A Missionary, a Forged Petition, and the Fight Over a Puyallup Church
Rev. M. G. Mann was suspended for slander after questioning a document that put a new missionary in charge of Native church affairs at the Puyallup Reservation. He appealed to the Presbyterian synod, and the case became a local cause of comment.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Vancouver, Wash., Sept. 17.—On September 4 the suspension of Rev. M. G. Mann will be taken up by the Presbyterian synod at Vancouver, Wash. Mr. Mann used to be in charge of the Indian church affairs at the Puyallup Reservation, and was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Parment. It was subsequently reported to Mr. Mann that the application of the Indians for Mr. Parment to take charge was a forgery, and thereupon Mr. Mann conferred with the missionary committee in charge of Indian affairs. He was charged with slandering Mr. Parment and was suspended for six months. He appealed to the synod and has prepared his appeal. The affair has created much comment.
“It was subsequently reported to Mr. Mann that the application of the Indians for Mr. Parment to take charge was a forgery.”
This was a fight over who spoke for an Indigenous congregation, conducted through petitions, committees and church courts. The question of whether a document truly represented a community’s voice—and who had the power to authenticate it—still shapes institutional records and tribal sovereignty fights today.
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