The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1884-04

              THE WORD CARRIER.
NEW SERIES, VOL. I NO. II.
Helping the Right, Exposing the Wrong.
PUBLISHED FOR THE DAKOTA MISSION.
Santee Agency, Nebraska.
APRIL. 1884.
Fifty Cents a Year.
Our Platform.
For Indians we want American
Education! We want American
Homes ! We want American Rights !
The result of which is American
Citizenship.
The Wokd Carrier is published in the interest of schools and missions among the Indians. It is published for The Dakota Mission,
originally planted by the American Board in the
year 1835, in Minnesota, but now extended
over Dakota, and into Nebraska, Montana, and
the British Possessions, and carried on under
these several branches:
The American Missionary Association, (Congregational) at Santee Agency, Nebraska, and
at Oahe, Cheyenne River, Grand River, and
Port Berthold, Dakota.
The Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions,
at Yankton Agency and Flandrau, Dakota,
and at Poplar Creek, Montana.
The Presbyterian Board of Home Missions
at Sisseton Agency and Brown Earth, Dakota.
The Dakota Native Missionary Society, at
Cheyenne River and Devil's Lake, Dakota.
Santee Normal Training School, at Santee
A gency, Nebraska, is our principal school for
all this field, for higher education and normal
training. Therefore, while presenting the
progress of our . missionary and educational
work in the whol9 field, the interests and
work of our Normal Training School will be
made prominent.
We shall also endeavor to give a view of the
state of the work under other missionary
societies, and under the Government. And we
cordially invite the co-operation of those who
have been our friends in the past and of all new
workers in the field.
Published monthly at 50 cents a year. Send
for it to Alfred L. Riggs, Editor and Publisher,
Santee Agency, Neb.
[Entered at the Santee Agency Postoffics as
second class matter.]
taken, if off the new reserves, are to be
secured to their holders if they wish to
retain them, or if not, damages are to
be paid them.
Altogether the bill is an excellent
one. The only fear is that it is too
good to pass, and become a law.
Some of the Dakota Territory papers
are gloomy over the provision requiring that it be referred back to the Indians for ratification, according to the
provisisons of the treaty of 1868. But
we think it will meet with a favorable
reception by the Iudians.
The Indians at Sisseton Agency have
been playing at government making
recently. They have adopted a constitution, patterned after the constitution of the United States, preamble
and all. And they propose to set in
motion the machinery of three distinct
departments for government: "The
Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial." It reminds one of the way
little boys like to don the clothes of
their fathers and "play" being merchants, ministers, judges, policemen
and what not.
prise at the progress made, and say
that it compares favorably with the
public schools of the same grade.—
Flandrau Enterprise.
To Our Subscribers.
We skipped over two months by
the almanac, but we shall furnish
twelve numbers during the year.
And now our friends see that we
were not dead though sleeping, and
that we are now well awake for all day,
we hope they will encourage us by the
speedy renewal of their subscriptions.
Send postage stamps or dollar bills, or
money orders or bank drafts, just as is
convenient to you.
By the kindness of Senator Dawes
we have received a copy of his "bill to
divide a portion of the reservation of
the Sioux nation of Indians, in Dakota, into separate reservations, and to
secure the relinquishment of the Indian title to the. remainder." It accepts, in the main, the boundaries settled by the Sioux commission, except
that a new reservation is named for
the Lower Brules. The. Poncas on the
old Ponca reserve are specifically mentioned and provided for. The modifications proposed by the missionary
memorialists are adopted. The lands
released to the United States are to be
sold to homesteaders at fifty cents an
acre; the money so raised all going to
the permanent educational and civilization fund of these tribes, after the expenses of carrying out the other provisions of the treaty are all liquidated.
Missionary property will be protected
whether off or on the new reservations.
And the  Indian   homesteads   already
It is all a farce, of course, aud their
true friends should have advised them
differently. The civilized tribes in the
Indian Territory have a sort of a legal
basis for their independent government.
And it is becoming fast undermined.
But there is not the slightest foundation for the political structure raised at
Sisseton Agency. There is no place
for independent principalities within
the borders of these United States.
What should have been done was to
have adopted a simple organization as
near like that of a county as possible.
Becoming acquainted with the management of county and township government would have been a natural
preparation for the time when Indian
territorial lines shall be all obliterated.
The evident animus of the whole
movement is to keep the present head
chief in place and authority. The
"Constitution" says: "The executive
power is to be vested in one principal
chief, the present chief to hold the office
till his death, after which his successor
will be elected by the people and will
serve four years/'
It is also declared that no retrospective law can be passed by the legislature. The point of which is that the
"chief 'till his death" is a noted bigamist or rather trigainist, and he fears
lest the legislative department may require him to give up his wives or his
office, ar might go so far as to make a
law that would send him to jail foi his
persistant defiance of the moral sentiment of the community. This same
"chief 'till death" is a very able man.
Politically speaking,-he is by far the
smartest Indian on that reservation.
But in this his smartness has overreached itself, and the selfishness and
absurdity of the whole scheme is evident.
Burning of the Episcopal Mission
at Santee.
On Sunday morning Feb. 17, at
breakfast time we were shocked to
hear that the Episcopal Mission was
on fire. The fire broke out in the
girls dormitory aud already had good
headway before it was discovered by
the inmates, and their first efforts were,
of course, directed to putting it out, so
that they worked for some time without sending for aid. By the time help
came the fire could not be overcome
with any means at command. But
most of the movable property in the
building was removed, with little
damage, considering it was at a fire.
Except that most of the clothing of St.
Mary's School was destroyed, being
stored behind where the fire broke out.
Too much praise cannot be given to
the ladies of the Mission, (Rev. Mr.
Fowler being away at Canton, ninety
miles distant) for their coolness, energy and pluck in fighting the fire
with the help only of the steward and
the few Indian boys connected with
Rev. Mr. Fowler's family school. We
believe Mrs. Fowler and Miss Ives
would make good chiefs of a fire department almost anywhere.
The Mission building was quite a
pretentious structure in which Mission House, Chapel and the buildings
of St. Mary's School were all consolidated. Events have proved that it
was a most unsafe plan. Safety was
sacrificed for effect, and the final effect
is its obliteration.
Doubtless the loss will be quite
seriously felt by the Mission. But it
is not without its compensation. The
Mission buildings have been the subject litigation for several years, the
former missionary in charge most absurdly laying claims to them. All
this confusion of title and unending
squabble is done away with. And it
is worth a good deal to our sister Mission to have the very ground purged
by fire from the unsavory memories
that still hung around it from earlier
years. We are glad to see them able
to begin fresh and new. We trust it
may be to them as "a new heaven and
a new earth."
Rev. H. Locke has had good success with the Indian school this year.
The daily attendance has averaged
over twenty throughout the winter,
and the pupils are progressing rapidly,
especially in arithmetic for which they
show special adaptatipn. Professor
Graham, of this place, and Henry, of
Brookings, who have visited the
school this winter  express  their  sur-
address by the principal, Gen. Howard
spoke of Washington the man of
prayer and Washington the peacemaker. The school then sang the anthem "God Save Our President."
T. Henderson, Esq., post trader a<
Camp Poplar Creek, Montana, made
us a yisit recently and spent a Sabbath
here. He came specially to see his little adopted Indian girl "Puss" Henderson. He found her making gooc
progress in every way. The story of
Puss or Kate, as she is now named, is
quite romantic. She was a little wail
in Sitting Bull's camp, who used t<
come around the trading store for t
bit of hard bread. She seemed sc
bright Mr. Henderson took an interesl
in her and sent her away to school
She bids fair to become a good anc
useful woman, and she has a desire U
go back and teach her people.
Our old neighbor Mr. Ed Fry, post!
trader at Pine Ridge Agency, D. T.
gave us a hurried call a few days ago
Visitors at Santee.
A delegation of Orthodox friends,
connected with White's Institute, Wabash, Ind., arrived at the Agency Feb.
14, and were the guests of our agent,
Maj. Lightner. They were Nathan
Coggshall, Benjamin Coppock and
Miss Jennie Pleas. They have already twenty-six Indian pupils at
White's Institute, and are out to take
back some twenty more. They have
secured five pupils from this Agency
and six from Yankton Agency.
Gen. Charles H. Howard, government Indian inspector, gave us an unofficial call on the 21st of February.
Before he left us on the morning of
the 22d, we had an address from him
at morning exercises in the Chapel.
Iu honor of Washington's birthday
the flag was flying from the flagstaff in
the center of the square, and a picture
of Washington was hung over the
platform in the Chapel.    After a short
Christmas With the Musquakies
One of our former assistants, • Misi
Anna Skea, is now working for thi
christianizing and civilization of thi
Musquakies, a small tribe of Indians
located in Tama county, Iowa, and although it seems out of season by tin
almanac, we cannot deny ourselves th<
pleasure of making note of this laud
mark in the work there accomplishei
under Miss Skea and her associate
Miss Ball. Hence this extract fron
the Tama City Times of Dec. 28, 1883
"On Christmas morning abou
twenty-five Musquakies, among whicl
were a number of the principal mem
bers of the tribe and their wives, as
sembled at the rooms of Miss Ann-1
Skea and Miss Dora Ball, the ladie
who were sent here by the Women'
Presbyterian Missionary Society to la
bor with the Indians in the cause o
civilization and Christ, to enjoy
Christmas tree. This is probably thi
first event of the kind recorded in thi
history of the tribe, and it is just sue
occasions that will do more for ther
civilization and advancement tha'
most any other course. There was
splendid lunch prepared for the vis:-
tors, and the tree contained a presen'
of some kind for each one, which ha
been furnished by donation from th
society. It was a novel affair an
greatly enjoyed by all present, espe
cially the Musquakies. Miss Skea an
Miss Ball deserve great credit for thei
efforts in behalf of the Musquakic,
and their skillful management of th,
above event."
Twenty-five Indian children lef,
Yaukton Agency, D. T., Feb. 29,188,
to attend school elsewhere. Six wer.,
to Wabash, Indiana, and nineteen t
the new Government Boarding Schoi,
at Genoa, Nebraska. Nearly all wet.
from the Government Boardin
School at Yankton Agency. T\v
were from the Presbyterian Missio
Day School. Gertie Simmons wh
went to Wabash, Ind., aud Nimrcj
Hupahu who went to Genoa, Neb.
When the children left many cart'
to bid them good bye. Much feelin
was shown by both teachers and pa!
ents. We miss the children, especial?
Sunday mornings, for they were regV
lar attendants at Sunday school.
Nancy Hunter.