WHITEMED - University of Minnesota Duluth



49

White Medicine

(2-1) I like to smoke. Smoking is a great thing, and smoking maybe is a good pastime to me, even though I hear so much about it. I just enjoy smoking, that's all. And course I use judgment to it too. There are times when you smoke too much, sometime you don't smoke enough. So it can be either way.

I think I feel I want to stand back at about the center of habits--and it's pretty hard to do at times because I meet friends all over that offer me smoking. I've been watching these lumber camps and that's where you have to smoke tobacco.

I chewed tobacco too. I chewed small boxes of snuff down, bIn-dah-kwan. I think they were “nickel boxes.” The “ten cent boxes” [were] a little bigger than a half dollar. Then the big ones came out and we just laughed at them. We called them "wash-tub boxes” of snuff. I chewed a box of them a day. I was about nineteen years old. Oh geeze, I chewed all day.

It was too much.

I cut out that [chewing] just by using my willpower. See? It takes willpower in life if you're going to quit this. It sets your mind, willpower. Your willpower helps; it helps you, your willpower. That's the deal there.

In life you have to keep your moral work in your system at all times. You have to eat a certain amount a day, enough to keep you up anyhow. You should not lose weight, not lose faith in life, and do a certain amount of work in your life. And when you do a certain amount of work, that is good for your body, and in life you have accomplished something. You feel you have gained something for the benefit of the people that's coming behind you in life.

[Sometimes] you try, but they don't.

[But] people don’t, some people don't, look and listen to all. They think it is a lot of B.S., I feel. I feel that they think too much and [talk] too much. You just have to do a certain amount of talking, a certain amount of singing, and certain amount of things in life. Too much is too much, and you're going to be out. Same way with religion. Same way with belief. You have to have a certain amount. It has to be equal. Everything has to be equal. You need balance, a balanced diet, balanced food.

But me, sometimes I didn't know the limit, because I was without eating at times too long. So I had to wake up; naturally, everybody does.

I've been without food a day and you get pretty hungry too because nature calls for it. Your mind is working and that calls for food. But you should take a little of something. Now if you get too hungry, you take a lot of water; take water every now and then to help your system. I think it does a person a lot of good to slow down on a certain diet.

Now, if you eat grease food too much at warm weather, it isn't good for you. In cold weather it is all right, you resist that cold weather with grease food. There is heat in the oil and certain vitamins for weather conditions. And there are some vitamins, there is some food, that will decay quicker than the other.

Like milk is a good thing; it is easy even to in-digest. Milk is good for life. Milk is nature brought up to people in the world. The older class is supposed to be responsible for teaching the younger class how to get along in the area you're living in.

I-gii-twah-wIn = a certain religion or practice--that's his belief, that's the way he lives

maš-kI-kii = (vitamin) - medicine,

may-no-kah-go = “nourishment to your body” or beneficial to your body

yan-gii-ah-wIn

do-do-šah-bo – milk

(2-3) It's hard food, meat and stuff like that, where you labor, where you're exercising. A little wii-yahš, a little meat, wouldn't hurt at all. Xxx In the past I found that if you eat too much meat it's not good for you. You have to help your in-digest by balancing it with wild rice. Wild rice will balance that out. You'll starve if you eat too much meat. Wild rice will hurt you if you eat too much of it. Your brain will tell you what to eat or what went wrong. Take care of that stomach of yours and you'll be all right. What you drink and what you eat is a main part of life. When we were small we'd try anything. We'd take that pople tree and peel that bark off and eat that. Boy that was good; the juice would just run down during the certain time of the year. Zzz Little snacks are good; snacks mostly are good. They make you cheer up too.

My favorite food is gii-gõ, fish. It is natural. I like natural food and meat, wild game. My favorite is bread. Bread is given to me to eat. I feel that it's a good thing. But there's too much of richness, there's too much of everything. You have to balance it in your diet.

And greens are good too. We used to go out into the waters to get them bulrushes when we were little boys. I think there’s something to that. We’d pull them bulrushes up and they're white on the bottom. Then we eat that tender part. We had good teeth. Oh boy, how good that was. Lots of them would sit out there and eat that stuff and paddle along. There's something to that too, you know. I believe it. Yes, it could be because we always went out, not to go out and just to eat them, but we'd play around them. We`d pull up them and get a good sized one, boy that's good.

Yeah, it's good, those bulrushes. I think it's good for you. It draws the intestinal poison or something. I feel that it draws. So when you pass them, the excess in your body is gone. You have to keep your body regulated. That's the way I felt all the time. I would pay attention to regulations and take care of injuries. You should be careful not to fall down or something and wreck yourself.

(2-4) You have to look after your needs. You have to take care of yourself in life. You have to watch, and ask the older class what is good for you because you come to the balance of food all the time. They'll tell you that so much of this, too much of that, is the limit. When a limit comes then anything could happen. I believe it; I believe it's right

So, that's the way I've lived in my times.

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16A[16-14]xxx I'm talking about what's right and good, what's bad, or what we are scared of. Everybody's scared of bad things.

In my past, in about 1939, I was going too strong and I was forgetting my people; I was forgetting. I was able. All I wanted is work. Work, work, work. And if I could grab a dollar, I'd grab it. I did not use that dollar [right]. I didn't say “thank you” to my body that I'm able to work. So I took sick; I was very, very sick. I took sick. I could not raise my hand to feed myself. Zzz

xxx Back in 1939, I guess. That was quite a while ago. Them teeth poisoned me.

You know why they poisoned me? I caught cold. I chased cattle through wet meadows, herding them for milk. I was chasing them to bring them in so I could milk 'em. We had six, seven cows. We played the Mississippi River bottoms. I came home and went to bed. Boy, I went to bed. Xxx Something began to react on me. zzz Talk about the fever I got! I took sick after I took a great fever. I caught cold. I had not resistance. I worked too hard. I had to walk in the cold and my clothes were always wet. Finally it caught up to me and I got run down. That was a hard life. But I'm happy. I lived a life, I found my sickness with the doctors.

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(2-4) There was a time I broke down, in the 30's, like 36 or 37. We had doctors, m/\š-ki kii wIn-ni-nii, Indian doctor[s], medicine man [men]. We also had test and clinics that would go to the Indians [and that the Indians would go to]. When , but I broke down in ‘37, ‘39 I went in the hospital for a check-up. Zzz Xxx Then I went to the university doctor in the thirties. zzz Xxx It was just small hospital too, right around Walker. Xxx When I was in the hospital [there] they couldn’t--[it] seems [as] though they couldn'--find what's the matter. It was just small hospital too, right around Walker.

xxx The older people were afraid to go to the hospital [them days] because they felt that it was more of a practice. Well, they also believe in [their religion]. They went to Indian doctors because they knew that the Indian doctor will work with them. They felt that the white doctor didn't understand the nature of the Indian. They thought it might be alright for the white people. They weren't all together down on them, but one would tell another, "Well, it doesn't do me any good to go to that doctor."

You would find that in many cases, with any nationality, they'll say, "I went to that doctor; he didn't do me any good." Well that ends it right there. He has to go and try it himself. And the doctors have to prove himself right there.

You always had privilege years ago. If you didn't like the doctor, you could go to any of the doctors. Xxx The federal government provided doctors, so the Indians went to the government doctors [if they wanted to]. Dr. House [or Hause ? or ?] came [to Cass lake], I suppose, about 1906 or 1907. xxx He was jolly, happy. Ya. He married a breed. I don't know [her]! I forgot her name. She was from Cass Lake. He was a wonderful doctor. He wasn't [You weren’t] sick around him at all. He made you laugh. He talked to you. When he was going to doctor you, you had to take the medicine! About 1915 some people stopped using these things [Indian Medicine]. They went to the government doctors. We had government doctors about 1915. That's when Dr. House (?) was around.

THIS part duplicated from 45CHURCHES The priest came in '08, 1908. [37-14] Father Felix, yea.

[37-16] [Between 1907 and 1910, the government schools, the doctor and the priest came all at the same time.] Yea, they all came at the same time. And then we had different churches come in a little later on.

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[pic]

Doctor Dumas' office in Cass Lake.

Photograph Collection, Postcard ca. 1911

Location no. MC3.9 CL3.1 r1

Minnesota historical Society

We had some good doctors in this area--I'll tell you they were good. Zzzxxx[2-11] They weren't all experienced, but they took interest in the Indian. I know they did 'cause they helped [the Indians] along. [And] they had so many different diseases, different cases to take care of in them days. zzz

xxx[When I was a boy, the doctors] didn't have the equipment [they had later on]. It seems though there [were] cases [where] they didn't have equipment and didn't have the tests. They only had medicine. They didn't have much equipment. See, they had the remedy, like aspirins, and x-laxes, and all that stuff. That's all the doctors that practice had in the olden days. xxx It wasn't [And they didn’t always practice at] a clinic [them days]; they had to travel. They worked hard. They travelled through hard snows when they were called. They didn't have much equipment. Now you have to be well equipped [to practice]. Now they have offices, and they have everything to put you through. [And now they have] m^š-Ki-Kii bah-ĵiš-Kah-wah, shots--"medicine-pick-your-arm." It wasn't [And they didn’t always practice at] a clinic [them days]; they had to travel. They worked hard. They travelled through hard snows when they were called.

ZzzYou know, [We know] they came out [here] to practice. [And] it seems to me that by practicing they got to be good doctors in surgery, or bandaging, or sewing, or when people skin themself. They prove lots. A lot of them went to school at that time and they've passed certain tests. [2-10] Well, when they pass certain tests to be a doctor, they send them out into the world. Then they have to practice--and practice makes perfect. A lot of practice of anything will make perfect. Without practice, you won't make perfect. You might have the tests, you might have the tests to answer, and all that, but you have to practice. You might have the answer, but you have the practice to prove your answer. zzz

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Xxx I was in the hospital institution. Xxx I was in Walker at the hospital. Zzz We had a health program. They looked over me. They looked over me; X-ray, X-ray, X-ray. Xxx Well, anyhow I was there about three or two months. zzz They could not find anything. Xxx So I finally didn't feel good, didn't improve.

"What's making me sick?"

So, I know what I was sick about, I know my ailment. I overheard somebody say, "They can not help you."

"They can't?"

"Well," he said, "your body has no nuri-sery; the food don't benefit you."

[16-15] "Yes, I know that from a-way back. I know it don't benefit me. My body don't benefit me because my body warned me."

"How did it warn you?" the doctor said. "We X-rayed you, we blood-tested you, we did everything, but we can see nothing."

"Maybe you don't want to tell me?”

[He looked at me.]

“I'm glad you told me that. So Doc," I said at the Walker Indian Institution, "you took me in here as a TB test. We went over and over it and I'm negative. Why do I stay here. I've been here a long time; three, four months--five, six, seven months and you have given me nothing that'll help me. You test me and I'm negative. I ain't positive. When you say negative, you're all right. I would stay here if something were bothering me. But I think I know I'm sick. So you X-rayed and X-rayed; you had blood tests and blood tests. I'm glad that you doctors looked through me with tests on the instruments that you have. You have the best doctors here; you have a bunch of doctors here that are supposed to be good doctors."

"Yes, yes."

I said, "Doc, will you do something for me?" I said, "If I don't help myself, and if you don't help me, I'm gonna make a request."

Xxx The doctor said, "Well,xxxxxx "What is it Mr. Buffalo? What is it you want?"

Start4A. So I finally didn't feel good, didn't improve. They tried hard to work with me and I worked with them. I knew there was a specialist in the University. I knew they [the specialists] were up to the University, so I told one doctor, "Where is a specialist of this hospital at Walker? Have I got positive?"

"No. We just can't find what's the matter."

Well, anyhow I was there about three or two months.

“Well, I want a specialist to go into me. Can you call a specialist in here? You have some at the University of Minneapolis. If the specialist can't find out what's wrong with me, I believe I know. Thanks."

xxx I kept myself up with certain remedies. I knew that [what] was wrong. If you can't move and are trying to sweat but can't sweat, it's in the blood; my blood is poisoned.

He said to me, "In a few days there's going to be a specialist going through this hospital and when he's here I will bring him in."

Xxxzzz There comes that specialist from the University.

Well, when the specialist come down--which happened, he came down as certain specialists go around to different hospitals--So that specialist [he] went through the patients and read the charts on the patients. Xxx The doctor came in [my room] and picked the chart up. He came in my room, "What's this boy got? What's wrong with him?"

"We're checking on him. He's got developments.”

"This gentleman here sweats. Once in a while he sweats and sweats hard; he's just wringing wet."

The nurse would stand there.

Xxx "How did he come in?"

"He come in with rheumatism. He couldn't move. But now he's moving a little bit. We put him in hot water."

"Is that good? That helps you?"

"Ya, but I get them chills and sweat. I get an itch in the blood."

"Well, what are you giving him?"

And that nurse said, "Here's the big pink pills that he's getting."

"Uh, ah. Hmm. Did you try that other stuff?"

"No, this is all we give him."

The university doctor asked me, "Did you ever have any trouble [before]?"

"Yes, I did," I said. "I had high blood pressure, blood trouble and everything. And," I said, "I had trouble with my eyes too."

"Uh huh."

XXX Then he looked at my list; the doctor looked at how I've been acting. The Doctor read that list and said, "Open your mouth."

"Give me that stick."

He had a blade in his hand.

"Mr. Buffalo."

I looked at him.

"Open your mouth."

Xxx And I opened my mouth. xxx [Well,] he opened my mouth. xxx With that instrument he tapped my teeth. zzz He put that stick up high and up low, and he turned around and told the nurse right away, he said, "This boy is poisoning by his teeth. He's got pyorrhea which he has caught with a cold. And he has to have them out, right now. Sooner, the better."

zzzzzz

That University special doctor that was down there said, "This man is dying from his teeth. They are setting in poison in his system. He has not enough blood to sweat [like he does]. [16-17] Right now we'll get you a dentist to pull the teeth out.”

"Yes, you have [blood trouble. And] now your trouble has gone to your teeth. It's settling in your teeth. Your teeth are decaying. If you take your teeth out, you'll be a well man. Xxx You got some bad ones, but you got some good ones. [But] I suggest you take 'em all out," he said. “It'll come back on you if you try to save the few. Take 'em all out." zzz

That's what the special doctor told me at that time.

"Okay."

"That's all you need so that you can run."

"Gee, I feel good right now."

I asked the Lord [Manitou] to have a guy like that, that's working with the Lord, come and save me; I asked Him to bring somebody that [would] tell this institution what's ailing me. That's the way I put it. I asked. [I] ask with a good way. I was not lost, “So where's my trouble?” [I asked.] “They want to show good examples of the hospital. [Help them out.”] With the Great Master and the university specialist I felt that I'm gonna get well.

Everybody looked.

[That University special doctor continued on,] "I want this man out of this bed. If you can't get the dentist here, send him home and let him go to any dentist he wants."

"Well," I said, "I don't live in town. I live in the country."

"I'll tell that doctor to give you a pass to the Raider brothers at the Cloquet Hospital; they'll get a dentist in there."

"All right."

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I thank the Lord though. I know at the time I told him I didn't want to be in the hospital because there were no tests that proved me that I should be in there. But the head doctor wanted to keep me in there. He said, "We'll try to prepare you, but it may be too late to prepare for you for a dentist. I agree with that specialist that you should get the teeth out. But before that time what do you wish for?"

[16-19] I said, "That certain medicine. I want that." And I took that one week straight until I was cleared. My vision kept clear and everything. I felt good. "Now I'm ready to go." One week after that I was ready to go. Finally I left the hospital. It was quite a while ago.

My teeth were killing me. And I knew it 'cause I had toothaches [a] long time. It was affecting my brains; it was blowing up headaches in the back of my neck. Earlier I went to a dentist and he said, "Your teeth gotta be removed." But I never removed them; I kept on with them. Finally I got cold, caught cold, and that worked on my bad teeth. I knew when they didn't find anything on me against TB in the "san" that they would find that my teeth was killing me. It takes a lot of hard work by everybody to find those things.

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The hospital was so busy, the business was so busy, that they couldn't take care of me right away. It was only for the TB patients, so they got me out of there.

They got me out of there. They got me a release to go to any dentist I wanted to, which I did. I lived far away from any dentist. The government tried to make it nice for me. Our own government doctor, the local here at Cass Lake, Dr. House said, "I'll give you a transfer to Cloquet and I'll have a rechecking of you. I'll have them put you in a dentist's care. Then They had [have] a car that’ll go to the dentist at the Cloquet hospital.”

"O.K. Give me the transfer."

So I got the transfer. I went to Cloquet right away. So I stayed there a day and the Raider brothers called on me, checked me. The Raider brothers said, "What did your doctors sent you here for?"

"Well, didn't you get a form?"

"I must have a form from the hospital. They say I have teeth trouble; that's what I got."

"Well if you got teeth trouble" he said, "we have no dentist here, and it'll cost us too much to haul you to town back and forth where they are equipted for that." So this doctor said, the Raider brothers said, "I'll give you a transfer and release you [from] here. When I release you here you go to any dentist you want. " Xxx I went to Cloquet. "Uh, ah, we have no dentist here. I'll give you a discharge to go back home. You go back. But take care of them teeth right away, before it gets too warm in the spring of the year."

Zzz So I went back to Cass Lake and I went to one dentist in Cass Lake, Dr. Bailey. Xxx I went to the dentist in Cass Lake, I guess Daily was his name. ??? zzz He looked at me and looked at my teeth; he said, "I have been doing a lot of work on this. [2-6] Why did they send you this late here?" He said, "You should have your teeth fixed up, cleaned out. My list reads that if you want 'em all out, you can have 'em out."

So I said, "If they're troubling me I want the worst ones out anyhow, right now."

"Yeah,” he said, "are you going to try and hold a few and put in a bridge or plate?"

"No," I said, "I haven't got the money, but if I have the worst ones out, I'd feel better."

"Well, I don't think so," the dentist said. "I don't think, Mr. Buffalo, you'd feel better [with only the worse ones out]."

"Well how come, Doc?"

And the dentist said, "If I pull these worse ones out, some of them are going to have abscess. Some will probably form abscess. And when I pull these out, that teeth trouble will go into the good ones in your gums, and that's what's poisoning your system."

"Right now, if you can, pull 'em all out."

"I just can pull out what you can stand."

So they took my blood pressure and pulled four and five to a time. They were good doctors. Xxx He was a very good dentist, and he pulled four or five teeth every time I went. And that blood was just like it was thick and black. And when I had my last teeth out they told me, "Removed."

SPANISH NURSE

And then I met a Spanish nurse there and she said "when you get them out, I'm telling you, you’re going to be a well man. You will feed good." Xxx The Spanish nurse went through college and she's out the field. She said when you get those teeth out you'll be a well man. I didn't believe it, the way I felt. But she said, 'You'll be a well man in six months' time, but don't look for it before six months' time. Well, you go through that six months and life begins again with you."

That's how she talked to me. I wish I knew that nurse's name. Boy, I thank her a lot. I listened to her too.

Xxx [A nurse is] m/\s-ki-kii-I-kway¿, “medicine woman.” Some are midwives like my mother. And some are also for internal injury; they are "one who knew the medicine." zzz

Nurses are great things: they're taught; they have good education; they'll work with patients. I spoke to the nurse; they know how to answer a person. I laid there in bed and she said, "You're going home tomorrow, Paul?"

"Yes, I'm happy about it." I said, "Boy, won't I make up for the lost time when I get home."

She said, "Here, you should think before you say something."

"Why?"

I looked at her.

"That's your trouble," she said. "You're trying to make up too much in your life. [2-15] There's a limit to everything in life. You overworked. You caught cold. You have to take care of yourself."

My eyes just rolled that big.

Xxx I was sitting listening to her. [the Spanish nurse]. Boy, she went to school. She said, "You have to balance yourself anyway you go, wherever you go. You're [supposed to be] equal [in whatever you do].”

zzz I looked at her, "You went to school, didn't you?"

You couldn't tell her anything [she didn’t already know]. I appreciate that, and I use that word what she said. That helped me a lot. See, that's the way I learned amongst the white people.

"That's your trouble, you don't know the limit. There's a limit to any little thing in life." [That’s what she told me.]

“You have to have balance,” [was what she was really telling me].

[pic]

Woman carrying a pitcher,

possibly nurse working for

Minnesota Health Departments Indian health service.

Photograph Collection ca. 1930

Minnesota Historical Society

Location no. R2.2 p152

Oh, you'd start thinking there.

Such a wonderful nurse, yea! I thanked her and when I was leaving she said, "Mr. Buffalo you have been a wonderful patient. If there were all patients like you have been in that Cass Lake Hospital," she said to me, "then it'll be easy on us. You have been easy with us."

I did everything they asked me to do, and I fill out my orders, [and] take my medicine. Some of that medicine was hard to take too. Some of that [those] tests was [were] hard to go through, but I took it in [a] good natured [way] and was never owly.

Yes, that's what she told me. She walked me to the door. Yeah, "you have to go; you're well."

She took care of me though. She looked after me, she cleaned my table and talked to me. She talked to me about life, history. She was a little older that I was. She was telling me about the law too. She told her troubles too, in her time. [2-16] She raised a family. [2-17a] “Well, that's my life,” [she’d say].

Xxx [Later on, when I] had a carbuncle, I went [again] to the Cass Lake Hospital. Dr. Kingston took that out. This was after [I] went to Walker. It was about 1942. [I] felt that all the poison had to come out—and it come out in [of] the carbuncle. Zzz

END SPANISH NURSE

DR. PETERSEN FITS DENTURES

I don't have any problems now. My teeth fits in; I got a new set. I got a new set put in. And when I got a new set, I eat with them with no trouble. [2-8] I've only had one set. Dr. Pete Peterson of Deer River fitted me good. I have a difficult time to pull 'em out, but otherwise I don't have any trouble. Thanks for Dr. Peterson.

Yes, I get along good. 'Course when I monkey around the woods or fool around the woods--like cutting wood or one thing or another--I'm a great guy to grab anything and jerk and lift, and I was always afraid when I grip my jaws and lift that I'd bust them teeth. So that's why I leave them [my teeth] home. But when I eat, they're good. They used me good. I like 'em.

That Dr. Peterson was a great dentist. He's an old experienced guy. He worked with me until the teeth fit good.

"I'll fit them good," [he told me.]

So I returned them twice to him and he ground out where they rubbed and now they just clamp right up. Oh, I think he's a wonderful dentist. It's too bad if he retires. He's experienced. He proves it. He's been through that. So that's the same way with life. He practice[s] that. He can tell about teeth. Them old doctors could; they're experienced. Well this guy from the state university, the specialist that came down to the hospital, he was kind of an oldish guy too. He was experienced.

So aren't them doctors great, eh? I just think that they do wonderful work up here by practicing, and proving [themselves by] is being out amongst the people.

END DR. PETERSEN FITS DENTURES

Before I had sweats, you know. Now I have the teeth out. That was in thirty-seven, thirty-eight. I felt good ever since the teeth were taken care of by that specialist of the University, and I still thank him whoever he is. He was a kind of oldish guy. It was great work they did to the Indians in the hospitals. They know what they're talking about. Xxx The University is the leading school, the last school, ni-gah-niy-o-Ik-I-nii-nam-o-gah-mIg. Zzz I feel I owe lots of my life to the University, and I improved, I mended and ever since that I felt good. Yes, I felt good from that doctor's orders.

[2-7] Otherwise I'd have been failing, failing, failing.

Boy, I know they know something. Because they practice it, they know. He said right off, he said, "This boy is poisoned. His whole body's poisoned. That's the reason for the sweats."

When I got them out I thought, "sure."

He's a wonderful doctor. He told me, "You've had that since you were a little boy." Then he asked me, "What did you eat? What do you eat?"

I said, "I don't know what I ate [then], but I eat game [now]."

"You might've got a hold of a diseased animal. Maybe it's tularemia from the animals. They carry that."

So that's what they told me. I might've had that too. So that's the greatest thing that a white man did for me, and still I believe it. I believe in a white man's orders and I believe in white man's advice.

I don't have any problems now. My teeth fits in; I got a new set. I got a new set put in. And when I got a new set, I eat with them with no trouble.

[2-8] I've only had one set. Dr. Pete Peterson of Deer River fitted me good. I have a difficult time to pull 'em out, but otherwise I don't have any trouble. Thanks for Dr. Peterson.

Yes, I get along good. 'Course when I monkey around the woods or fool around the woods--like cutting wood or one thing or another--I'm a great guy to grab anything and jerk and lift, and I was always afraid when I grip my jaws and lift that I'd bust them teeth. So that's why I leave them home. But when I eat, they're good. They used me good. I like 'em.

That Dr. Peterson was a great dentist. He's an old experienced guy. He worked with me until the teeth fit good.

"I'll fit them good," [he told me.]

So I returned them twice to him and he ground out where they rubbed and now they just clamp right up. Oh, I think he's a wonderful dentist. It's too bad if he retires. He's experienced. He proves it. He's been through that. So that's the same way with life. He practice[s] that. He can tell about teeth. Them old doctors could; they're experienced. Well this guy from the state university, the specialist that came down to the hospital, he was kind of an oldish guy too. He was experienced.

So aren't them doctors great, eh? I just think that they do wonderful work up here by practicing, and proving [that] is being out amongst the people.

Xxx Hospital is ah-ko-zii-wi-gham-mIg; it's a "sick-house," where you go when you're sick. Zzz

[2-9] [The] university is the oldest thing by which we can learn a better way of life. They have good men and they're well trained, these men. I feel for them, and I ask them questions. Course, I like to jolly around, to fool around with them. I like to get them stirred up to see what comes out of them. I'm built that way anyhow. I'm a talk, talk people, and that doctor from the university, what a wonderful doctor [he was]. And I tell my people [that] now, if they have any ailment [and] hate to go the hospital. I speak right now. I said that isn't like the olden days when they didn't have equipment. Nowadays, our doctors are sent out into the people with good instruments, with instruments that they can work with, [instruments] that makes better health for the community. "Don't be afraid," I said, "They can almost [always] pull you through on the early stage, but don't awake on [await ‘til] the late stage."

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I went to Cloquet. "Uh, ah, we have no dentist here. You go back. I'll give you a discharge to go back home. But take care of them teeth right away, before it gets too warm in the spring of the year."

I went to the dentist in Cass Lake, I guess Daily was his name. He was a very good dentist, and he pulled four or five teeth every time I went. And that blood was just like it was thick and black. And when I had my last teeth out they told me, "Removed."

[16-18] I took care of them teeth. I took care of my gums. Everything left my body. The sickness left, I'm glad to say, with the University specialists, the great doctors that helped me. That's why I respect them Minnesota University workers. They learned from me lots. Look in my medical book. It proves what I say. Back in 1939, I guess. That was quite a while ago. Them teeth poisoned me.

You know why they poisoned me? zzz

Fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

gggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

2.0.1. Teeth + White Medicine (2-4)

2.0.2. Teeth/White Medicine [cont. from smoking...eating]

(2-4) There was a time I broke down, in the 30's, like 36 or 37. We had doctors. Xxx An Indian doctor, medicine man, is m/\š-ki kii wIn-ni-nii. Zzz We also had test and clinics that would go to the Indians, but I broke down in ‘36, ‘37. I went in the hospital for a check-up. When I was in the hospital they couldn’t [it] seems [as] though they couldn't find what's the matter. It was just small hospital too, right around Walker. So I finally didn't feel good, didn't improve. They tried hard to work with me and I worked with them. I knew there was a specialist in the University. I knew they were up to the University, so I told one doctor, "Where is a specialist of this hospital at Walker? Have I got positive?"

"No. We just can't find what's the matter."

Well, anyhow I was there about three or two months.

The Dr. said, "Well, what is it you want?"

“Well, I want a specialist to go into me. If the specialist can't find out what's wrong with me, I believe I know."

Well, when the specialist come down--which happened, he came down as certain specialists go around to different hospitals. He came in my room, "What's this boy got?"

"We're checking on him. He's got developments.”

"What's wrong with him?"

The nurse would stand there.

"Give me that stick."

Then he looked at my list; the doctor looked at how I've been acting.

[2-5] The Doctor read that list and said, "Open your mouth."

And I opened my mouth. He put that stick up high and up low, and he turned around and told the nurse right away, he said, "This boy is poisoning by his teeth. He's got pyorrhea which he has caught with a cold. And he has to have them out, right now. Sooner, the better."

The hospital was so busy, the business was so busy, that they couldn't take care of me right away. It was only for the TB patients, so they got me out of there.

They got me out of there. They got me a release to go to any dentist I wanted to, which I did. I lived far away from any dentist. The government tried to make it nice for me. Our own government doctor, the local here at Cass Lake, Dr. House said, "I'll give you a transfer to Cloquet and I'll have a rechecking of you. I'll have them put you in a dentist's care. Then They had [have] a car that’ll go to the dentist at the Cloquet hospital.”

"O.K. Give me the transfer."

So I got the transfer. I went to Cloquet right away. So I stayed there a day and the Raider brothers called on me, checked me. The Raider brothers said, "What did your doctors sent you here for?"

"Well, didn't you get a form?"

"I must have a form from the hospital. They say I have teeth trouble; that's what I got."

"Well if you got teeth trouble" he said, "we have no dentist here, and it'll cost us too much to haul you to town back and forth where they are equipted for that." So this doctor said, the Raider brothers said, "I'll give you a transfer and release you here. When I release you here you go to any dentist you want."

So I went back to Cass Lake and I went to one dentist in Cass Lake, Dr. Bailey. He looked at me and looked at my teeth; he said, "I have been doing a lot of work on this. [2-6] Why did they send you this late here?" He said, "You should have your teeth fixed up, cleaned out. My list reads that if you want 'em all out, you can have 'em out."

So I said, "If they're troubling me I want the worst ones out anyhow, right now."

"Yeah,” he said, "are you going to try and hold a few and put in a bridge or plate?"

"No," I said, "I haven't got the money, but if I have the worst ones out, I'd feel better."

"Well, I don't think so," the dentist said. "I don't think, Mr. Buffalo, you'd feel better [with only the worse ones out]."

"Well how come, Doc?"

And the dentist said, "If I pull these worse ones out, some of them are going to have abscess. Some will probably form abscess. And when I pull these out, that teeth trouble will go into the good ones in your gums, and that's what's poisoning your system."

"Right now, if you can, pull 'em all out."

"I just can pull out what you can stand."

So they took my blood pressure and pulled four and five to a time. They were good doctors.

And then I met a Spanish nurse there and she said "when you get them out, I'm telling you, you’re going to be a well man. You will feed good."

Before I had sweats, you know. Now I have the teeth out. That was in thirty-seven, thirty-eight. I felt good ever since the teeth were taken care of by that specialist of the University, and I still thank him whoever he is. He was a kind of oldish guy. It was great work they did to the Indians in the hospitals. They know what they're talking about. Xxx The University is the leading school, the last school, ni-gah-niy-o-Ik-I-nii-nam-o-gah-mIg. Zzz I feel I owe lots of my life to the University, and I improved, I mended and ever since that I felt good. Yes, I felt good from that doctor's orders.

[2-7] Otherwise I'd have been failing, failing, failing.

Boy, I know they know something. Because they practice it, they know. He said right off, he said, "This boy is poisoned. His whole body's poisoned. That's the reason for the sweats."

When I got them out I thought, "sure."

He's a wonderful doctor. He told me, "You've had that since you were a little boy." Then he asked me, "What did you eat? What do you eat?"

I said, "I don't know what I ate [then], but I eat game [now]."

"You might've got a hold of a diseased animal. Maybe it's tularemia from the animals. They carry that."

So that's what they told me. I might've had that too. So that's the greatest thing that a white man did for me, and still I believe it. I believe in a white man's orders and I believe in white man's advice.

I don't have any problems now. My teeth fits in; I got a new set. I got a new set put in. And when I got a new set, I eat with them with no trouble.

[2-8] I've only had one set. Dr. Pete Peterson of Deer River fitted me good. I have a difficult time to pull 'em out, but otherwise I don't have any trouble. Thanks for Dr. Peterson.

Yes, I get along good. 'Course when I monkey around the woods or fool around the woods--like cutting wood or one thing or another--I'm a great guy to grab anything and jerk and lift, and I was always afraid when I grip my jaws and lift that I'd bust them teeth. So that's why I leave them home. But when I eat, they're good. They used me good. I like 'em.

That Dr. Peterson was a great dentist. He's an old experienced guy. He worked with me until the teeth fit good.

"I'll fit them good," [he told me.]

So I returned them twice to him and he ground out where they rubbed and now they just clamp right up. Oh, I think he's a wonderful dentist. It's too bad if he retires. He's experienced. He proves it. He's been through that. So that's the same way with life. He practice[s] that. He can tell about teeth. Them old doctors could; they're experienced. Well this guy from the state university, the specialist that came down to the hospital, he was kind of an oldish guy too. He was experienced.

So aren't them doctors great, eh? I just think that they do wonderful work up here by practicing, and proving [that] is being out amongst the people.

Xxx Hospital is ah-ko-zii-wi-gham-mIg; it's a "sick-house," where you go when you're sick. Zzz

[2-9] [The] university is the oldest thing by which we can learn a better way of life. They have good men and they're well trained, these men. I feel for them, and I ask them questions. Course, I like to jolly around, to fool around with them. I like to get them stirred up to see what comes out of them. I'm built that way anyhow. I'm a talk, talk people, and that doctor from the university, what a wonderful doctor [he was]. And I tell my people [that] now, if they have any ailment [and] hate to go the hospital. I speak right now. I said that isn't like the olden days when they didn't have equipment. Nowadays, our doctors are sent out into the people with good instruments, with instruments that they can work with, [instruments] that makes better health for the community. "Don't be afraid," I said, "They can almost [always] pull you through on the early stage, but don't awake on [await ‘til] the late stage."

[When I was a boy, the hospitals] didn't have the equipment. It seems though there [were] cases [where] they didn't have equipment and didn't have the tests. They only had medicine. See, they had the remedy, like aspirins, and x-laxes, and all that stuff. That's all the doctors that practice had in the olden days. You know, they came out [here] to practice. It seems to me that by practicing they got to be good doctors in surgery, or bandaging, or sewing, or when people skin themself. They prove lots. A lot of them went to school at that time and they've passed certain tests. [2-10] Well, when they pass certain tests to be a doctor, they send them out into the world. Then they have to practice--and practice makes perfect. A lot of practice of anything will make perfect. Without practice, you won't make perfect. You might have the tests, you might have the tests to answer, and all that, but you have to practice. You might have the answer, but you have the practice to prove your answer.

The older people were afraid to go to the hospital because they felt that it was more of a practice. Well, they also believe in [their religion]. They went to Indian doctors because they knew that the Indian doctor will work with them. They felt that the white doctor didn't understand the nature of the Indian. They thought it might be alright for the white people. They weren't all together down on them, but one would tell another, "Well, it doesn't do me any good to go to that doctor." You would find that in many cases, with any nationality, they'll say, "I went to that doctor; he didn't do me any good." Well that ends it right there. He has to go and try it himself. And the doctors have to prove himself right there. You always had privilege years ago. If you didn't like the doctor, you could go to any of the doctors. We had some good doctors in this area--I'll tell you they were good.

[2-11] They weren't all experienced, but they took interest in the Indian. I know they did 'cause they helped [the Indians] along. They had so many different diseases, different cases to take care of in them days. It wasn't a clinic; they had to travel. They worked hard. They travelled through hard snows when they were called. They didn't have much equipment. Now you have to be well equipped. Now they have offices, and they have everything to put you through.

xxx [Later on they even had] shots--m^š-Ki-Kii bah-ĵiš-Kah-wah, "Medicine pick your arm." Zzz

[2-12] You should know your check-ups. You're working with your doctor to keep informed with you.

[Nowadays most people go.] Oh, they can't get enough now in the Cass Lake Hospital. They are always going. Now if they have any ailment, right to the doctor they rush.

Do you know why?

Because[, like] I said[,] they have instruments. They have things to work with. They have stuff to use that eases the pain you have. Now you always think that you should go to a doctor right now, if you can. Not to wait.

Boy, we have good doctors! I always say we have good doctors and very good instruments they work with. Fine, fine doctors. They are specialists, college graduates, you can always count on them for betterment. And that's for all the people far and near. I believe it's a great thing, this university.

Study, and I'll do all I can to help. They don't have to listen to me. They don't have to listen to what I say, but they put people with stories together, then it will sound natural. That's what helps. That would make a point. There's a point there this fellow's got. That's what the meetings for. [2-13] That's what discussion is for. I like discussions. I listen to discussions and it's a big practice. This is the only country that you have free speech; you might as well say you can help one another [with your discussions]. I hope they keep that up. Work together, respect one another, answer one another, ask one another. That's a big thing. Then the world is bright. You're country to live in is bright. Keep it that way. Don't start to tell you have to keep it, you have to do what I ask. In cases you should have to in certain things you have to do things, sure.

Oh, man, yeah. Gees, this is wonderful, that's true in my life; that's just what I believe in. I stand pat right to that same story. I repeat it over and over as I live since that time I broke down.

[2-14] It's a good sense. Sure it's a poison in my teeth, pyorrhea going into my system. Now I got along pretty dang good, I was happy.

Oh yeah. "They told me you had that Spanish nurse, practice doctor, practice nurse, practice doctor and health doctor and all went through college working on you." The Spanish nurse went through college and she's out the field. She said when you get those teeth out you'll be a well man. I didn't believe it, the way I felt. But she said, 'You'll be a well man in six months' time, but don't look for it before six months' time. Well you go through that six months and life begins again with you."

That's how she talked to me. I wish I knew that nurse's name. Boy, I thank her a lot. I listened to her too.

Xxx m/\s-ki-kii-I-kway¿ [is] nurse, [a] medicine woman. Some are midwives like my mother. And some are also for internal injury; they are "one who knew the medicine." zzz

Nurses are great things: they're taught; they have good education; they'll work with patients. I spoke to the nurse; they know how to answer a person. I laid there in bed and she said, "You're going home tomorrow, Paul?"

"Yes, I'm happy about it." I said, "Boy, won't I make up for the lost time when I get home."

She said, "Here, you should think before you say something."

"Why?"

I looked at her.

"That's your trouble," she said. "You're trying to make up too much in your life. [2-15] There's a limit to everything in life. You overworked. You caught cold. You have to take care of yourself."

My eyes just rolled that big. I looked at her, "You went to school, didn't you?"

You couldn't tell her anything. I appreciate that, and I use that word what she said. That helped me a lot. See, that's the way I learned amongst the white people.

"That's your trouble, you don't know the limit. There's a limit to any little thing in life." [That’s what she told me.]

You have to have balance.

[pic]

Woman carrying a pitcher,

possibly nurse working for

Minnesota Health Departments Indian health service.

Photograph Collection ca. 1930

Minnesota Historical Society

Location no. R2.2 p152

Oh, you'd start thinking there.

Such a wonderful nurse, yea! I thanked her and when I was leaving she said, "Mr. Buffalo you have been a wonderful patient. If there were all patients like you have been in that Cass Lake Hospital," she said to me, "then it'll be easy on us. You have been easy with us."

I did everything they asked me to do, and I fill out my orders, [and] take my medicine. Some of that medicine was hard to take too. Some of that tests was hard to go through, but I took it in [a] good natured [way] and was never owly.

Yes, that's what she told me. She walked me to the door. Yeah, "you have to go, you're well."

She took care of me though. She looked after me, she cleaned my table and talked to me. She talked to me about life, history. She was a little older that I was. She was telling me about the law too. She told her troubles too, in her time. [2-16] She raised a family.

Xxx [Later on, when I] had a carbuncle, I went [again] to the Cass Lake Hospital. Dr. Kingston took that out. This was after [I] went to Walker. It was about 1942. [I] felt that all the poison had to come out—and it come out in [of] the carbuncle. Zzz

[2-17a] Well, that's my life. I was sitting listening to her [the Spanish nurse]. Boy, she went to school. She said, "You have to balance yourself anyway you go, wherever you go. You're equal.”

It's a great thing that you want to hear the experience of my life. It's a big history. I appreciate the way I was used. The Great Spirit that I believe in is always with me, thank God, all master.

It is a great thing when you break down and get sick. Then you start to recollect your wrong doings, your mistakes. It gives you time to rest and re-collect your life. When you're downfall like I was, you promise, "I will try to do better, if the Great Spirit would let me up on my feet again." I've tried to do better because he let me up on my feet.

It's a wonderful thing to have an answer like I had. And I think it helps to slow down. It helps to think. It helps to consider there's somebody else living besides you, besides me, besides everybody else. You're not living alone, you're not living on your own power. There's another power with you. If you use it, you'll get through this world ok, but you have to use it right. You have to believe what is given to you. It's yours. Like, you have to stop and feed yourself, you have to stop for lubrication, water, and food. And then you'll live a life. So much balance is good. Each day is equal to you. And you have to think, "I'm not better than anybody else, and no one else is any better than you." It comes right down to that by natural thinking. You're just a life, but you can always think, always think.

When people are called, they're called. There's nobody'll stop you. See that's one think you have to think about. Be ready at all times. There must be a next world. [2-176] That's what everybody thinks that believes in that stuff. There must be something else in reward for what good you do, and reward for what bad you do. [2-18] Life is a great thing. When you're living you have to carry your own. You have to try to keep your health. Work with the doctor, work with the signs. Work with the people who are trying to work for a betterment.

I'm glad to hear a good lecture. I'm glad to hear a good speech. I'm glad to hear people debate. You learn and you listen. I sit there and listen just as if I didn't know anything. I don't know much, but I'm always looking for more to learn, and I can learn a lot. Then the answer is there when you're listening to people who are talking, to people that know something. When you have visitors, use them right. Then sunlight will be given to you.

There's always a better day in your life, figure. If it gets rough, you figure everybody else has a rough time. As to complaints, don't complain; just try to look for a betterment, for better times in life and for better life this world. This world is something to go through. You don’t get tired if you have futures, if you think that you can be able to get out and look for provisions for your own. It's a great thing. It's something that encourages your life. It's strength, it builds you, it builds you up, it makes you want to go and get there. But if you lose face of your own, why, then you won't get anyplace. That's the way I studied. Oh, I got sorrows; I got hard knocks. But I think, "Some of these days it'll get better." Sure enough, it gets better. Sure enough, it's brighter.

Then in your life you'll always try to watch for something that's very clean. You'll try to watch for something with life, for a person that speaks well, a person that's trying to learn. And he'll probably have something that will make you interested in learning more. You never learn too much. You're always learning, all the time as you go. I still learn things by other people. The people you stop for, and look for, and listen to, will learn you something. You figure out to stop. You figure out to go. It's just the same thing with the signs in nature.

[2-19] I live by stop and go signs. I had times that I was alone. I travelled alone, through the timber. In my days I looked around for something to live on: wild game. I got enough to eat, then I went along for another few days. That's the way I live. And what you're interested to do, in the line of your provision, of your life, and living, when you're interested in that line, do it. If it returned, it will return a good, a betterment.

And if one line don't return you any good, try another one. Maybe you'll see something else that's better, something that you fit into. And when you get yourself fit into something that you like to work on, something that you like to make your provision on, it keeps getting better. It makes a betterment for you, and you feel well. You're satisfied after you've travelled, after you've looked forward.

I've seen people in my times try everything. But they're not cut out for that. But they try this and that, they practice on it, and it makes themselves cut out into what is good for them. They feel it.

Then satisfaction sets in. You have to be satisfied as you go along. You have to be satisfied with each project you go on. I might as well say that if you're satisfied with a practice, then you'll enjoy it. Then, why when you get tired of that, that branch of labor or that branch of work, you can try something else.

In my life when I got tired of one thing I said, "Well, I want to try something else." Maybe I could. I could see everybody else making good on one thing, so I'd try it. Well, I go along pretty good for a while. And I'd try it. Then I'd begin to think, well, I'm not cut out for that. Well, then I'd try something else. That's life. That's your privilege. That's one good thing, that nobody tells you what to do. You have to use your own mind, your own judgment. You have to use your mind.

You haven't got much time either, because you go fast through the stages of life. Then again after you pass 40s, 45, 50s, again you begin to slow down. Then you recollect what you did in the past, in your young life. At least I do anyhow. While I recollect I say, "Well, I shoulda done better. I wish I knew at that time when I was younger what I know now. Maybe I'd be advanced a little more than I am. But I don't mean to say that I am advanced, but I sure lived a happy life.

[2-70a] I think it coulda been a better if I'd-a just considered that I'm going to get old someday, if I'd-a considered I'd get to where I'm travelling at the old stage now.

2.0.3. Teeth [16-14]

16A [16-14] I'm talking about what's right and good, what's bad, or what we are scared of. Everybody's scared of bad things.

In my past, in about 1939, I was going too strong and I was forgetting my people; I was forgetting. I was able. All I wanted is work. Work, work, work. And if I could grab a dollar, I'd grab it. I did not use that dollar [right]. I didn't say ‘thank you’ to my body that I'm able to work. So I took sick; I was very, very sick. I took sick. I could not raise my hand to feed myself. /// I was in the hospital institution. We had a health program. They looked over me. They looked over me; X-ray, X-ray, X-ray. They could not find anything.

"What's making me sick?"

So, I know what I was sick about, I know my ailment. I overheard somebody say, "They can not help you."

"They can't?"

"Well," he said, "your body has no nuri-sery; the food don't benefit you."

[16-15] "Yes, I know that from a-way back. I know it don't benefit me. My body don't benefit me because my body warned me."

"How did it warn you?" the doctor said. "We X-rayed you, we blood-tested you, we did everything, but we can see nothing."

"Maybe you don't want to tell me?”

[He looked at me.]

“I'm glad you told me that. So Doc," I said at the Walker Indian Institution, "you took me in here as a TB test. We went over and over it and I'm negative. Why do I stay here. I've been here a long time; three, four months--five, six, seven months and you have given me nothing that'll help me. You test me and I'm negative. I ain't positive. When you say negative, you're all right. I would stay here if something were bothering me. But I think I know I'm sick. So you X-rayed and X-rayed; you had blood tests and blood tests. I'm glad that you doctors looked through me with tests on the instruments that you have. You have the best doctors here; you have a bunch of doctors here that are supposed to be good doctors."

"Yes, yes."

I said, "Doc, will you do something for me?" I said, "If I don't help myself, and if you don't help me, I'm gonna make a request."

"What is it Mr. Buffalo?"

"Can you call a specialist in here? You have some at the University of Minneapolis. Thanks."

I was in Walker at the hospital. He said to me, "In a few days there's going to be a specialist going through this hospital and when he's here I will bring him in."

[16-16] So that specialist went through the patients and read the charts on the patients. There comes that specialist from the University. I kept myself up with certain remedies. I knew that [what] was wrong. If you can't move and are trying to sweat but can't sweat, it's in the blood; my blood is poisoned. The doctor came in and picked the chart up. He said, "This gentleman here sweats. Once in a while he sweats and sweats hard; he's just wringing wet."

"How did he come in?"

"He come in with rheumatism. He couldn't move. But now he's moving a little bit. We put him in hot water."

"Is that good? That helps you?"

"Ya, but I get them chills and sweat. I get an itch in the blood."

"Well, what are you giving him?"

And that nurse said, "Here's the big pink pills that he's getting."

"Uh, ah. Hmm. Did you try that other stuff?"

"No, this is all we give him." He had a plate in his hand. "Mr. Buffalo."

I looked at him.

"Open your mouth."

I opened my mouth. With that instrument he tapped my teeth. That University special doctor that was down there said, "This man is dying from his teeth. They are setting in poison in his system. He has not enough blood to sweat. [16-17] Right now we'll get you a dentist to pull the teeth out. You got some bad ones, but you got some good ones. [But] I suggest you take 'em all out," he said. It'll come back on you if you try to save the few. Take 'em all out."

"Okay."

"That's all you need so that you can run."

"Gee, I feel good right now."

I asked the Lord to have a guy like that, that's working with the Lord, come and save me; I asked Him to bring somebody that [would] tell this institution what's ailing me. That's the way I put it. I asked. [I] ask with a good way. I was not lost, so where's my trouble? They want to show good examples of the hospital. With the Great Master and the University specialist I felt that I'm gonna get well.

Everybody looked.

"I want this man out of this bed. If you can't get the dentist here, send him home and let him go to any dentist he wants."

"Well," I said, "I don't live in town. I live in the country."

"I'll tell that doctor to give you a pass to the Raider brothers at the Cloquet Hospital; they'll get a dentist in there."

"All right."

I went to Cloquet. "Uh, ah, we have no dentist here. You go back. I'll give you a discharge to go back home. But take care of them teeth right away, before it gets too warm in the spring of the year."

I went to the dentist in Cass Lake, I guess Daily was his name. He was a very good dentist, and he pulled four or five teeth every time I went. And that blood was just like it was thick and black. And when I had my last teeth out they told me, "Removed."

[16-18] I took care of them teeth. I took care of my gums. Everything left my body. The sickness left, I'm glad to say, with the University specialists, the great doctors that helped me. That's why I respect them Minnesota University workers. They learned from me lots. Look in my medical book. It proves what I say. Back in 1939, I guess. That was quite a while ago. Them teeth poisoned me.

You know why they poisoned me? I caught cold. I chased cattle through wet meadows, herding them for milk. I was chasing them to bring them in so I could milk 'em. We had six, seven cows. We played the Mississippi River bottoms. I came home and went to bed. Boy, I went to bed. Talk about the fever I got! I took sick after I took a great fever. I caught cold. I had not resistance. I worked too hard. I had to walk in the cold and my clothes were always wet. Finally it caught up to me and I got run down. That was a hard life. But I'm happy. I lived a life, I found my sickness with the doctors.

I thank the Lord though. I know at the time I told him I didn't want to be in the hospital because there were no tests that proved me that I should be in there. But the head doctor wanted to keep me in there. He said, "We'll try to prepare you, but it may be too late to prepare for you for a dentist. I agree with that specialist that you should get the teeth out. But before that time what do you wish for?"

[16-19] I said, "That certain medicine. I want that." And I took that one week straight until I was cleared. My vision kept clear and everything. I felt good. "Now I'm ready to go." One week after that I was ready to go. Finally I left the hospital. It was quite a while ago. My teeth were killing me. And I knew it 'cause I had toothaches [a] long time. It was affecting my brains; it was blowing up headaches in the back of my neck. Earlier I went to a dentist and he said, "Your teeth gotta be removed." But I never removed them, I kept on with them. Finally I got cold, caught cold, and that worked on my bad teeth. I knew when they didn't find anything on me against TB in the "san" that they would find that my teeth was killing me. It takes a lot of hard work by everybody to find those things.

[pic]

Main building from southwest, State Sanatorium near Walker.

Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard (-1924)

Photograph Collection ca. 1920

Location no. MC3.5 p27

Negative no. 6468-B

[pic]

State Sanatorium, Walker

Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard (-1924)

Photograph Collection 5/29/1915

Location no. MC3.5 p17

Negative no. 3620-B

2.0.4. Teeth [37-7]

[37-7] Then I went to the university doctor in the thirties. Something began to react on me. The university doctor asked me, "Did you ever have any trouble?"

"Yes, I did," I said. "I had high blood pressure, blood trouble and everything. ," I said, "I had trouble with my eyes too."

"Uh huh."

[37-8] He opened my mouth, "Yes, you have. Now your trouble has gone to your teeth. It's settling in your teeth. Your teeth are decaying. If you take your teeth out, you'll be a well man." That's what the special doctor told me at that time.

Doctors

95DOCTOR.ADD APPENDED TO WHTEMED.95A

[72-9 [tape] #37, 13.]

[Dr. Hause [or Hause] came about 1906 or 1907. He was jolly, happy. Ya, He married a breed. I don't know [her]! I forgot her name. She was from Cass Lake.

[72-10] [He was a jolly guy.] ... He was a wonderful doctor. He wasn't sick around him at all. He made you laugh. He talked to you. When he was going to doctor you, you had to take the medicine!

Doctors and Missionaries

[37-13] About 1915 some people stopped using these things [Indian Medicine].

They went to the government doctors. We had government doctors about 1915. That's when Dr. House (?) was around. The federal government provided doctors, so the Indians went to the government doctors. Dr. House came, I suppose, about 1910, 1909, in 1906, 1907.

THIS part duplicated from 45CHURCHES The priest came in '08, 1908. [37-14] Father Felix, yea.

[37-16] [Between 1907 and 1910, the government schools, the doctor and the priest came all at the same time.]

Yea, they all came at the same time. And then we had different churches come in a little later on.

From 31hospital adds:

31Hospital.add

[81-8 Paul, what's the Indian word for hospital?

aa-ku-zii-wii-ga-mIg; aa-ku-zii-waa-kai-i-g^n, waa-kai-g^n, aa-ku-zii-waa-kai-g^n, better understanding. waa-kai-i-g^n is a home.

What is aa-ku-zii?

It's sick, where sick people go.

From 91teeth adds

Sauna; teeth

[45-41] I had my teeth out, but before that, all that saved was sauna. It kept purifying me. And the doctor found out, "You're catching cold from your teeth. Your gums are bad. Your teeth are abscessed." That's a main thing for a person. Dentists are very good, ya.

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