The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1884-10

              THE WORD CARRIER.
y'EW SERIES,   VOL. I, NO.   VIII.
Helping the Right, Exposing the Wrong.
PUBLISHED FOR  THE DAKOTA   MISSION.
Santeee Agency, Nebraska.
OCTOBER, 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 Cakribk 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 Da'kota, 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.
[Kntered at the Santee Agency Postoffice as
second class matter.]
depart from him, I know if we let
him in our hearts, He will come and
stay and teach us the right way. He
will keep saitan away from us and we
must be sure to ask Jesus to forgive our
wicked sins, for he might turn his face
away from us. If we only believe in
Jesus and keep God's Holy Commandments He will wash us in the blood He
has shed for us. Then we will be white
like snow and whiter still if we don't
break His Holy Commandments.
Dear people, remember me in your
prayers, that I may be stronger in
spirit and in love.
I had a very pleasant visit with Rev.
A. L. Riggs this summer. I was very
glad to see him. I was very much delighted to see Miss. Susan Webb and
Miss Martha Paddock marching down
the isle as we were in church. It was
a great surprise to us. I am ever so
glad that Miss Webb came to see me.
We have had a very nice visit together.
Mrs. Hay's  sehool has  opened the
17th   of this  month.    I am  so  glad
that school has opened again.
From your very true friend,
Angelique Cordier.
Woodstock III. Sept. 21st. 1884.
From a Former Pupil.
Dear Friends: As I was asked to
write few lines for the Word Carrier,
it gives me great pleasure to write
about my school life in Illinois.
Mr. Steer, two young gentlemen
and I, started the 15th of last Oct.,
from the Normal Training School,
Santee Agency, Neb. Mr. Steer and
the two young gentlemen stopped at
Beloit, Wis., while I came on to Woodstock. 111., as a student at Mr. Hay's
school.
It is about ten months since I came
here. I have learned and seen somethings that I did not know before
the ten months.
I don't see much difference about the
climate of 111. from Southern Dakota.
Here in Illinois is a great farming
state, and it is a great state for fruit,
especially apples, cherries, plums and
grapes. Rasberries, Strawberries and
Blackberries are cultivated in gardens.
1 like to stay here at Woodstock
very much. I have been well since I
came here. Mr. Hay has a very pretty place, large oaks and evergreens in
the yard. In the town there are five
public schools.
Dear friends, you all know that I
came here to be more like a Christian
girl and so finish my studies. Although we think Christian life is a
I vcry hard matter, it is much easier to
follow Christ than not to. I thank
«od that I became a Christian, to love
we Lord Jesus Christ.    I hope I never
dress a good deal like white people."
I replied that I did not live in this
part of the country. One of the gentleman remarked that he did not wish
to see them dressed as white people,
but in their war paint and feathers,
scalp lock and blankets, living in wigwams. The girls hearing this foolish
remark looked at me and smiled. He
afterwards told a lady that he had seen
two wild Indian girls, and that he tried
to say something that they would understand, so he said Wigwam, and they
laughed.
Alas, poor ignorant traveler. He
did not know that had they not understood English, they would not have
understood wigwam, it not being a
Dakota word. In the words of one of
our little Dakota girls, "it seems some
of the white people don't know anything". .      	
How we Got Indian News.
On our way to the Normal Training
School for Indians at Santee, we were
greatly amused by overhearing the conversation of some of our fellow travelers.
Our pupils were Titon Sioux, from
central Dakota, ranging from five to
twenty years of age. Iu our company
was an old gentleman, also a Sioux
Dakota. He was the delegate from
our native church to the ganeral State
Association at Yankton.
It is astonishing how much we
learned concerning the destination of
our party, during the day. One gentleman entered the cars, and seeing so
many Indians, naturally inquired where
they were going. Another man answered that they were going to the
Pipestone quarries to get pipestone,
that they were going down there near
Sioux Falls to camp out for a month,
to secure stone for pipes for their tribe.
These gentlemen left at the next station, of course, to tell the news, probably to some enterprising reporter.
Soon an old gentleman with a kindly, trustful face, entered. He sat
down by a large, wise looking man.
with a shaggy brow, and pompous
mein. Our old friend soon inquired
who the Indians were, and where they
were going. His companion answered,
"They are the last of the Crows."
They are being taken down to Indian
Territory, the old Indian is the  chief.
In the hotel where we stopped, an
inquiring lady was informed by a
kindly disposed gentleman, that they
lived near there, and hung around the
hotel to get something to eat. These
are a few items of news that we gleaned concerning our boys and girls on
the way to school.
A few days later, as we attended our
Annual Association, with two of our
girls from the Dakota Home, on our
arrival at the hotel, two gentlemen began to discuss the subject of Iudians.
The girls understanding English, were
of course embarrassed. The subject
continued, and finally one of the persons referred to me to-know if Indians,
in   "this  part of the country did not
The Indians.
One of the important questions
awaiting the decision of the people of
this country, is. What shall be done
with the Iindians? It is not a new
question. It has been before the people certainly one hundred years. For
many disgraceful years no progress
was made toward an answer, except,
that an adherance to a policy of injustice and cruelty proved it more and
more to be unjust and cruel, and proved that it ought to be abandoned. Within a few years what ought to be doue
and what can be done has become
more and more evident.
Captain Pratt at Carlisle, Pa., and
General Armstrong at Hampton, Va.,
have established beyond all question
that the Indian can be educated to be
a useful citizen. These gentlemen
have conducted Industrial Schools in
which Indian boys and girls have re-
eeived|an excellent education in general
knowledge and have been taught useful trades. The Indian children have
not been dull or slow scholars. They
have not been indifferent to the advantages of education or of a knowledge
of a trade. They have not been indolent. Their conduct, application, persistence and acquisition have been
satisfactory and gratifying. The girls
have learned sewing and house-work,
the boys have become carpenters, harness makers, tinsmiths, shoe makers,
wagon makers, blacksmiths, gardeners and farmers, and both sexes have
pursued the course of study marked
out in similar schools with average
success, nearly every one proving to
be a good scholar, and some superior
ones. The Indians, after becoming
fairly familiar with English, have not
been inferior to any other pupil.
Many of the Indian lads have become
first rate mechanics. Indian scholars
can learn what the children of white
men do, you can and do and will become capable mechanics and   farmers.
The  above  is  from   the   Christian
Intelligencer.     This attitude      of
mind is as injurious as it is false. The
Indians have always beeu slow scholars. They have also been and are indifferent and indolent. This is their
nature. Such a position is contradicted, not only by the facts, but also
plainly by the philosophy of the case.
Not but what we believe most
thoroughly in the possibility of educating the Indians, but we have been
accustomed to look facts in the face,
and when  such   words  as  the  above
come to our notice, we know them as
the outcome of ignorance or of blind
enthusiasm, which is worse.' If any
case be worth presenting, the facts are
always sufficiently strong. Blind enthusiasm is incapable of effectual work.
It knows neither how nor when to
bear down on the lever, and if light
ever comes, it is to open the mind to
discouragements which may be too
great. Better have too low an estimate of immediate results, and be encouraged by finding them greater than
expected. Let us- recognize the fact.
The Indian and his present characteristics are the accumulated result of the
life of many generations. It is folly
to think that time will not be an element in his regeneration. This needs
emphasis, opportunities alone will not
suffice. A surface change oftimes
takes place quickly and we are deceived.
The element of time is all important
in bringing about a radical transformation. That an average Indian boy,
without previous training, can, in
three or four years, become a "first-
rate mechanic" is an absurdity. Why
cannot people learn that by exaggeration and mistatemen, they are more
likely to do harm than good.
General Crook's Indians.
General Crook makes some remarkable statements in regard to his success
in inducing the San Carlos Apaches to
adopt habits of frugality and industry,
by practically showing them how much
the possession of money will do for
their comfort. That these Indians were
among the most untractable in the
country is admitted. Now many of
them show as much energy and eagerness in earning dollars as they once
did in taking scalps. Again, Sitting
Bull and his band will certainly not be
in a hurry to return to the warpath,
after learning the superior advantages
of exhibiting themselves for gate
money. An example of the rage for
money-making which has succeeded
the burial of the hatchet by many In-.
dians is seen in Montana, where some
of the South Piegans are demanding
ten cents a head for cattle bought further south and driven across their reservation into the Dominion. Some of
the Canadian ranchmen are complaining of this exaction; but inasmuch as
the Piegans are apparently entitled to
the exclusive use of the reservation,
they may well demand toll for its use
as a thoroughfare. Indeed, during the
recent lack of food among these Indians it must have been a risk to take
cattle across the reservation at all.—
New York Sun.
Reinterring Red Jacket.
Buffalo, N. Y., Oct. 8. — Arrangements are being made for the reinterment of Red Jacket and other noted
Indian chiefs here tomorrow. The remains were placed in a handsome
cherry-wood coffin and now lie in state
in the rooms of the Historical Society.
At 10 a. m. the funeral cortege, of six
hearses and sixty carriages, will proceed
to Forest Lawn Ceraetary, where the
remains will be deposited. In the procession will be a large number of Indian chiefs from Cattaraugus and other
State reservations and the reservation
at Canada. Prayer will be offered by
an Indian clergyman, a dirge sung, and
an address delivered.