The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1933, Page 91

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER 91

is often done, ridicules everything that is sacred to
him, he does not know what to think. If a little
tea and sugar is offered, he will gladly part with any
of his sacred ceremonial objects, thus definitely giv-
ing up his old belief and even the possibility of ever
reviving it. And that usually means the end of
their tribal life.

“In their bush life the natives are, it seems, con-
tinually haunted by the fear of evil spirits. Their
traditions have taught them what magic they must
employ to combat the evil spirit. But when they
have disposed of the sacred objects and remember
how their fathers taught them that, if they would
ever part with these or show them to the uninitiated,
the evil spirits would certainly take revenge, they
are overcome with superstitious fear, which will
eventually drive them away from their old
haunts. They make for the white man’s
habitations to seek his protection and to find
a substitute for what they have lost. It
would make very sad reading if the real
story of the wandering native were written.
In what way can our Christian natives be
of help to them now? Pastor Albrecht then
proceeds to show how missionary labors re-
lieve these poor people of their mental
agony : —

“‘Our Titus, a convert of the Her-
mannsburg mission-station, ‘the man in
charge of the Potarti camp, first of all is
the man who can’ satisfy their curiosity
and answer all questions in regard to the
white man. He can also show them that
not everything that seems desirable to the
natives is without disadvantages. He tells them
that, if a native wishes to share the white man’s
‘tucker,’ he has to work for it and give so much of
his personal liberty; furthermore, that in the
settled areas their family life is often interfered
with by whites and blacks without their having
much chance of punishing the culprit. A native
getting to know all this will think twice before he
leaves his district.

“Secondly, Titus is the man who drives fear
away. He has a shotgun to protect himself and to
obtain his meat. The natives are convinced that no
enemy will come near his camp. Nor is he afraid
of evil spirits. He told me himself how one night
the whole camp was trembling for fear of evil
spirits. One native thought he had noticed some
one about the place. Titus thereupon took a piece
of wood and went around their camping-place, hit-

ting all the trees and bushes. When he had finished,
every one settled down quietly.

“Above all, however, by the preaching of the
Gospel the natives’ life is being filled with new
hope, and they receive something definite that will
carry them through life and death. The message of
the Gospel therefore finds ready response among
these so-called wild people: it has a most wonderful
effect on their minds, and the natives see the hap-
pier side of life in this world. Our Christian con-
gregation at Hermannsburg, having recognized its
obligation to do something for its fellow-men, can
here concentrate its activity and do much good that
otherwise would remain undone.’

“The problem of dealing with the natives in
Central Australia is therefore apparently one that

Confirmation Class.

still must occupy the attention of the Australian
nation. And something can be done to save the
aboriginal tribes that are still left from total ex-
tinction. ‘Under adequate protection and care they
certainly have more chance to survive here than
anywhere else because the nature of the country will
never allow a close settlement by whites. But if
things are let go simply as they are, the stone-age
man will be swallowed up by twentieth-century
civilization.’ :

“A large reserve for the natives should be pro-
claimed. Whites should not be allowed to trespass
there. The domain should be open only to the mis-
sionary. Missions would train active workers, who,
under the supervision of the missionary, would
labor among their own kinsfolk, relieving them of
their distressing superstition and ‘teaching them to
know the love of God in Christ Jesus.