The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1924-03 - 1924-04

              the Word Carrier
OF
Santee Normal Training School.
VOLUME  LIU
HELPING THE  RIGHT, EXPOSING THE WRONG
NUMBER. 2
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
March-April, 1924
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAB
A Real Minister
With the passing of our Francis Frazier,
I am inclined to look down the road of oncoming leaders, and analyse why and how it
comes that we have a Francis Frazier, and so
many that are not like him.
In the first place, Francis had Christian
parents, which means home training. This
leads me to reflect that a great responsibility
rests upon our Christian Indian parents to
keep home worship regularly and to see that
the children attend family prayers.
Second, his father studied the Bible and
taught it, and Francis learned from a father
who knew his Bible. I wonder if we would
have more real ministers if Christian Indian
parents used their education to study and
know their Bible, and then taught it to their
children. The children will believe their
father when they wouldn't believe or listen
to the best preachers on earth.
Third, Francis attended church and Sunday teaching of the Bible. I can remember
that at almost all of the church services in the
mission work among the Indians, even at
Ptaya Owoglake, when the children came to
church with their parents they played outside the church while the older folks were in
the service. I don't suppose there are many
Sunday Schools in the Indian churches yet-
Why don't some of the young people who
are good church members and have been away
to school, recognize that they are responsible to see that they have classes to teach the
small children and older children?
Fourth, Francis was one who attended Mission school, a school that makes it as important to know God's way as toknow how to add
two and two, or to milk cows or to be a carpenter or a blacksmith. Surely, with Mission schools, no Christian Indian parents can
refuse, no matter what it costs, to give their
children the best education.
Fifth, Francis kept on studying his Bible
and learning, as long as he lived. This gave
him Cod's power, and he didn't "get tired"
and''give up." He had many thing to discourage him, but he went ahead and was not
afraid or ashamed to stand for what he believed was right.
Sixth, Francis studied much, but he never
got proud or conceited. He said, "I have
not a good education and it's hard to learn,
and it always will hold me back ; but I want
my son to have what I didn't have—I want
him to go to school and study just like white
minister."
Seventh, Francis had the highest honors of
any Christian minister in the Dakota tribe,
and the best pastorate ; but he went out into
the reservation work, where it was hard, and
he saw the need. Many ministers like to go
to big churches in town, and get easy salaries
and honor; but the preacher goes where there
is the greatest need, and like Paul, " endures
hardships for Jesus, sake".
These are some of the things that made me
write at the head of this article, "A Real
Minister;" for he has gone to his reward because God called him and needed him. Let
Christian Indian ministers and helpers and
deacons remember what God could do with
Francis He can do for them and their children. May the memory of Rev. Francis Frazier's life and work help to bring more like
him into the work among the Indian people. R. D. Hall.
Printed  by
The Santee Normal Training School Press,
Santee, Nebraska
The Death of Mrs. Riggs' Father
On the 19th of March Mrs. F. B. Riggs was
called to the death bed of her father in Glen-
wood, Iowa. He died Mar. 2lst and the burial was in the family lot in the cemetery near
the old homestead at Henderson, Iowa. Mr.
W. R. Cooper, Mrs. Riggs' father, was living
in the home of her sister, Mrs. Norman G.
Cook, in Glen wood, Iowa. The death of the
father was particularly sad on aceouut of coming so soon after the death of the sister. The
funeral of Mrs. Riggs' sister, Mrs. Cook, was
from tlie same home in Gleuwood on the eleventh of last November. Now there are left
in the home at Gleuwood only Mr. Norman G.
Cook and the daughter Miss Winifred Cook,
who is teaching in the Glenwood High School.
Mr. W. R. Cooper's father was a Methodist
minister aud he, moved with his family in 1852
from Joliet, 111. and became one of the very
first settlers of Council Buffs, before, there
was any Omaha. This Mr. Cooper was a stone
cutter as well as a preacher. He look a homestead near where the town of Henderson, Iowa
now is and quarried stone on his farm, with
which he laid the foundation of the first
church in Omaha, and he preached the first
sermon in Omaha.
Mr. W. R. Cooper, Mrs. Riggs' father, had
a wonderful war experience. He enlisted in
the 15th Iowa in 1861. He was severely
wounded in the battle of Shilo. He was captured aud confined for three awful months in
Andersonville prison. He was fortunate in
being oue of Sherman's thousand soldiers who
were exchanged and then he was in Sherman's
army on its famous march to the sea.
One of Mr. Cooper's comrades, who is now
a lawyer in Gleuwood writes the following:
"Watson Cooper was the soul of cheerfulness.
He laughed at the grumbler, shamed the shirker, cheered and encouraged the unhappy and
desDondeut, and helped the helpless. No soldier was ever more devoted to his duty. He
was obedient, selfreliant, intelligent anil brave.
Many ins'.ances could be cited of his intrepid
conduct during his long service in inarches,
skirmishes, sieges and battles. We had no
hospitals except crude teuts erected in camp
or field. We had no army-nurses. The com
rades took care of oue another. The service
was unskilful and crude, but it was sincere,
devoted, and as effective as possible under the
circumstances. Watson Cooper's sympathy
with his sick or wounded comrades was boundless aud his assistance to them unlimited."
The Death of General Pratt
The founder, and for a long time superintendent of the famous Carlisle Indian School,
died at Sau Francisco March 15.
"During the Revolutionary War a number
of Hessian prisoners were brought to Carlisle,
following the battle ot Treutou, and incarcerated under military surveillance. While held
as prisoners, they erected a large, stone guardhouse, of unique construction, which is still
standing at the south entrance ro the grounds.
It is oue of the historical buildings in that part
of the state.
"In July, 1863, when the Southern army invaded Northern territory, and hostilities culminated in the battle of Gettysburg, Carlisle
was shelled and the build ngs of the posl were
burred.    These were rebuilt in 186;").
"In 1879, General Pratt went to Washington
and suggested to Mr. Scliurz, then Secretary
j of the Interior, that the Carlisle Barracks,
i then unoccupied, be turned over to the Interi-
'• or Department, temporarily, for use as an experimental Indian School, which was ratified
1 by Act of Congress, July 111, 1882.
"Out of this, the personal interest of a young
army officer in the Indian, grew our   present
j system of Indian schools ; which will stand for
I years a liviug monument to this man who loved
I his fellow man.
"It is only as one visits differeut schools aud
i reservations aud meets former students that
the value of the training received at these institutions is recognized. What this and the
other industrial training schools which were
established later on have meant to the Indian
race few realize. Truly the ludian race owes
a great debt to this friend who recognized
their needs and worked out plans to meet
them."—The Indian School Journal
Paul Bald Eagle (a full blood Sioux) graduated from Princeton last month. While a
student at Mt. Hermon, Mr. Bald Eagle earned a Rodman Wanamaker scholarship that
enabled him to prepare at Mereersburg Academy aud then to euter Princeton for a four
years' course —Indian Truth. While at Carlisle Paul was a leader in the Y. M. C. A.
work.—Y. M. 0. A. Bulletin.
Indian Girl Winner
The
Captain Long Lance
leading article in  'The Mentor" for
Her Original Oration Takes First Honors.
Rapid City, S. D., Nettie Goings, Indian
student at Rapid City high school, won first
place at the original oration contest held here,
the title of her oration being "An Indian's
Plea for Equal Rights."
She reviewed the history of the Indians,
pleading for the same kind of justice embodied in the constitution carried on by Washing and Lincoln, in the nation's relations
with her people, and pointed out where they
had been judged unjustly. Miss Goings will
represent Rapid City high school in the district contest.—Sioux City Journal.
March 1924 is written by Long Lance on
"Indians of the Northwest and West Canada.
It is splendidly illustrated from photographs
taken by the author.
Long Lance is a full-blood Indian of the
Blood tribe of Alberta, Canada. In 1912, he
graduated with honors from Carlisle winning
at the same time distinction as an all-around
athlete. After a year at Dickenson College'
he attended St. John's Military Academy.
Manlins, New York, and graduated with honors from that institution in 1915. President
Wilson then appointed him to West Point,
but he relinquished this opportunity to enter
the war. He enlisted in the Canadian Army
in 1916, was wounded twice, decorated and
commissioned, and concluded his army career
in 1919 as a captain. Following his discharge
from the army, lie entered the field of journalism, and contributed articles and special
features to a number of Canadian papers.
During the last two years, he has been traveling over tho Northwest and the far North,
gathering material for a history of the Indians of that vast territory.
Captain Long Lance is only about thirty
years old. In answering a question concerning his early life, Long Lance says:
"My younger days were spent much the
same as any other Indian kid's. I went to
Carlisle with my hair long, and wearing a
buckskin shirt under my coat. I left there
a trim young fellow. Carlisle solely is responsible for everything I have made of myself, ?nch as that is. The sympathetic treatment of the instructors there early instilled
in :r.e a liking for the white man. Those
big-hearted men and women who spent
most of their lives in Indian work, accomplished wonderful things."