Old Missoula

Michel Revais – Brilliant Indian interpreter

 

Michel Revais Life Ends After Many Useful Years

Blind Indian Interpreter Dies on Flathead Reservation at Advanced Age of Eighty.

Career of Old Linguist Is One of Honor, He Having Been Noted for Trustworthiness and Intelligence – A Friend of Chief Charlot.

Arlee, Jan. 14 – (Special.) – Michel Revais, official interpreter at the Flathead agency for the past 34 years, died last night, at the age of 80. His funeral will be held Monday at the agency. Michel Revais was appointed by Major Peter Ronan in 1877 and had served in many important trials and conferences. He had been blind for many years.

There are many in Missoula and many more in western Montana who will hear with the deepest regret that Michel Revais is dead. Honest, faithful, uncomplaining, deeply religious, the old Indian had hundreds of friends among the white people. He was trusted implicitly in matters of the greatest importance. High officials of the United States government accepted his unsupported statement as the unquestioned truth. Since 1877 he has served in western Montana, principally on the territory that was the Flathead Indian reservation until little less than a year ago. During that time he suffered much, yet he never protested against fate. His children died in their infancy; he was blind and could not walk alone; his wife, a fullblood, died. That was two years ago. She was his devoted attendant during all the years of his blindness, for Michel Ravais saw little of the world during the 34 years of his career on the reservation. Her death hastened his, it is said. Still, despite his tribulations, he maintained his faith in God; a cheerful unfortunate, he was loved by Indians and whites alike. “In all the years I knew him, I never heard him utter a complaint about his blindness,” said Mrs. Mary Ronan, widow of Major Ronan, last evening. “He was deeply religious and resigned.”

Mrs. Ronan knew Michel Revai as no one else now in Missoula, for it was her husband who named the old Indian as official interpreter. This was in 1877, when Revais was in middle age and just before he became blind. Last evening she told something of him and his life.

“He was born in Oregon, I think. He was of mixed blood, French and Indian, and had a very fair education, secured, I suppose, in the Indian schools of that part of the country. He spoke several languages; English and French well, and Spanish, besides several Indian tongues. He was one of the best interpreters that ever existed and his honesty was not to be questioned. I believe that much of the trouble that government treaties with the Indians have invoked came about through poor interpretation. Revais was unusually reliable and intelligent.

To Washington.

“He was employed by my husband in 1877. Then he was not totally blind. In 1881, with my husband and Chief Charlot, he accompanied the delegation of Flatheads that went to Washington to see the ‘Great Father.’ Michel served as interpreter, and, after the deliberations, an operation on his eyes was performed at the expense of the government. He had been blind too long, however; the operation did no good. He also served as interpreter – part of the time – when General Carrington came to the Bitter Root to treat with the non-reservation Flatheads in regard to their moving to the reservation. There were disputes after this treaty was signed, but all of these were based on action taken during the times Michel was absent, for he was called back to the agency on several occasions on official business.

“He was frequently in the court here in Missoula when Indian cases were being tried. In 1890, when Missoula county executed four Indians for murdering white men, Michel was interpreter at the trials. He would not stay to see the guilty ones hanged, but, after bidding them good bye, returned to the reservation.

“His children, of whom there were several, all died in infancy – all but a son and daughter. This daughter, a lovely Indian girl, lived until she reached the age of 16. She was the last of Michel’s children to die, leaving him and his wife alone. His wife was a fullblood Indian and could speak no English. She was devoted to him and spent most of her time in leading him about, for Michel was one of those blind people who cannot learn to walk alone.

“He had a good voice and led the choir at the agency for many years. He knew Latin well and could give countless hymns and masses and responses by heart.”

Charlot’s Friend.

Michel Revais was the trusted friend of the late Chief Charlot of the Flatheads. His record was remarkable and in line with his accomplishments. He served as official interpreter on the reservation during the terms of the following Indian agents: Major Peter Ronan, 16 years; Major Joseph T. Carter, Major W. H. Smead, Major Samuel Bellew and Major Fred Morgan, who is now in office. Little is known of his earlier life. His mother is supposed to have been a Pend d’Oreille Indian.

 

The above article appeared in The Sunday Missoulian on January 15, 1911.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349165350/?terms=%22revais%22

 

Aged Indian On Early Days

Michel Revais, 77 Years Old, Tells of Meeting President Garfield.

The First Missionary

Father McCready[1] First to Come to the Bitter Root Among the Indians, Says Revais – At Age of Fourteen Went to School in Oregon Later Returning to What Is Now Montana.

One of the interesting figures at the trial of J. B. Finley, now in progress at the federal court, is Michael Revais, a Pend d’Oreille fullblood, 77 years old, who has lived on the Flathead reservation nearly 60 years. He is stone blind. Unlike most of the old-time Indians, who are surly and bitter, Revais is unusually sociable and talks willingly of early days on the reservation. Despite his advanced years Revais is as bright and keen as a young buck and has a retentive memory for everything except dates. With particular pride he tells of meeting President Garfield.

“When I was 14 years old I was taken from Montana to Oregon and put in the priest’s school,” said Revais, when asked how long he had been on the reservation. “Oregon is no good; too much rain and I come back to Bitter Root; no Montana then.

The First Missionary.

“Father McCready was the first missionary among the Indians in the Bitter Root valley. He remained six years and then went to Oregon. All the Indians liked him.”

Asked about President Garfield, Revais said he couldn’t remember the exact date he visited the agency.

“Long time back, maybe 20 year,” he said. “President Garfield and big party come out to see Indian. He come to agency and made big stop. All the Indians come in to see the Great Father, and he made a speech to them. I talk with Garfield. Garfield saw Chief Arlee that time and the chief say he come to Bitter Root. He came with fifteen, twenty men.”

A “Good Indian.”

Revais was always known as a “good Indian,” and was a friend of the whites, although he never associated with them. He is acting as interpreter for the government at the trial, and uses comparatively good English.

He is accompanied by his wife, who looks considerable younger. She sat by his side in the court room yesterday and guided him in and out of the court room.

While talking, Revais turned his lusterless eyes full upon the listener, but the optic nerves were killed long ago and he can see nothing. He is considered a store house of information concerning the migrations and vicissitudes of the federated tribes composing the Flathead nations.

 

The above article appeared in The Independent-Record (Helena Montana) on January 19, 1907

https://www.newspapers.com/image/525551620/?terms=%22revais%22%2Binterpreter

 

Further information regarding Michel Revais can be found in the ‘Chief Alexander’ document, compiled by researcher Chalk Courchane – linked below:

http://www.oregonpioneers.com/bios/ChiefAlexander_1810.pdf