The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1926-09 - 1926-10

              The Word Carrier
OF
Santee Normal Training School.
VOLUME   LV
HELPING THE  RIGHT, EXPOSING THE WRONG
NUMBER 5
SANTEE, NEBRASKA-
Sept.-Oct, 1926
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
Our   Platform
For Indians we want American Education! We
want American Homes! We want American Rights!
The result of which is American Citizenship! And the
Gospel is the Power of God for their Salvation!
From North Carolina to Santee
Our speedometer recorded 1714 miles travelled on our journey from the green-clad
mountains of North Carolina to the plains
of Dakota and Nebraska. But these figures in no way reveal the sights and scenes
which met our eyes, nor the experiences
through which wc passed along the way.
In planning this trip our aim was to take
as different a route as possible from that
which we took on our way to North Carolina
two years ago. So as soon as we had travelled
the thirteen miles which brought us to the
Tennessee line and had crossed a corner of
that state, we took a northeasterly route
through Virginia from Bristol to Martins-
burg; then westerly through Maryland, a
corner each of Pennsylvania and West Virginia; then across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Iowa; then a few miles in South Dakota on
to Santee, Nebraska, touching some twelve
states in all on the way.
The most interesting part of our journey
was through the beautiful and historic Shenandoah Vulley. This valley, because of its
natural beauty, was named by the Indians
Shenandoah—Daughter of the Stars. It lies
in the Northwestern part of Virginia between
the Blue Ridge on the east and the Alleghe-
nies on the west. 'Ibis famous Valley, the
frontier of the colonies, experienced the
horrors of Indian massacres; as the battle
ground of the French and Indian was; as the
point from which Daniel Morgan conducted
operations aganist the British in the Revolution; and later as the scene of Stonewall
Jackson's Valley campaign and of Sheridan's
ride, will ever be a region of interest to
Amercians.
The occupation of the people of this valley
is mainly agriculture, cattle raising and fruit
growing being the chief forms of industry
which meet the eye of the traveller. Large
droves of fine cattle dot the hillsides and extensive apple orchards are numerous. ''The
apples hanging red and glowing on the boughs
or lying in heaps at the foot of the trees"
present a pleasing picture to the eye.
Here, too, we saw many beautiful old
Colonial mansions surrounded b.y well-kept
grounds; and here we met with some real
Southern hospitality as wc have occasion to
remember from camping in a farm yard where
we pitched our tent under a spreading apple
tree and were lulled to rest by the patter of
leaves and fruit as they fell on our tent in
the night.
We spent our first Sunday in a quiet wayside tourist camp near Winchester, Virginia,
where Washington established his headquarters during the French and Indian war.
Here, also, Stonewall Jackson defeated General Banks and Sheridan maintained his headquarters.
We passed through Lexington and viewed
the graves of Stonewall Jackson and Robert
E. Lee; and through Staunton, the birth place
of Woodrow Wilson. All along the journey
are scenes of historic interest and almost continually is the traveller facing some battle-
' field of vvar.
Nor are the interesting features of this
valley all confined to the outer world. Under
the mountains are numerous caves, one we
visited is known as the "Endless Caverns,"
because no end has yet been found,. These
are' situated   under  a mountain   which  at a
Any Norn in Your Attic?
We are trying to have a band at Santee but
lack instruments. Our Indian Students do
well in music. Do you happen to have a horn
to spare or any instrument that can be used
in a band. We are happy to announce that
we are to share with Niobrara High School
an expert band master trained in Yanktpn
College. F. B. Riggs.
distance resembles a couchant lion, and in
years past it was a shrine to the Indians who
made visits to it. This cave was discovered
in 1879 by two boys who were chasing a j
rabbit. The rabbit disappeared under a heap I
of rocks, which, when removed revealed a
shaft opening into the hillside. Explorations
followed and the cave was discovered. It is
now open to the public and being artistically
illuminated by electric lights is a never ending source of interest and charm, as one
travels from chamber to chamber vieving the
wonderful works which nature has wrought
during the ages in this underground world.
As to our experiences during our two years
in the mountains of North Carolina, we can
only say that like experiences elsewhere they
were a mingling of pain and pleasure, grief
and joy, disappointment and satisfaction.
There, as elsewhere, amidst the changes of
time, are to be found the world old and world
wide sins and sorrows of the human race; and
there, as elsewhere, is the crying need the
same : "A never changing Christ for an ever
changing world."
(Mas. J.) Una V. ^Yright.
Dakota Association Meeting
Our Congregational Manual, about to be
printed in the Dakota language, was discussed, and ten men were licensed to preach: Ben
Brave Sr., Thomas Blueeyes, James Herman,
John T. Crow, Dennis Gilbert, Benedict
Blackhoop, Leo Kutepi, Garfield Driver,
Charles F. Bear, Lot Frazier, Guy Buffalo.
Dakota Native Missionary Society
Dr. T. L. Riggs, Rev. Eli Jones, and Mr.
Oscar Goodboy are the directors, the latter
elected at this meeting. The society voted to
have a native missionary stationed at Thunder Butte, a'nd to give $300 toward the church
building at Cutmeat.
Progressive Indians
Los Angeles has an Indian population of
over one thousand, representing many tribes
who are engaged in various occupations. In
1921 there was formed and incorporated "The
American Indian Progressive Association."
The purpose of the organization is to encourage its members to "make good" and show
to the world that the Indian is capable of
standing upon his own feet.—Indian Truth.
Bishop Would Change
Indian Policy
Bishop Hugh L. Burleson, of the Episcopal
diocese of South Dakota, feels that the time
has come when there should be a radical
change in the policy of the United States government toward its Indian wards. Bishop
Burleson says that the Indians should be assimilated and that their reservations, which
are a source of political corruption, should
be abolished'. He feels that the ultimate result of such a change of policy would be
of benefit to all'concerned.—The Christian
Century.
Mission Meeting
Our annual conference of representatives from all our Dakota (or Sioux) Indian
churches, Congregational and Presbyterian,
met at Little Eagle, on the Grand River, ten
miles south of McLaughlin, So. Dak., Sept.
1—5. This annual gathering is called Mission Meeting. The Indians name it Ptaya
Owohdake, which means a general gathering
for conference. Rev. Jesse P. Williamson
wrote, in our Word Carrier, a very interesting article about this meeting under the title
a Modern Feast of Tabernacles. Somewhat of
the significance of this meeting may be guessed from the title of Mr. Williamson's article.
The meeting place this year was on ground
long ago consecrated by the brave and self-
sacrificing missionary service of Miss Mary
C. Collins. Little Eagle was Miss Collins'
mission station. Her mission house is now
very old. It has been unoccupied during
recent years but has just now been repaired
so that it served as headquarters for the missionaries during this meeting.
There were over a 1000 Indians in attendance. Rain came in torrents just ahead of
the meeting and continued nearly all the
time. The camp, tho well chosen, became a
swamp. But Indians are very patient with
such trying conditions.
The missionaries at this meeting were Dr.
& Mrs. T. L. Riggs, from Oahe; Rev. Jesse
P. Williamson, general superintendent of
Presbyterian missions among the Dakota
Indians; Dr. and Mrs. G. W. Reed; missionary superintendent on the Standing Rock
Reservation; Rev. and Mrs. Rudolf Hertz,
general superintendent of Congregational Indian Missions; Miss Dorothy Stevenson, Y.
W. C. A. traveling secretary; Principal F.
B. Riggs from Santee Normal Training
School. We were very much pleased to have
as visitors Rev. and Mrs. Fred Smith who
are home missionaries at Isabel, So. Dak.
They sing together very nicely and were a
great help to us in that way in many of the
meetings. Another of our visitors was Miss
Irene Spencer, graduate from Doane College
last year, who has been home missionary
preacher at Trail City this summer, and is
now on her way to join the faculty of Ward
Academy. Miss Spencer preached the sermon
in our English service, Sunday afternoon very
acceptably. Synodical Missionary Rev. J. A.
Johnston made a hurried visit to our meeting
Sunday afternoon and also preached to us.
We very much missed our missionary from
Pine Ridge, Rev. A. F. Johnson, who was detained at home by ill health.
Some of the topics the Indians discussed
in the conference were: What are the advantages of the pastoral relationship? By what
means do men become trustworthy? What
can the church do to busy the young people
in church work? What kind of men make
the best missionaries? How may the Iapi Oaye (our mission news paper in the Sioux language) be more influential and more generally circulated? Should a minister take the
lead in tribal (public) affairs? Is an unchanged mind a virtue? What shall be done
with church members who do not pay their
dues? What may be thought of large Indian
meetings? Who is responsible when the
pastor's salary is not paid?
There were three invitations for the meeting next year: Upaija Wakpa (Mud River,
Montana ), Canpa Wakpa (Cherry Creek,
Cheyenne Reservation), Kangi Paha (Crow
Hill, near Devil's Lake, So. Dak.) The
iast place won out on the third ballot. The
chairmen elected for the next meeting are
Rev. Rudolf Hertz and Mr. Claude Reddoor.