The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1888-01

              The Word Carrier.
VOLUME   XVII.
HKI.lMNc;   THE   BIGHT,   EXPOSING    iin    whom..
N 1   Mltl'lt     1.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
JANUARY. 1888.
FIT IV i i:\ts n:i; ykai:.
Oil!    I'LATKOIiM.
i*br Indians we want American Edu-
eation!    We  u<ani  American  Ilium*!
We want American Rights!    The result of which is American Citizenship!
When The Word Carries parted
from its Dakota counterpart, The
Iapi Oaye, and they became two
distinct papers, The Word Carrier
began a new series, of which it has
now completed four volumes. But
with this number we take up the old
series again; and this is volume
seventeen, instead of volume five.
With this volume we take a step
ahead in several ways. For oue
thing, we open a department "For
Young People," whicli will furnish
just what young people's missionary
circles have been wanting. We do
not mean to keep older people out
of the young people's department,
nor prevent our young friends from
looking through the other pages for
tbe many interesting items they will
find there, too.
And now we ask the help of every
reader to introduce The Word Car-
rikr to as many as you can. Get
up a club. Or, if you cannot do it
yourself, find some one else to do it.
We have just received a list of seventeen names, with the cash, from
Miss Abby B. Nichols, of Fairfield,
Conn. That kind of a letter does
us good. And we believe it will do
good to every one of the seventeen
to whom The Word Carrier will
now carry its monthly message.
We wish to reach as many people
as we can. We have something to
tell them all.    Please introduce us.
yoiul tin- letter of the regulations,
But it is all in accordance with their
spirit.   Their spirit is that of Rome
in the days of the Inquisition. Inspector Bannister is a Romanist, we
are told. And the Romanists have
control of the Indian Bureau.
The revised regulations in regard
to the vernacular are issued. We
will publish them in our February
number. Great concessions were
promised; hut, with one exception,
the new regulations are more intolerant (ban ever. We are allowed to
open our out-station schools again,
but no while missionary is permitted
to teach in one of them. The astounding claim that the Indian
Commissioner has authority to limit
or allow missionary work is maintained more decidedly than ever.
No doubt what we say may be
improved upon ; but we prefer, nevertheless, to have our own say about
things, and be responsible for our
own words. In our last number the
printer made us say that "as soon
as the real drift of this assumption
of power is seen by the free citizens
of these United States, they will cull
a halt on this Old World tyrant."
Whal we really wrote was, that "the
free citizens of these United States
will call a halt on this Old World
tyran ny." We have 110 time for personal criminations. The evil lies
deeper than in the administration
of individuals. It lies in institutions
and ideas. When tbey become perverted tbey become the instruments
of evil even in the ha nds of good men.
We ask a careful reading for our
first article on the second pnge, "The
Real Issue." A great deal has been
done for the Indian, and people
wonder that it does so little good.
Perhaps we may lind out why it is,
and stop the blundering work thai is
of no use. Let us stop this threading needles with cart-ropes, or sending watches to be repaired" by the
blacksmith.
The latest phase of the vernacular
prohibition is thai Inspector Bannister has begun to regulate our Sab-
bath niid week-day church services.
He lias prescribed the number of
'times each week our missionaries at
Grand River Station can hold religious service in Dakota. It makes US
rub our eyes to see whether we are
in America or not. There was a
time when such regulations were in
order in Spain and Italy; but uever
in this country before.
We think the Inspector goes be-
A strong combination is at work
at Washington to secure the passage
of a bill for the opening of the Sioux
Reservation. Those niosl interested
are the towns that lie stranded along
the Missouri River, who would stir
heaven and earth and hell as well,
for some tide to float them into prosperity. With ihem are the Black
Hills communities, who, having secured one railroad, are now desper-
atly hunting for others to deliver
I hem from the clutches of Dial one.
The railroads, too, have an eye on
the game, which is the chance to
haul in deluded settlers (o those alkali plains; and afterwards supply
them with fuel and food—for a consideration.
The Indians also arc going to have
their say about it. A delegation will
soon go to Washington from Cheyenne Eiver and Standing Hock Agencies, and perhaps from other points.
Ostensibly they go to secure better;
terms in what they may think to be
an inevitable sale. They propose
to ask for money instead of (lie cat- 1
tie it has been the intention of the I
government to give them. They
may be long-headed enough to see
that they have si ill the veto on the
bill, and this will not really effect !
the final vote. But we fear not. It
seems to us that there is something
maloderous in that benevolent woodpile. It looks much like a cunning
move on the pari of the wire-pullers
to get the Indian chiefs and principal men thus committed to some
scheme for opening the reservation.
They will purchase their support to
I the whole scheme by securing for
them (heir demand in regard to
minor details of it. If so, it is a
most adroit move.
For without question il is not to
the interest of the Indians to have
the reservation opened at this time.
A year ago, before the passage of
fche general severalty law, it was desirable that they should have some
means of securing individual titles;
but now this is secured in the severalty law and the Indians have begun to adius! themselves to its provisions. Ii would only disturb them
to now canvass new boundaries for
their locations.
Again, there is little enough good
agricultural land in the whole re
serve for the Indians. And tiny
should* have the lirsl chance to
choose it. They are just beginning
to understand whal a farm is for
and what kind of a location is of
auy value to them. If it had uoi
been fche policy of the government to
corral them at the Agencies lor so
long, they might   have  learned this
sooner. Consequently we should
Bee to ii thai the; have a fair ohance
now. The reservation is poorenough
soil for ail Indian coiuniunin to
lake root in as farmers without pulling them nil up just as they begin
to get started. ll.-i\ ins begun to attach themselves lo (he soil, llle\
should     be   let!    Ulldisllirbed    for   a
term of years. Then, when thej
are well located, the remainder of
their laud can  be throw 11 open   lor
a burying-ground for the white Bel
dements around.
No: it is not for the interest of
the Indians 10 have this reservation
opened now. I.el those who advocate it be made to confess that il   is
purely in the interest of land-grabbers, the railroads, and speculators
in town lots.
Kirk's Illustrated History of Minnesota is an engaging book. Il begins with the days of the French
Yoy.-igetirs, describes the Indian occupants of the country, tells the
story of the days before Minnesota
was even a Territory, and (hen
brings down the accoiinl through
Territorial limes ami Statehood to
the present. The lirsl half of the
book, which deals with the earlier
times, will excite the most interest.
It is a story graphically and truthfully  told.     And   the   illustrations,
though not in the highest style of
art, are very good, and really illustrate   the   book.     The   faces   and
scenes portrayed are recognizable,
which is not often (he case. The
sixty pages of Appendix notes and
references will  be found one of Ihe
most interesting parts of the book.
It Would be almost impossible lo
gather such a variilv of material
together, much of il from original
sources, and gleaned oftentimes
from descriptions that are imperfect or misleading, without some
errors. One such we lind on page
88, where the Mdewakanlonwaiis
are said to be one of the four bands
of (he Santees.    I usfcead of ibis, the
Mdewakaiitonwans are the Santees.
It is true that white men on the Missouri River and westward, with utter
disregard of the facts, call all the
Minnesota Sioux Sanlees; bill a
Minnesota writer should keep to the
truth, if he knows it.
And   in   the   helpful  map thai in
troduoes the book  are some things
for which we know of no shadow of
proof.    Thus, Hie Yanktons are pul
down as residing in Hie angle of the
Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.
But neither their name (Dwellers at
tin End), nor any tradition that we
know   of, countenances  this.      The
Omahas, also, are strangely located
iii the southeastern pari of Minnesota. We ask for proof of this : for
it does nol fall in with what we know
of their traditions and migrations.
The book is one worth buying and
keeping by all who are interested in
',\u- early history of this em miry. ]).
I). Merrill, SI. Paul, is Ihe publisher.
Rev. .biiiies Powell, I). I)., one of
the beloved Secretaries of (air American Missionary Association, died on
December27,1HK7. Eediedofover-
work. lie was working up to the very
last with his accustomed rivacityand
efficiency.    His candle has burnt to
the socket     brightly to Ihe end.
MI — ION  illl      \(> I I -.
NotM   irmii   ilif   MU-lon   SMJotM Of Oulie
iiitti BlmwUffl"Qrowim   Wortfc
son v    PROM    0 viii
Mr. Riley, Superintendent of Indian  Schools, has  paid  Us  a  ll.v ina
visit.   Mr. ihiev is a gentleman of
prepoeSSSing  appearance, who sa>s
pleasant things in a verj agreeable
wav.     If  be  sa>s  as nice (line
us as  be  said  to us, we shall prob
ablv figure enviably in  bis next re
port.
Our school is (shall we say is
equipped or are equipped? our
English   is  getting a little   mixed
since   We    have    been    compelled    lo
have so 11111.-11 anil BUOh a varielv ol
il ; however, we have disarmed cri!
icisin by acknovlodging our possible
ignorance) equipped with dumbbells, for which we are indebted t<>
Hie generositj oi  Mrs. Farnam, of
New   Haven, ami Ihe eolirtes.V of the
John Wilkinson Companj. of I 'hi
eago, who, through then- secretary,
Mr. W. I-'. Conklin, gave us a liberal
discount.
We have liflv live scholars in (Muscimol home, and there are "more
to   follow."    We   caimol   pul on an
extension ibis cold weather bj lei
tillg them sleep with their leel oil!
Hie windows, bill we propose pad,
ing Ihe  hoys  into Hieir attio dornn
torj spoon fashion, which will en
able   us  lo take several more.     The
siie tor our boys' home is already
chosen :  and, in  OUT muni's eve, we
see the shadowy outline oi a oomroi 1
able home, wbicb shall relieve the
pressure on Ibis.      Nothing is Heeded
bui ihe opening of th< pocket books
of our Eastern friends to make ibis
shadowy outline a reality.
Mills    mini    sissiton.
Mrs.Sarah Benedict)recentlj from
Sioux Fails, is spending ihe winter
wiln her mice, Miss White.
Martha Bain returned  from \\or
thington, Minn., in September,  She
is very helpful to the school iii many
ways.
Miss Mma Phelps from Chester,
Minn., wins golden opinions by the
way she matronizes the Teachers'
t'lub, ami the good   influence she
has over He   large boys.
Mr. Adams' house is so far com
pleted Ibat Hie family have taken
possesion of it ami find il very comfortable, lis outward appearance
adds verv miu-li In (be looks of Hie
"X ill:..
Mr. and Mrs. Muck, after a sojourn   iu   Hie   new shops, are   now
fairly settled in their own quarters.
The shops are not yet sufficiently
finished to In  in operation, but we
hope they may fe before long.
I'. S. Indian inspector Bannister
made us a visit nol long ago. lie
expressed himself as much pleased
wiib the school generally, and particularly commended the work done
in the school-room.
I'. S. Morris left home early iii
September.a ml is attending the State
University al Minneapolis. John
Butler, from Sisseton, and T. ('.
Williamson, from Yankton Agency,
are among the students al Macules-
ler ('ollege this year.