This, Too, Is Apacheland

On the reservation, Francis Uplegger located at Rice, later re-named San Carlos, where a government boarding school had around three hundred Indian children. For the first year and a half he lived in a rented Indian shanty, then moved to a small frame house while the Grace Lutheran Church and parsonage were being built in 1921. He was a practical man and a good carpenter, able to make most of his own repairs. He was eager to have a special picture for the new church but would not ask that mission funds be spent for it. With his talented hands he produced the large oil painting of The Lord's Blessing that still hangs over the altar.

In those early days, missionaries endured personal hardships in a primitive country. They had a serious language barrier and had to compete with the Medicine Men who controlled the spiritual life of the Indians. Despite these obstacles, work went on from day to day and camp to camp. The simple formula of "reflecting the love of Christ" to them in frequent contact, understanding, patience, sincerity and kindness was successful in winning converts.

Back in the 1920s and 30s when so many were ill and dying of tuberculosis, he tirelessly ministered to these sick. He shared their sorrows and brought the message of hope for all believers. The Apaches quickly recognized his sincerity, unselfishness and integrity. Their name for missionary is Iv-Nashovd which is translated as Shirt Trailing to the Ground. But they affectionately and respectfully called Francis Uplegger Iv Nashovd Hastibn-The Old Gentleman Missionary.

In those days few Indians spoke English and it was imperative that missionaries learn Apache. Able to speak fluent German, English and Norwegian, and with a working or reading knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, Latin and French, Francis Uplegger put his linguistic ability to work not only to understand and speak Apache but to write it.

He studied and worked with interpreters but there was no Apache who understood the grammar or syntax to explain the workings of the Apache language. The Smithsonian Institution previously had recorded Apache texts which had been phonetically transcribed. Dr. Uplegger read and re-read copies of these. He noted certain syllables were repeated time and again after the root word.

After he caught on he could form new words the Apaches had never heard before but which they readily understood since the words were built in the correct manner. This knowledge was particularly valuable to the missionary to interpret the words and teachings of the Bible. And it was valuable to the interpreters who called on him to devise new words to represent the modern things in their changing world.

Once the language was mastered he preached fluently in the Apache tongue and filled many loose-leaf notebooks with sermons which are still used by new missionaries in language study meetings before they are proficient in the language.

Dr. Uplegger wrote and set to music twenty-five gospel hymns in Apache and English and put these in a booklet called Red Man and White Man in Harmony. He translated into Apache most of Luther's Catechism, parts of the Lutheran Church Worship Liturgy, the Creed, Lord's Prayer, words used in the Sacraments, Baptism and Burial Services, along with chapters from the Scriptures.

In four hand-written volumes, he compiled the only complete Apache dictionary. The original is now in the Huntington Library. He became recognized and accepted, even by the Apaches, as the greatest authority on their language.

When the Tribe decided to adopt a constitutional form of government, leaders asked the Old Gentleman Missionary to help them. Nem. Sitting on the lawn, under shade trees he had planted around the church, he spent many hours advising them and patiently explaining the meaning of the English words and legal phrases, and fitting the words to their particular requirements to qualify as a Federal Corporation. He acted as secretary and did the writing for them. So perfect was the final draft that it was accepted by the Department of the Interior and has served since then as a working model for other