers.) Steve Decker — In Saber Chain we tried to get more in- volved, we tried to get the members more involved, and this year's initiations are going to be different because the re- quirements are changed and we're only going to have one initiation in the spring. Debbie Parker — Saber Chain had a dance and initiat- ed a new member. Jackie Ridpath — Art club is making Booster buttons. George Mereness — I don't see anything different.