The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1884-06

              THE WORD CARRIER.
yEW SERIES,   VOL.  I, NO.   V.
Helping the Right, Exposing the Wrong.
PUBLISHED FOR   THE DAKOTA   MISSION.
Santeee Agency, Nebraska.
JUNE, 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 Word Carrier is published in the interest of schools and missions among the Indians. It is published fer 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
Fort 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
Agency, 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 whole 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 Postofficeas
second class matter.]
Santee Normal Training School.
CLOSING EXERCISES.
The school year of the Santee Normal Training School, closed on Friday,
June 27, with appropriate literary and
musical exercises, in which unusual interest was manifest, and in which a
greater degree of proficiency was noticeable than in previous years. The examination, beginning June 26, and occupying one and a half days, revealed
the fact that the pupils had been well
taught, and that they are in many respects, fully the equals of their fairer
brethren.
This is especially true in all branches
of study where topical outlines are
used, or where the work is in any degree mechanical. In such instances,
the recitations were indeed excellent,
and would compare favorably with the
same grade in white schools for accuracy, penmanship and readiness of
execution.   .
It is no longer a debatable question
whether an Indian can learn or not,
at least among the live, reading, thinking and seeing people of the day; but
it is still maintained that he does not
learn as readily as his white brother.
This is a popular fallacy, which the
facts do not support. His mastery of
oue, and sometimes two, new languages,
in addition to the work of marshalling
the forces of a strong and totally undisciplined nature; the gradual acceptance of things wholly new, which
appeal to his intelligence as the right
things; the weeding out of the old, to
make room for these newer and better
things, all these require a mental acumen, and a moral strength, not to be
lightly considered or undervalued, and
entirely disprove the theory that he is
intractable and unteachable.
A visit to the schools, and a nearer
acquaintance with him, will show him
infinitely less black than he has been
painted, in more senses than one, and
will do more to disabuse the mind of
prejudice, and set  things right,   than
years spent in argument, unsupported
by fact.
"Seeing is believing," and there is
a saving faith within us that not many
years hence the vexed "Indian problem" will have solved itself;- that educated Indians will no longer be a nine
days' wonder, but that there will be as
many, proportionally, as of educated
white men. For they are not only
willing but anxious to learn, and follow in "the white man's way." Pray
God it be a good way.
THE EXAMINATIONS.
The examinations of our school commenced with English Geography.
The average age of pupils was a little
more than twelve years. The average
time of pursuing the studv, one year,
and yet these pupils, in a language not
their own, bounded states, located cities,
described rivers, lakes and mountains,
took journeys, finding important places
and giving reasons for their importance
drew maps from memory, that challenged the admiration of all who saw
them. Gave and recited, from topical
outlines, a fair synopsis of mathematical geography, as readily and as accurately as in other schools of like
grade.
Then followed the classes in arithmetic, and in this branch the work
was very creditable, particularly that of
Mr. Garvie's class, in elementary work,
and Miss llsley's class, in common and
decimal fractions, and Mrs. Wood's
classes, in United States Money and
Partial Payments.
Definitions of each supject were
readily given, and the dictation exercises were rapidly written, and, almost invariably, correctly answered.
The language classes were also very
interesting, and the readiness with
which the pupils named classes of
words, their modifications, etc., and
gave examples of each, showed thorough
training and diligence.
A pleasant feature of Mr. Pratt's
reading class, was the reciting of stanzas
of poetry from any author named by
the teacher.
He would say, for instance, "Mary,
give me a quotation from Longfellow,"
or, "Annie, I want something from
Shakspeare," and to vary the exercise,
require the class to recite a given poem
and tell the author, and perhaps something of his life and history. And so
passed the pleasant half hour. These
Indian girls, whose average age did not
exceed twelve years, giving sentiments
in English verse that would have done
credit to classes iu Rhetoric that we
have known, and who would have defined an Indian to be a savage in warpaint and feathers.
The class examined in the "Story of
the Bible," showed remarkable proficiency in remembering events and the
time of occurrence, and the synopsis of
the  Books  of  the  Pentateuch   were
simply beautiful. And Miss llsley may
be congratulated on the proficiency
her pupils have made, not alone in the
outline of work, but of the spirit and
understanding also.
The class in United States History,
numbering sixteen, have been pursue-
ing that study about four months, but
were able to give, from memory, the
important events, with date of each,
from the time of the discovery of
America to the time of the adoption of
the Constitution, and the exercise was
surprisingly free from mistakes in spelling and in the proper use of capital letters. The teacher, Mrs. Wood, was
proud of her class, aud we think she
had reason to be.
One of the noticeable and most effective helps in our school work, is its
musical department, and as a civilizing
and refining element, it can scarcely be
overestimated. Considerable time and
attention is devoted to this art, and its
good results are plainly manifest, and
one would have scarcely believed that
the beautiful voices heard blending in
chorus and semi-chorus in our schoolroom, were, only a little time ago, capable of rendering only the most guttural and discordant sounds.
The examination in music disclosed
the fact that these pupils, most of them.
can read simple music at sight, and
that quite a large proportion of them
have really fine voices, and that for
thoroughness of training in this special department the teacher cannot be
too warmly commended.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL EXERCISES.
On Friday afternoon the literary and
musical exercises began, and, all things
considered, were really creditable to
pupils and teachers. Each one did his
best, and there was only one failure to
respond to call on a programme where
more than forty pupils took part in the
literary exercises alone.
The examinations and literary exercises all bore witness to that which is
the fact, that the progress of our scholars in the understanding use of the
English language is not prejudiced in
any way by the continued use of the
vernacular in the school room, so far
as is necessary for explanation and introduction. Indeed, we may go further,
and say that nowhere can equal results
be attained without the use of the vernacular. Let it be borne in mind, that
we are speaking of its use in teaching
English, merely, though that is not by
any means the whole of the question.
Perhaps it may not be amiss to insert the programme.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON PROGRAMME.
Song—"Jesus Loves the Little Children School
Recitation—"Tho Old Clock on the 8tairs"...
 Nine Girls
Recitation—"One bv One" Lewis Cakrow
Bono—"Precious Jewels" Mb. Wands' Class
Recitation—"The Blessing Eunice Kitto
Song—"Are You Sowing the Seeds of Mercy?"
 School
Dialogue—"The Little Gardener"... .Frank Phillips. Lucy Kitto, Maggie Bkown, Lucy C'on-
g eb:
Recitation—"The Three Kittens".. .Jennie Volel
Exeeoisb Song—"This Way East, This Way
West" Primary Class
Recitation—Selection William Abraham
Recitation—"Never Speak HI of Your Neighbor" Frank Lawrence
Song-Solo—"I was Lost, a Little Lamb,"	
 Alice Conger
Recitation—"The Three Fishers"	
 Frank Pattineaude
Recitation—"Your Mission".. Gilbert Sampierre
Song—"How Sweet to Know," &c	
 Mb. Wands' Class
Recitation—"Nathan Hale" John Young
Exebcise Song—"Roll Your Hands."	
 Primary Class
Song School
FRIDAY EVENING PROGRAMME.
Song—"Up the HDJ.B in the Early Morn." School
Prayer—	
Recitation—"Consider the Liles" Eight Girls
Recitation—"The Village Blacksmith"	
 Mark Khune
Semi-Chorus—"We Lift Our Tuneful Voices"
 Class
Recitation—"Maidenhood." Fannie Ellis
Essay—"The Search for Knowledge".. .James Lynd
Round—"Come FoUow. FoDow lie" Class
Recitation—"Over the HUls" Samuel DeFonde
Recitation—"The Arrow and the Song"	
 Annie Ellis
Dialogue—"DoUy's Doctor"	
 Alice ( 'onger, Willie Wilkinson
Quintette—"The Serenade".. James Gaevie, James
Lynd, Eli Abraham, Misses Kennedy, Ellis
and Mbs. Gaevie.
Recitation—"The Little Brown Hands"	
 Richard King
Song—"Tho Old Black ('at." School
I-'.ssay—"The Growth of Santee" Ellen Kitto
Skiii-Chorus—"Sweetly Chimes the BeU" Class
Declamation—"Beecher, on the Death of Lincoln"  James GAnviE
Quartette—"AU Among the Barley"	
 Lynd, Garvie, Ellis and Kennedy
Song—"My Mountain Home" School
Not a very elaborate or difficult program it would seem at first sight, but
even you, my learned friend,who belong
to a superior race, might be oppressed
with "doubt" as to your ability, if you
were required to translate it into Syriac
or Choctaw in any less time than these
boys and girls have been learning English.
The Last of the Sun Dance.
We greet the following letter as a
significant token of progress. It
shows progress in the Indian Department, and it gives some ground for
hope, that the next thing will be, to
break up the indecent and demoralizing Grass Dance. It shows progress in
the Indian himself, that such an order
can be made without a riot, and a war.
And much praise is due to Agent
McGillycuddy for the firmness, and
level head with which he has administered affairs at his Agency.
United States Indian Service.
Pine Ridge Agency Dakota.
June 1st. 1884.
Keii. Mr. Riggs,   Santee Agency, Neb.
Sir: In accordance with instructions
from the Department of the Interior,
under date of May 13th, 1884. the
aboriginal ceremony, known as the
"Sun Dance," is discontinued at this
agency.
The presence of neither visiting Indians, or whites, will be permitted at
the agency, should any of the Indians
persist in endevoring to hold the so-
called "Sun Dance/'
Very Respectfully,
V. T. McGillycuddy,
U. S. Indian Agent.
From Superintendent Haworth.
The Hon. J. M. Haworth, superintendent of Indian schools, writes us
from Ponca Agency. Indian Territory,
under date of June 11, 1884:
My heart was made quite sad upon
my arrival here, two days ago, to find
the Ponca school without children, and
upon inquiry, learning that their people were having a sun dance, and the
children had to attend. Forty men,
old and young, were dancing, with eyes
upturned to the sun. Later, they were
fastened by ropes, from the skin of the
back to posts set in the ground, and
some of them remained so all night,
breaking loose this morning by tearing
the flesh from the cuts on their backs.
I was surprised that the Poncas had
not long since left that pagen way behind them. I hope this may be their
last sun dance. Otherwise they are
doing well; have good crops, large herds
of cattle, and certainly appear prosperous. They have increased in numbers,
by births over deaths during the past
year, eighteen. If opportunity offers before I go away, I intend to talk to the
chiefs on the subject of the sun dance.