The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1888-05

              The Word Carrier.
VOLUME    XVII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING    THE    WRONG
NUMBER    •">.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
1/
FIFTY CENTS l'Kl! YKA11.
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f
OUR PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Education! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! The result of which is American Citizenship!
And the Gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation.
This is a Fort Berthold Mission
number, and about four hundred
extra copies of it are sent out to
those specially interested in that
mission. To them we will say, that
The Word Caebier will continue to
have something from Berthold in
its future numbers, and our missionaries there ask their friends,
one and all, to subscribe for the
paper, so as to keep track of them.
Our veteran missionaries, now retired from active service, have our
frequent remembrance. The Wobd
Caeeier is ahvays pleased to carry
any news of them. Mr. and Mrs.
Jonas Pettijohn are still living at
Green, Kan. Uncle Jonas keeps in
the industrious ways of his youth by
making brooms; and we warrant they
arc good brooms, too.
Rev. Samuel W. Pond, one of the
very first missionaries to the Dakotas. is at his home at Shakopee,
Minn., ami write.-; us a letter in a
good clear hand, giving some items
about others, though but few of
himself. He says that Miss Jeru-
sha Edwards, who was before our
time, paid him a visit last summer,
and though iioav seA-enty years old,
was as lively and energetic as a
iveekoshkah. Miss Edwards' address is Judsonville, Ark.
Rev. Mr. Potter and his Avife are
living in Michigan. Mrs. Alexander
Huggins lives at Oakland, Cal.
Mrs. -lane HotsclaAV is iioav to be
addressed at No. G35 McCulloh-st.,
Baltimore, Md., her brother, Captain Huggins, having been transferred from Fort Walla Walla, W.
T., to the Atlantic Coast. "Aunt
Jane," Miss Jane S. Williamson, is
at her home in St. Peter, Minn.
Mrs. Gideon Pond, Edward R. Pond
and family, and Mr. and Mrs. H.
D. Cunningham, are at Bloomington, Minn. Mrs. Lucy Drake is at
Dayton, Ky., and, Ave are sorry to
hear, is in poor health. Her sister,
Mrs. Mary Worcester, is at Lead-
ville, Col. Mrs. S. R. Riggs is at
her home at Beloit, Wis.
Of more recent workers, Ave have
a feAv notes. Mrs. Lucinda Ingham,
now Mrs. Lovell, is at Pendleton
Centre, N. Y. Miss Eda L. Ward
is now Mrs. Potts, of Appleton, Wis.
Miss Martha A. Shepard has retired from the work among the
Musquakies at Tama City, Iowa,
and is at Barahoo, Wis. Miss So-
phronia B. Pike is iioav at Clayville,
Oneida County, N. Y. Miss Rachel
A." Faxon is at home at East Bram-
tree, Mass. Miss Martha M. Paddock and her sister, Miss Sarah,
are residing in Minneapolis, Minn.
We close these notes with a word
from the surviving patriarch of our
mission, Samuel W. Pond: "I am
glad to hear your work prospers.
Mav you Avho are teachers all be
wise to Aviii souls, and may many of
your pupils be wise unto salvation.
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs has felt it necessary to bolster
up his vernacular orders by publishing in a pamphlet the corres
pondence upon which said orders
are justified. Much of it consists
of generalities about the advantages
of English, which everybody admits,
but which does not touch the practical question of the necessary uses
of the vernacular. The letters from
the Indian country are by those
whose tenure of office depends upon
the Commissioner, and Avho write
for their market. But one letter
is paraded quite at length as that of
"a clergyman of the denomination
(Congregational) Avhich has been
principally active in opposing the
order," Rev. G. A. Jameson, Avhose
prominence in the denomination is
shoAvn by the fact that his name has
not appeared in the Congregational
Year Book since 1885. And the
value of his testimony is seen in
such statements as this: " The
Indian will learn our tongue as
readily as he will acquire a knowledge of his own Avritten language."
General Whittlesey, Secretary of
the Board of Indian Commissioners, asks: "If an English education is best for the 14,000 pupils enrolled in Government [schools], why
is it not best for the 400 enrolled in
the mission schools ?" But 14,000
and 400 does not represent the relation of the Government and mission
schools: for the Government takes
the credit of aU the pupils in the
mission schools to whicb it contributes any aid. And, as most of the
mission schools have some aid, it
leaves very feAv to represent the
great mission school work.
Nor do Ave agree that an English
education, as the Indian Bureau
limits it by its orders, is best for
the pupils of GoA-emment schools.
The instruction they get is too meagre—too superficial—too devoid of
moral character to be allowed.
INDIAN    LIFE    AT    11KUTI IOl. 1).
The following resolutions are refreshingly vigorous:
Whereas, we regard the righf to enjoy
and to teach the Gospel of Christ to our
fellow-men, as our most sacred inheritance, as American citizens; and whereas
this cannot be done successfully among
the Indians without the use of the Bible
and other books in the Indian vernacular, therefore,
Resolved, first, that wc, the Congregational Association of Ohio, while sympathizing with the purpose of the National
government to hasten the acquaintance of
Indian tribes with the English tongue, do
hereby respectfully but earnestly and indignantly protest against what seems to
us its unwarranted and despotic usurpation of power, in forbidding the use of
the Indian vernacular in these independent mission schools with whicli the Government has absolutely no connection,
and for which it has no responsibility.
Second. That Ave cannot wonder that
our deA'oted teachers and missionaries in
such schools should feel justified in going
on as usual with their work, in utter disregard of this impracticable and un-American order, which smacks of the spirit of
the Turkish or Russian government rattier than that of the Constitution of the
United States. Aud we further suggest
that it might be wise for the American
Missionary Association, in case the Indian Commissioner should attempt to enforce the order, to try the expediency of
having served upon him an injunction, to
the end that the validity of the order
might be tried, by the Supreme Court.
Third. That Ave urge upon the Government as a duty, and demand as a right,
that the objectionable order be rescinded
at tlie earliest possible moment.
Fourth. That the scribe of this Association be instructed to forward a copy of
these resolutions to His Excellency, the
President of the United States.
Some of the  C'uslolns of tho AA'ihl   Indians
that NetMl Mor«! Missionaries.
One issue day, Avhich comes every
other Saturday, a young man
called the young men together and
personated Mr. Hall, holding a
service of prayer, preaching, singing, etc.,. much to the glee of a
large class of the young men.
This young man had hitched his
horse quite a little Avay from the
place of gathering, and, Avhen he
went to get him, he found him
dead. The people all told him it
Avas because he had clone so to the
Sacred man. So you see there is
much reverence for the Gospel and
its messengers, even in heathen
hearts.
We read in the Bible of excuses
being made for refusing the gospel.
Our Indians do same thing.
Sometimes some of the leading
men who are seekers after the truth
have assisted Mr. Hall in calling
the people to church. One morning the folloAving excuses Avere
made: "Hoav many cups of coffee
AA'ill you give us?" "You did not
come to see me Avhen you were up
the river, so I Avill not come to hear
j you preach." "I must look after
1 my horses." "I must travel home
to-day, as it is a long way." "There
is no one to take care of the house."
The majority promise: "We will
come," and do not. "I will be present," one said, "when you come to
our settlement, but here I cannot."
Ahvays some are gathered.
Our little boys have been
punished sometimes, when very
naughty in school, by being put to
bed. One day a little boy was
called by his teacher, who said,
"Mrs. Hall Avants you to come to
SAveep your room." The little boy
at once assumed a very indignant
manner and began to shake his
head violently. His teacher said,
"Why, Fred, Mrs. Hall Avants you
to go over and SAveep your room."
He continued shaking his head,
and, although he has been in school
only since the fall, he said, "I run
home to the village." It finally
daAvned upon the teacher's puzzled
mind at about the same time that
some scholar interpreted to the boy,
that this boy thought he Avas being
sent home to bed, and he said, "I
not go up-stairs;" and then he Avent
willingly to SAveep his room.
most earnestly against the interference of the Government Avith
missionary work among the Indians,
in the matter of the use of the ver-
nacular,asunjust,un-American,and
demand that the orders referred to
be revoked." One warm champion
of the Indian's cause thought that
the man who presumed to limit our
number of religious services should
be tarred and featheredjand washed
off in the old Missouri, or, better
still, taken out to the bad lands and
left there among the fossils. The
Association passed also a resolution recognizing in the Indian work
so near them an especial opportunity.
Mr. Riggs has gone to Grand
River to superintend the building
of the hospital there, and his superintendence means a great deal
more than mere oA'erseeing. He is
accompanied by Mr. Cross, Mr.
Collins, and a house carpenter. It
gave even missionaries a near i dea
of the adventures of niissonary life
to see Mr. Riggs start off with a
pair of half-broken horses for the
long drive of one hundred and fifty
miles, and Mr. Cross driving a
heavy wagon loaded with building
tools, camping outfit, and all the
paraphernalia necessary for a long
absence and lots of hard work.
THE   CONGREGATIONAL   CI.I'M.
FROM   OAHE.
Six of our pupils Avere present
at the spring meeting of the Dakota Central Association of Congregational ministers and churches,
held at Aurora, D. T., May 8 and 9.
Our AA'ork Avas given a place on the
programme on both afternoon and
evening of the 9th, and our pupils
sang in Dakota and in English.
The school children of Aurora were
present at the afternoon service,
and our little ones were to many, a
new revelation of what the Indian
is, and the older ones of our little
company possibly a new revelation
of Avhat he is capable of becoming.
It was very delightful to find that,
in this part of the Territory at least,
Christian people are in perfect accord and sympathy with our work.
The folloAving resolution Avas passed
by the Association. "Resolved,
That Ave as  an Association protest
A   Plea   .Allele   !<>   tlie   President   for  More
ITreedom in Mission Scliools.
The May festival of the Chicago
Congregational Club took place on
the eA'ening of May 21 at the Grand
Pacific, preceded by a supper at
which 450 ladies and gentlemen sat
down. After an cxcellcnl meal had
been well disposed of, a number of
addresses were made upon temperance reform. Doctor Gilberl read
the following address, which had
been prepared by a committee for
forwarding to the President:
To His Excellency, Grover Cleveland, PlJESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:
The Chicago Congregational Club, composed of ministers and laymen representing the (longregational churches of < !hi-
cago and vicinity, respectfully ask a
modification of the orders of the Indian
Bureau in reference in teaching in the
vernacular in missionary schools. We
do nut particularize as to details, but urge
the right to a larger freedom in the lise
of missionary means t i ChristiaAize and
civilize the Indians, and we present this
petition for the following, among other
reasons:
First. The various missionary societies have a large force of teachers, both
white and native, who are trained in the
use of the Indian vernacular in teaching,
and there are also a large number of Indians wholly unacquainted witb English,
many of them too old lo learn it, who
must remain without instruction, if these
teachers are prevented from teaching.
Second. When adequate provision for
the education of the Indians is not made
by Government, Ave submit that private
individuals, working through missionary
societies, ought nol to be prohibited from
carrying religion and knowledge to them
by means of thai language through which
they are accessible, and thus not Indwell
upon the paramount missionary motive
which actuated them, but, in addition
thereto, because.
Third. An educated Indian is worth
more to the Nation than an ignorant one,
even though it be in his native vernacular, and,
Fourth. The Christian Indian is of
more value to the country at large than a
heathen barbarian.
We, therefore, urge this matter upon
the consideration of your Excellency,
and ask appropriate relief in the premises.