Letters from the Rocky Mountain Indian Missions: Father Philip Rappagliosi (review)

The worth of this volume is best appreciated when the terms in the title are defined. The "letters" are thirty-three in number. The "Rocky Mountain Indian Missions" are Saint Mary's Mission in the Montana Bitterroots during portions of 1874; Saint Ignatius Mission in the Mission Valley in Montana's Lower Flathead River Valley in 1875; and Saint Peter's Mission for the Blackfeet from 1875 to 1878. The Indians in the title refer to the Salish Flatheads, Coeur d'Alenes, Kootenai, Upper Pend d'Oreilles, and Blackfeet, but also include the Canadian Métis, a mixed-blood group on the Northern Plains. The author of the letters is Philip Rappagliosi, S.J. (1841-1878), an Italian Jesuit missionary.

Overseeing the first-time translation of Rappagliosi's words and ushering them into print is Robert Bigart, librarian emeritus at Salish Kootenai College in Montana. All but three of the letters were translated from Memorie del P. Filippo Rappagliosi, D.C.D.G., missionario apostolico nelle Montagne Rocciose (Rome, 1879). That Bigart was able to locate a copy of the book, plus the other two sources for the three odd letters, is a tribute to his skill as a librarian. That Bigart could write such an authoritative, structured, and informative introduction to this book is a tribute to his ability as an editor. There is no formal bibliography, but the sources Bigart consulted can be surmised by reading the "Abbreviations" and the "Notes" at the rear of the book. Also of importance is "Appendix C: Biographical Glossary," which provides thumbnail sketches of forty individuals, all but five of which contain footnoted references for further reading. Excellent.

There are limitations. While Bigart did an outstanding job of presenting the reflections of Rappagliosi, the priest's remarks are not universally noteworthy. The letters are mostly addressed to "Dearest Parents and relatives" and not to Jesuit confreres or superiors. Therefore, there are few evaluative comments, few insights to be gained about the tribes and their structure. And this was a critical time for the Rocky Mountain tribes as the numbers of whites among them increased and the numbers of buffalo decreased. Sometimes the notations offered about tribal customs, beliefs, and superstitions have value, but essentially the yield from Rappagliosi's observations is limited to a greater understanding of the work performed by nineteenth-century missionaries and their living conditions. In addition, though Bigart offers "Appendix B: Questions Surrounding Rappagliosi's Death," the analysis of the relationship between Rappagliosi and former Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest Jean Genin, a shadowy figure living among the Métis, leaves many questions.

Nineteenth-century Catholic missionaries in the Mountain West have been the recipient of some harsh criticism from educators, tribesmen, and authors. Bigart is doing his part to refocus our attention on the large body of work performed by these dedicated men. Congratulations are in order. With the additional wish that he—and others—continue the work.