The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1928-09 - 1928-10

              The Word Carrier
OF
SANTEE NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL.
VOLUME   LVII
HELPING THE   RIGHT, EXPOSING THE WRONG
NUMBER 5
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
Sept.-Oct., 1928
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
Our   Platform
For Indians we want American Education! We
want American Homes! We want American
Rights! Tlie result of which is American Citizenship! And the Gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation!
Religious Work with Indians
The future of the American Indian will be
determined largely by contributions of schools
to the Indian youth of today. While only
one-third of the 349,876 Indians are minors,
this one-third will shape the destiny of the
race as a whole. Tbe aspirations, conceptions,
and outlooks which rise in the .minds of the
youth of today, will modify both their own
course and that which they encourage for
their offspring.
The total number of Indian pupils in all |
schools June 30, 1926, was 69,892. Of this '
number 37,730 were in public schools. The
remainder were cared for by government
and church institutions. The government in
its 208 schools provides for 26,659 students.
The churches through their 86 mission schools
care for 6,895. It is readily seen that of the
children not in the public schools, the government reaches the greater number.
It is unfortunate   that so   few people can
come into contact with these student bodies. I
Only a dull soul would be unmoved by the
sight of these young people in their assemblies-    The Indian of the past is not there, j
The picturesque elements are lacking.   Youth
with minds awakening and powers enlarged, j
is mutely demanding its inherent right to opportunity and encouragement.    These groups
of Indian boys and girls stir one's soul with j
an impelling desire to help open the way and
remove the many obstacles which are sure to
confront them in their endeavors to  make a
place for themselves.
Just, here is the opportunity of religious
workers in connection with these schools.
Tbe government and the school officials are
disposed generally to encourage the efforts of
churches to minister to the students. These
boys and girls need just what religion has to
offer them. When school days are over and
they are confronted by racial discrimination
and economic exploitation from without and
discouragement from within, the patience
and fortitude which only a wholesome religious faith and experience can provide will
enable them to keep up heart. It will also
be the Christian spirit which will make for a
more sympathetic understanding of the problems which must be met.
The Home Missions Council and Council of
Women for Home Missions are supporting six
religious workers who serve eight schools..
These are all non-reservation boarding
schools. The pupils are separated from their
homes during the school year and often for
the entire time. The training includes arts
and trades as well as ordinary academic
courses.—Report of Home Missions Council.
Santee Alumni Association
The general officers elected at the Mission
Meeting for tlie coming year are: Rev. Amos
Oneroad, President; Mr. John Wood, Secretary; Mr. David Simmons, Treasurer.
Federal Expenditures for Indians
Ever since the beginning of our Republic
our Government has spent something for the
American Indian. In 1791, the Government
spent twenty-seven thousand dollars, begin-
ing in 1832 the amount appropriated for the
first time exceeded one million dollars, and in
1926 the large sum of forty-eight million
dollars was reached. Rudolf Hertz.
From Fort Berthold
Through the vote of my church, I was delegated to help at Fall Meeting at Fort Berth-
old which is our Fort Berthold "Ptaya Owohdake." I really feel this was a unique way of
giving for Christ's cause. Thischurch atWah-
peton, No. Dak. pays its apportionment each
year but they gave their pastors time for a
week in this busy season of the year also. I
never felt so much what it means to go as
Christ asks since I went with my church's
prayers and blessings.
The first "Institute" at the famous site of
tho Nuita Church was a great success. The
school people and the native workers and the
local community are certainly to be congratulated for their work, especially Chas. Huber,
Little Owl, Sitting Crow and Supt. H. W.
Case.
The three clays were crowded full of good
things and all felt they had been blessed.
Many visitors came from other churches and
places and all took their part on the program
and all said "It's good to have been here."
The communion service and service Sunday
were especially effective in "the renewal of
the spirit in bonds of peace." Christ was
certainly present. The native leaders were
all present, and inspired us all with their
words. Rev. Goodbird led in the Communion service assisted by deacons Little Owl
and Enemy, and the native preachers
Lawrence H. Wolf and Robert Lincoln.
Goodbird spoke on the text "My son, keep
my words" and showed us how ineffectual the
work is unless put into life, into the heart-
He spoke of how we are judged b.y our acts
and how important it is to give the right
interpretation of Christ in our life.
Robert Lincoln emphasized repeatedly the
need for self-contol as the criterion by which
we can measure a man's Christianity. A self-
controlled man is not easily diverted from
the right. A lack of control of self makes us
easy victims.of evil.
Sitting Crow spoke of his old idea and how
now for 33 years he and his wife had tried to
follow Christ,—how many about us are evidence of reality of God's renovating power
and His reality. He said we used to live for
ourselves much but now we try to help each
other stand strong for right.
Little Owl spoke of the marked evidence we
have as we compare the past and the present.
How he was one of the leaders in old ways
right on this spot years ago and now they
have a church here and he is trying to be a
good follower and officer and glad to do
God's work.
Alex Sage commenting on the mottoes oh the
programs said:, "Together for 52 years"—
yes, we remember some of us old folks how
we were not together. We would come to
a hill or wood and look this and that way
for enemies, but now we go anywhere and live
and work in peace and have no fear and we
have come to this thru 52 years of trying to
follow Christ, and now we are all going forward another 52 years "United in His love
forever". That is why we are living and
working without fear and accomplishing
things because we have been united in His
love, and now we will go on united in His
love.
This love we all are getting into our hearts
has dissolved all the old ways and now we
need the flower of God's love in our hearts to
move on to much better things.
I would write more about what other In -
dians said if space would permit, I have com e
back to report to my church that God is moving forward and His love is conquering all.
R. D. Hall
First Congregational Church,
Wahpeton, N. D.
Extracts from the Problem of Indian
Administration
Report of a Survey made at the request of Honorabla
Hubert Work, Secretaiy of the Interior, and
submitted to him February 21, 1928
By Meriam and Associates
CHAPTER XIV
Missionary Activities Among the Indians
A Program of Cooperation:
 the outstanding need cooperation.
Missions and the Government:
 religon is tbe mainspring of the whole
life and conduct. Canon George RaWlinson
says, "The most important element in the
thought of a people, the chief influence by
which their character is formed and their inner and even their outer life determined, is
their religion."     missionary activities
 by  far the largest and most  important,
privately supported humanitarian effort made
by the white race in behalf of tbe Indians.
The Government and the Denominations
 the tribute of James Mooney, long connected with the Smithsonian Institution, who
was "never considered to be a great friend of
missionary work." In the four centuries ef
American history there is no more inspiring
chapter of heroism, self- sacrifice, and devotion to high ideals than that offered by the
Indian missions. Some of the missionaries
were of noble blood and had renounced titles
and estates to engage in the work; most of
them were of finished scholarship and refined
habit, and nearly all were of such exceptional
ability as to have commanded attention in any
community and to have possessed themselves
of wealth and reputation, had they so chosen;
yet they deliberately faced poverty and suf-
! ferings, exile and oblivion, ingratitude, torture, and death itself in the hope that some
portion of a darkened world might be made
better through their effort."
Results of Missionary Efforts
 "missionary activities are dominated by
a high spirit of service, sacrifice, and devotion.
The government can learn a great deal from
the pioneer educational work in character development   carried on at the Santee Normal
Training School, at Santte, Nebraska	
the spirit of the missionaries and the isolated
instances of excellent work are the outstanding bright spots in a situation which is otherwise somewhat depressing."
The contribution of the Mission Schools
"The finest work of the missionaries has unquestionably been in the establishment of mis-
son schools for Indian children.
Mission schools at present may be justified
on at least four grounds: (1) as agencies to do
pioneer work not so likely to be done by public or government schools, (2) as supplementing existing facilities, (3) as furnishing
school facilities under denominational auspices
for those who prefer this kind of education,
and (1) as training for leadership, especially
religious leadership, of the Indian people.
The nation and the states are not now justifi
ed, however, in leaving upon missionary organizations the burden of supporting such
mission schools as have been established
primarily because of the lack of publicly
supported schools. For the nation, as a nation, to let weak little denominational schools
bear the burden of- elementary schooling
seems inexcusable.
 the community shall hold these schools
to certain minimum standards.
 denominations   sponsoring   mission
enterprises should appreciate the necessity
for restricting their effort to work that can
be adequately supported and for which high
standards of personnel can be maintained.
If the schools alone were considered without
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