The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1929-05 - 1929-06

              the word Carrier
OF
SANTEE NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL.
VOLUME   LVIII
HELPING THE   RIGHT, EXPOSING THE WRONG
NUMBER 3
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
May-June, 1929
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 !
How the Fox Got the Crow
Here is a very cute description of an Indian wedding, representing it very much as it most often
is.—Editor.
Fifty years ago the Rees and the Mandans
were living in separate parts of the same
village. They had gathered about the fur
trading post at old Fort Berthold for protection from the Sioux. They were of different stock and different language. Each tribe
had its own social customs and religious rites.
Strong as social and religious fences may
be, they are not quite proof against the
attractions of sex. Women too have their price
at well as men, some of them. If a Ree youth
could give a Mandan man enough ponies he
might get the daughter; perhaps an embroidered buckskin suit, or a few buffalo robes
would win a bride. Some brave deed, like
hitting a fallen enemy with a stick, or taking
a scalp lock, or other feat that had set all the
women in camp dancing, might win the heart
of a fair maid, as with White knights in the
days of chivalry. Then the brave warrior
would run off with his prize, as the Ben-
jamites did in the olden time when allowed
to raid their neighboring tribes.
Nowadays "new occasions teach new duties, and time makes ancient good uncouth."
The teachings of Indian grandparents clash
with Mission teaching and the standards of
the public schools. Just as leggings and moccasins and one eye behind a shawl are incongruous with the bare bobbed head, silk stockings and high heels, that come back to log
cabins from city schools, The young folks
do not find adjustments easy to make.
Sitting Crow's baby was baptized Deborah.
She came half a generation later than our
Mission home baby, and long after the New
England grandmother. We hoped it might
-fee a real succession, though not apostolic.
Sitting Crow had set his face toward the
church, but scars were on his back. They
were left by the skewers that had held the
lariat by which he dragged a buffalo's head
over the prairie. Was he trying to placate
the spirits of the animals he had preyed upon,
or was there just clear merit in suffering?
That was long ago. Yet, still could not spirits
be allayed or allured.
At six years of age Deborah left her home
and became a little Mission school girl. Later she went to a Government school at the
State Capital. Now at twenty-one she is
master of her fate, under full sail, attractive,
ready to be captured. Is there a strong hand
on the helm ?
Last Summer we had a meeting at the
Crow's home church. After meeting, Deborah
invited herself to go with us on our return
across the river. She said she wanted to
visit a school mate. The next day her parents
followed across and found that she had gone
to the Ree settlement twenty miles away.
They chased her there but she was obdurate.
They came back for refuge to the Mission.
Many find it handy to do so.
Later we heard that the girl and her beau
had been to the county seat, seventy miles a-
way, and gotten a license to marry. After
wards the couple had passed close by us to
get the physical examination required by law.
The father and mother had not been consulted.
Why should they be? White grils do not
consult their parents. Henry (that is the
Christian half of Sitting Crow) was Indian and
human enough to want to control his daugh-
Continued on Next Page—3d Column
THE DEATH OF PROFESSOR
ROBERT B. RIGGS
Professor Robert Riggs was the youngest
son in the family of Dr. and Mrs. Stephen R.
Riggs. pioneer missionaries to the Dakotas;
born at the Hazel wood, Minnesota mission
station, May 22, 1855. He died of heart
trouble in the hospital in Hartford, Conn.,
May 11, 1929. He is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Maida Riggs of Hartford, and the others
of this pioneer missionary family who remain
are Dr. T. L. Riggs of Oahe, So. Dak.; Mr.
Henry M. Riggs of Grafton, Mass.; and Mrs.
Cornelia Riggs Truesdell of Bluemont, Virginia. Robert Riggs graduated from Beloit
College. He prepared for his specialty by
studying in Germany. He was for a good
while expert chemist in the Bureau of Standards in Washington, D. C. Then he was for
many years professor of chemistry in Trinity
College, Hartford,   Conn.
DEATH OF REV. WILLIAM HOLMES
Rev. William Holmes was born at Fort
Ridgeley, Minn., in January, 1863. He was
educated in the St. Pauls Episcopal boys'
school at Greenwood, So. Dak. and in preparation for the ministry was a special student
under Bishop Hare. He was made deacon in
1893 and ordained priest in 1902 and given
charge of the Episcopal Mission at Santee till
1925 and he was then made superintendent of
the mission work on the Standing Rock Reservation. There he died suddenly of heart failure while driving his car on one of his missionary tours and the burial was at Santee
April 15. Many friends assembled from all
directions. The suddeness of Mr. Homes'
passing was a great shock to all.
[The above cut is loaned to us from the "Anpao—
The Daybreak" by f e kindness of editor Rev. P.
H. Barbour. Tbe "Anpao" is the monthly mission
news paper printed for the Episcopal Indian Missions, in Santee Normal Training School Printing
Department.
We wonder whether our Presbyterian
friends were stirred by the echoes of our
Santee chorus that sang at the Congregational National Council in Omaha two years ago.
Anyhow the.y have been aroused to an unusual desire to advertize their Indian missions
and are therefore having Santee students,
under the leadership of Rev. and Mrs. John
Wright, put on a pageant at the meeting of the
General Assembly in Minneapolis, May 26th.
Where Custer Failed Religion Succeeds
Kindness Is a Great Civilizer, Says Missionary
Who Never Carried a Gun
"What military tactics failed to do, religious work did with love." These were the
words of Rev. C. L. Hall, pioneer missionary
and a prominent figure in North Dakota history, in recalling the events in subjugation of
the Indians.
In the spring of 1876 a boat started up
the Missouri river carrying Gen. Custer
and Rev. C. L. Hall. The boat stopped at
Fort Berthhold where Dr. Hall built a chapel
and from where Custer started with seven
regiments.
The significant phase in this missionary's
life is the contrast between himself and Custer.
Both men started out at the same time with
praotically the same object in mind which
was to subdue the Indians—but with totally
different weapons. It will be noted at this
time that Dr. Hall never carried a gun for
protection at any time during his life among
the Indians. Custer's expedition was a tragedy and failure, but this missionary's work
is probably the greatest work that any one
man has done for the Indians of North
Dakota.
In speaking of his mission work he said,
"In order to do the utmost as missionary,
one must understand his people thoroughly.
Also instead of using burly hands, a little
tact, sympathy and patience will accomplish
more." He studied the Indians very much
and found that they were agriculturists having raised corn, beans and squash for several
hundred years- They made their own clothes
and cooking utensils and obtained much food)
by hunting. "Their life was very strenuous," said Dr. Hall, "and I doubt if the people of today could stand more than six months
of that life. "—Small Pica, Wahpeton, ?T, D.
Santee Graduate a Succeuful Musician
Mr. George Wilson was a Santee graduate
in the class of 1921. He has been making a
specialty of vocal music, solo singing and
choir conducting, and has made a good success
of it. Mr. Wilson and his wife are now working for the Southern Baptist Mission Board,
and he sends us the following clipping from
a paper in New Mexico.
AN APPRECIATION
It was the good fortune of the pastor and
Church at Hot Springs to secure Mr. George
Wilson, Sioux Indian baritone, to direct the
music for the  recent revival.
Mr. Wilson is a soloist of unusual ability.
His solos drew large crowds. He has tact
and ability in directing a choir. He is firm
in his organization, and at the same time
humble in his approach and contact with his
singers.
In the selection of songs Mr. Wilson uses
good judgment, and does not wait or hesitate
in beginning the invitation song. He is interested most of all in the primary thing, the
salvation of the lost. No one has greater
joy in seeing the lost saved than he. Any
church and pastor will be fortunate in securing the services of this humble, consecrated
and talented Indian singer.—John W. Williams. 	
On April 4. Mrs. Tunberg, County Superintendent of Schools of Knox County, and
Mr. Austin, Assistant State Superintendent
of Schools, visited Santee. We enjoyed their
stay and hope they will come again.