The Word Carrier of Santee Normal Training School (Santee, Nebraska), 1908-11 - 1908-12

              THE
RD C^ARRIER
of Santee Normal Training School.
VOLUME XXXVII.
HELPING THE RIGHT, EXPOSING THE WRONG.
NUMBER  6.
SANTEE, NEBRASKA.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1908.
THIRTY CENTS PER YEAR
Memories of the Sioux Outbreak.
At the time of the Sioux outbreak of 1862 in
Minnesota a Mr. D. Wilson Moore and his bride
bad come out from New Jersey to Minnesota on their wedding trip. They reached the
mission only a few days before the massacres
and so were with the midnight party of missionaries who fled across country toward the settlements. At that time Fort Ridgley, the nearest
Government military post, was invested by the
Indians, and the missiou party approaching by
night came near running into a trap, but providentially escaped. On the 22d,of this last August
there was an anniversary celebration at Fort
Ridgley. This was attended by Mr, and Mrs.
Moore who are now residing at Colorado Springs,
Colorado. Those to whom these historic incidents are still living memories will be glad to
see what he has written in regard to the occasion.
The letter is addressed to Mrs. Martha Riggs
Morris who was one of that mission company.
"Mrs. Moore and I were present at the anniversary exercises at Fort Ridgley.   How we did
desire that you might have been with us.    It
I was a very interesting and enjoyable time.   We
| met many persons whose relations were mas-
j sacred by the Indians in August, 1862.    We
met some who were acquainted with your father.
! One was Major B. H. Randall.    He told me he
had been to your home at Hazelwood.
'' We afterwards went to Granite Falls and got
j a man from the livery stable to take us to  the
I island where the Indians took us the night you
left home.    He also took  us to The Yellow
Medicine.    There are two of the brick buildings
standing.    AVe  went to  the house Dr. Wake
field lived in. It is now occupied by a family
by the name of Olds.
"We found the exact spot where your house
was. It was confirmed to us by Mr. Olds and
also by some old Indians we met on their Reservation which is about three or four miles from
Granite Falls.
"It was very interesting to us to be there
again after these forty-six jears. Sad but
very interesting. We were made to realize,
after talking with persons whose families
and parts of families were massacred, how
much more danger we were in than we knew of
at the time, and the great reason we have
for gratitude to God for his overruling protection. Do you remember the Psalm your
father read and the Psalm we sung that night,
the fortv-sixth Psalm!"
Mission Conference of the Congregational and Presbyterian Indian Churches, Standing Rock, N. D., September 2 - 6, 1908.
This Conference was notable for its large attendance and spendid weather. The five hundred tents encircling the mission sheltered three
thousand five hundred campers. Sixteen years ago the Conference met at this place and the progress since that time is remarkable. We are indebted for this half tone picture to the generosity of Rev. George W. Reed, of Fort Yates, N. D.
Walk in Please.
We are glad to introduce the readers of the
Word Carrier to our pupils. We will step over
first lo the Dakota Home, which is the first large
building east of the principal's residence. It
seems to be roomy, but thirty-eight young women fili it to repletion. As they have increased in
number the}7 have elbowed the Cooking School
out of its quarters and it has sought a place
elsewhere. There are many varieties here, of
age, disposition, and tribal origin. Sioux girls
from Montana, as well from the Dakotas; a
grouji of Mandan, Ree and Grosventre girls
from Fort Berthold Agency, N. D., some Win-
nebago girls; and our latest arrival, a bright
little Comanche, whose uncle, the chief, sent
her up to Santee so that she may continue her
schooling iu "the Jesus way." She began it in
the Mission orphanage at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
This is a busy buzzing place when they all are
gathered in the evening from the school rooms
and domestic work in Davis Hall, which scatter
them in tbe day time. For awhile they will
Settle clown around their tables for study hour,
or listen to the home talks of the matron. Then
again they will be enjoying the varieties of their
"Minerva" literary society, whose exercises are
not at all classical.
Passing along further to the east and beyond
the large dining hall, we come to The "Birds'
Nest," where twenty-eight little girls greet ns.
Among the taller girls is a Crow girl from
Montana, with some Yankton and Santee girls;
while these two little tots are Winnebagoes,
and next to them two sprightly Mandan girls.
These all have their home work as well as their
school hours; and besides have time for their
dolls which are a very important part of the
household.
Coming back to the Principal's house we go
north across the street to the Boy's Cottage.
«ere twenty-five sturdy boys from seven to
fourteen years of age tax the wit and nerve of
the
matron in keeping them within the bounds
M good order, and making for them a happy
Christian home.    Their quarrels have to be
nipped in the bud, their selfishness rebuked
and their better natures strengthened. Some
of the older ones are glad for a quiet place
to study or read, while the younger ones are
watching for a chance to parch more corn.
I Beside three good meals a day they can stow
away an unlimited amount of this sort of provender.
It is usually a noisy place but just now
they make great efforts to be quiet for little
Nehemiah Flyinghawk, the youngest of the lot,
is seriously sick in the hospital room of the
Cottage. A peep into that room will show
j7ou Mr. and Mrs. Flyinghawk who have come
in to help in the care of their boy. This morning
the mothers face is beaming because the doctor
has just been in and says that Nehemiah is going to get well. Thus the problems of sickness
as well as of health double our duties and anxieties.
Still further to the east we come to the home
of our family of young men, Whitney Hall.
Of the four school families it is the smallest.
But not in the estimation of the young men
themselves. When they are not in the sehool
room or shop classes or out on the farm they
are quite in evidence at the Hall. The organ is
discoursing musie in the lower rooms and the
brass band boys are practising, each on his own
hook, in their rooms above. However there is
better harmony at times.
Our young men are now ranchers or farmers
at home, so it is hard for them to get to school
early in the fall. But they try to make up for
it by extra diligence at their studies. For some,
Santee seems a sort of finishing school after they
have been to other schools. And it is not always easy for them to adapt themselves. They
come in, stay a few days and walk off. Three
young men came last week, whom we might
have helped to broader knowledge, but they
found our "religion was too strong", and they
departed. But our standbys are simply amused
by these accidentals and keep on the even tenor
of their way.
Come again.
Eaglehelp Going to School.
When in the year 1835 Dr. Thomas S. Williamson opened mission work at Lacquiparle,
Minn., he found a noble friend in Joseph Renville the Indian trader at that place. In Mr.
Renville's stockade he had a large tent occupied
by his body guard of young Indian men. This
was the first school room in the State of Minnesota, excepting possibly Fort Snelling. And
here Dr. Williamson, with no books, began
teaching by drawing lines with a stick in the
ashes. A member of this tent school was
Wannidiokiya-Eaglehelp, at that time a middle
aged man. He was deeply interested in learning and made good progress. An old letter
written by him in the Dakota language about
two years after he began his schooling has been
found among the papers of the Huggins family
and has been sent to us by Mrs. Jane Huggins
Holtsclaw. It was written to Mr. Eli Huggins
in Ohio.
My Friend: We Dakotas have been attending school butN now all have fallen away; yet
twelve of us will have learned a good deal it
is likely. And those who left off the book
do not give heed to the Word of God and so do
not think the book is holy nor give it honor;
therefore they do not care for school. That is
all so.
But as for me I wish to learn well the narratives of the holy book. Because the Doctor,
Mr. Huggins, and Graybear. (Mr. Pond) teach
me I truly give my attention to them.
If any Dakotas were about to kill one of (the
missionaries') cattle, horses, hogs, or sheep,
and I knew7 of it, I would strongly forbid it it
is likely.    I speak these words truly.
We have made fields but the summer was
short and we made but little corn. Mr. Huggins has been teaching me farming but as yet
I am not equal to planting. This is because 1
am a Dakota and have never done white man's
work. And the Dakotas are all so, none of
them do white men's work. The Dakotas are
all alike in this. Now I will see a letter that
you will write. Eaglehelp.
-^^"