The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1884-12

              THE WORD CARRIER.
XEW SERIES,   VOL.  I, NO.  X.
Helping the Right, Exposing the Wrong.
PUBLISHED  FOR   THE  DAKOTA    MISSION.
Santeee Agency, Nebraska.
DECEMBER, 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 Cakrikr 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
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
A nency, 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
econd class matter.]
The Annual Report of the Superintendent of Indiau Schools, James M.
Haworth, is now published and is well
worth the study of all who are interested in the welfare and progress of the
Indians. No doubt it can be had on
application at the Indian Office in
Washington, or through every man's
Representative in Congress. We deem
it of such importance that we present
copious extracts from it.
The best item in the whole report is
one of the last in which Superintendent Haworth reports his effort of last
August^to secure a Teachers Convention at Chilocco, Indian Territory.
Several of the schools of the Territory
were represented, and the meeting was
"very interesting and profitable."
But "owing to the fact of the expense
being considerable, those located at a
considerable distance were not represented." He believes that such conferences will greatly benefit the schools
and for that reason asks that the extra
expense be paid by the Government.
We are so delighted to see that our
worthy and indefatigable Superintendent is working on this line that we
hardly care to criticize. For if we
have ever had a bone to pick with him
it was because he did not take up this
kind of work from the first and make
it the work of his administration.
We believe that more depends upon
the quality than the quantity of teach
ers. But really, $250,00 for all the
Teachers Convention, Institutes, Conferences of Superintendents to be held
in the Indian Country the coming year,
it is to ridiculously insignificant! It
should be ten times that to begin with.
Superintendent Haworth says that
the cost of boarding schools wholly
supported by the Government, and
continuing through the school year
averaged $138.95 per capita. Aud the
implication is that the $167 per capita
granted tor the support of Indian pupils at schools in the States is too
much. It would be very unfortunate
if this allowance were cut down upon
this representation. The work done
at the average Government boarding-
school may not cost as much as in first
class independent schools, but on the
other hand it is not worth as much.
At Carlisle, which by the way is
counted out of this estimate because it
receives part of its support from benevolent sources, the cost per capita is
$215. And we believe it will be found
to be true of every live and aggressive
school that the expenses per capita
will be more than $138. What Supt.
Haworth says of Chilocco School that
"farming and the care of stock are the
only industries yet provided for" is
true very generally of these Government schools. And when "shops for
"blacksmith, wheelwright, carpenter,
"shoe-maker, and harness maker which
"must be provided before the school
can be fully made what it is intended
"to be—an industrial sehool"—when
this is all done, and the proper instructors provided the cost of support will
be considerably increased.
Gifts tor Santee Normal Training
School.
A large box of clothing from Ottawa, 111. In the box were several pairs
of glasses, which are gladly received
by Dakota men and women whose eyesights are failing.
A box of very useful articles made
by the ladies society of Lowville, Wis.
Also $4.00 to pay freight.
A Christmas box, and $2.50 from
the Congregational S. S. of Elyria,
Ohio.
FOR THE. DAKOTA HOME.
A box of Christmas things the do-
natiouof Mrs. Mansfield, Salem, Mass.
A box of small things of various
kinds from Mrs. Hubbard, Chicago, 111.
A barrel containing aprons, some
bedding and Christmas gifts, from
Withersfield, Conn.
FOR THE BIRD'S NEST.
From the United Presbyterian
Church New Haven, a Christmas box
containing games, dolls, scrap books,
cards, etc.,
From Knowlsville, N. Y., one barrel
closely packed with bedding, wearing
apperal, books, pictures, and cards.
From Millers Place, N. Y., two
barrels well filled with bedding and a
variety of garments for children's wear.
From Burlington, Vt., a package of
beautiful Christmas cards.
H. A. Brown
FOR THE    BOTS'   COTTAGE.
The boys at the cottage are pleased
to have this opportunity given to them
to express their thanks to Mrs. Judge
Goodin and other kind ladies of Kenton, Ohio, who sent the warm wristlets.
Also for two dozen flannel shirts
from °Mrs. Crane's Bible class, Irey-
mouth, Mass.
Pictures, Sunday school papers, and
cards from Miss Anna Skea, Tama
City Iowa.
And for some very nice garments
through the Agency of friends at
Rocky Hill.
Fort Peck Agency Items.
For Peck Agency has not been turned over to the new agent. He has resigned and gone back to Michigan.
Mr. Snider will probably remain in
charge this winter. Of the Assinna-
boines who have left Wolf Point, it is
said that some have gone over the line
into Assinnaboia Territory, some up
to Fort Belknap, and some down to
Fort Berthold.
Of the children who attended the
mission school last year, about half
are now attending. Two have been
put into the boarding school at Poplar
Creek. G. W. Wood.
Wolf Point, M. T., Dec. 8, 1884.
Prayer Meeting Reveries.
Often times the question arises,
whether or no a high state of civilization is productive of earnest Christian
lives. To those who realize that the
greatness of the nineteenth century is
due to him, born eighteen hundred
years ago iu Bethlehem of Judea, it is
a hard matter to believe that the civilization born of the Christ, now often
refuses to recognize its founder.
But let any one, no matter what his
views, enter the Thursday afternoon
prayer meeting of the Santee school,
and then think over what he sees and
hears there. An observing person
cannot but be impressed with the simple earnest faith of these people, in opposition to the cold, careless indifference of those surrounded with christian influences from their youth up.
Think of the empty seats in the
pews of your wealthy churches; think
of the vacant places in the schools and
colleges of our land at the times set
apart for prayer and praise; and then
think of the little Santee school with
its full house, its reverent faces, its
earnest prayers, and remember the
words of the master: "Verily I say
unto you, whosoever shall not receive
the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein."
whites knew nothing about. This
would do to say if the whites knew no
language, but perhaps it sounded as
good as anything else to the Indians.
In the Kindergarten they viewed
games and singing. Milking the cow,
the shoemaker and a number more like
that were quite interesting, and the
cat and mouse, and an action called
big bass drum, which is almost a reproduction of Johnny Schmoker of
bygone days, hit them very hard, as
the cowboys would say. But what no
doubt touched the big youths deepest
and livened 'em up the most, was the
grace and vivacity of the bright young
lady with the dramatic power strong in
her nature who so energetically led the
maneuvres.—Chieftain Vinita,!. T.
Another Mare's Nest.
LeBeau Leader: "A Sioux Indian
living upon the reservation has just
made a visit to LeBeau, and informs Mr.
Carter that the Indians are wild with
excitement over the recent discoveries
of coal and coal-oil, they themselves
have made ou a stream flowing into
Moreau river from the north. They
expect to receive "big money" from
the "Great Father" at Washington for
giviug up the land. This is not the
section visited by the geological survey. All denials of the existence of
coal in the Moreau valley country
comes too late. It is well known that
the coal is there, and that railroads
will extend their lines to it next season if possible. The coal-oil found is
of so good a quality that the Indians
are burning it in their lamps. This is
another bonanza for  Dakota.
Osage Scholars for Carlisle.
Forty girls and ten boys of the Osage
tribe were in town yesterday on the
way to the government school at Carlisle Barracks, Pa. Three ran away
and returned home after they had
started. This tribe will pay, it is said,
$8,000 for one year's school expenses
for the young people. During their
stay in town they visited Worcester
Academy in a body. This was no
doubt the first view most of them ever
had of a modern equipped and conducted educational institution. Four or
five of them are all that understand
English: so in the academic department they were only treated to singing
and gymnastic drill with musical accompaniment. The learned professor
said they were ahead of the white children present, because they were acquainted   with    a language  that  the
President Arthur   on the Indian
Question.
Of the various governmental concerns in charge of the Interior Department the report of its secretary presents an interesting summary. Among
the topics deserving of particular attention I refer you to his observations
respecting our Indian affairs.   *    *    *
Allusion has been made already to
circumstances that both as between
different tribes and as between the
Indians and the whites, the past year
has been one of unbroken peace. In
this circumstance the president is glad
to find justification for the policy of
the government in dealing with the
Indian question, and confirmation of
the views which were fully expressed
in his first communication to the Forty-
seventh congress. The secretary urges
anew the enactment of a statute for
the crimes committed on Indian reservations, and recommends the passage of
the bill now pending in the House
of Represeutatives for the purchase of
a tract of 180,000 squire miles from
tne Sioux reservation. Both of these
measures are worthy of approval.
The United States attorney-general
has settled the jurisdiction business on
the Cherokee Strip. The bill establishing the Wichita court provides that
all the country north of the Canadian,
not included in and under the control
of the five tribes, should be under the
jurisdiction of the Wichita court, aud
as the Cherokees undoubtedly have
control over that part of the country,
the right of which is still fully recognized by the United States, the criminal business must go to Fort Smith.