The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1889-08

              The Word Carrier.
VOLUME   XVIII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
NUMBER   8.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBBASKA.
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
tlieir Salvation.
AUGUST, 1889.
FIFTY CENTS PEE YEAE.
The Chippewa Commission have
succeeded, without much difficulty
in securing the cession by the Chippewa Indians at Bed Lake of all
of then- reservation except a comparatively small portion. What
is still reserved to them is said
hoAvever, to be sufficient to give
160 acres to every man, Avomen and
child among them.
In the report last month of our
Mission Council the attendence of
Bev. John E. Smith, of our Ponca
Mission, was by some slip not noted.
On account of the smallness of the
Ponca held Mr. Smith sustains the
double relation to those people of
Missionary and Government Teacher. His work is a proof of the
success Avhich is sure to attend such
patient, Avhole-souled labor as his.
Much also is due to the courage and
helpfulness of his Avife. These
Poncas are the portion of the tribe,
about one third, that returned from
Indian Territory. According to all
accounts, they are doing better in
every Avay than those who have remained doAvn there.
The Dakota Catholic tries to draw
comparisons betAveen the Avork of
the Sioux Commission andtheChip-
pewa Commission, all to the credit
of the latter, of Avhich Bishop Marty
happens to be a member. But this
is cheap credit, for the people they
have to deal with and the conditions
are very different. The ChippeAva
Commission have had nothing more
than the ordinary difficulties to
meet; while the Sioux Commission
have had to go Avhere Iavo other Commissions have already failed, and
where many strong influences are
Avorking, both secretly and openly,
against them. In such a case
comparisons are truly odious.
The American Antiquarian for
July, 1889, is at hand. Its principal
article, "The Architecture of the
Civilized Baces of America," by the
editor, Stephen 13. Peet, is very interesting and valuable. It has another article: "Mortuary Devices,
etc., by Ellen Bussell Emerson,
which is an endeavor to mix together
the symbolism of Egypt, China,
India, Britain and the North American Indians. Its principle is that if
something is so in Egypt and something is so in China, that therefore
a third thing in North America is
so also. We see no connection 111
the reasoning. And as for all the
North American Indians we know
about, the writer's statements are
inaccurate, and the conclusions absurd.—S. D. Peet, Mendon, 111.,
$4.00.	
1 1    FROM FOBMER PUPILS.
I am going to tell you few things
We are all well and having good
times.   I think of you a great deal
and wanted to write to you, but I
have no chance to write.
We came here last Friday. 1 was
very lonesome while we are in our
way, but after I come back here all
my folks are here so I was real
happy.
We had good services last Sunday
morning and afternoon, and on
Wednesday afternoon we had a
meeting for only the women and
girls. I am to lead this meeting
next time. I am very thankful to
Cod that he send me here and he
gave me such nice place for me to
stay sol can do something for Jesus.
IaviII try and do the best I knoAvhow.
I always remember all the King's
Laughters, and all the teachers and
pupils at Santee.
Bosalie De Coteau.
Rosebud Agency, S. D.
I am so busy since 1 came here
at Mr. Hall's field, and I haven't
been much to A'isit my people.
When I went my home 1 couldn't
hardly stay their house, so I go back
to Mr. Hall. My aunt's children
all Avent to school at Stevenson.
Now I have met aU her children.
The Superintendent askmeif lean
stay a little Avhile, about tAvo Aveeks,
to help to play on the organ and
also reading the Bible and pray in
my language. Because they can
understand Avhat I say to God. I
have a Sunday School class. Now
some girls thinks to go to the right
way, and promise to love God and
his son.
July 4th, When I Avas at Bismarck
there is a great time. White people
and Indians. They had a mixed
drill, white people and Indians.
The Indians all were dress up in
their AA'ays. They wear leggins,
blankets, croAvn feathers, sword,
shield, and paint, and also pipe
using. I couldn't laugh at them.
The White folks dress up nicely,
except Indian ; I Avas ashamed for
them, but I could not help it.
Well, I am alone, some of the
pupils Avent to their home. I came
to stay Avith my cousin.
Ernest C. Hopkins.
Fort Stevenson, N; 1).
I would like to Avrite a few lines
to you this morning before I go to
Miss Dickson. I been here Avith
Mr. Sterling's family for three days
waiting for my trunk, but it has not
come yet, but perhaps it might come
today because today the express
man will come.
I must tell you little about my
journey with Mr. Sterling. Well,
Avhen I first came away I feel so
bad that I feel so I was not going to
speak for a week; but we met Mr.
Sterling's mother on the way, and
she talk to me and ask me questions
about the school, so I talk with her
great deal, so after all I enjoy my
journey. ^
I met one of the K. D. on the Avay.
She knew me by my silver cross.
She came to me and ask me if I was
one of the King's Daughters so I told
her I was, and she said she was too.
She ask me where is my home and
where I was going, so I told her all
about it. And when we came to
Bushville, I met one at the Hoyt
House. Mr. Sterling and I, we was
in a sitting room and she came there
too, and talk Avith her a Avhile, and
she ask me to play on the organ for
her. I did, and she was so pleased
to hear the music.
This is all for the first time.    •
Lizzie T. Payson.
Pine Ridge Agency, S. D.
THE APPOINTMENT OF INDIAN
A<JK\TS.
We have commended very heartily the Administration's policy of appointing only residents of territories
to territorial offices. This policy of
home rule is sound and just; but in
the case of the Indian agencies it is
being pushed a little too far. For
Indian agents men of peculiar qualifications are needed. If they can
be found in the state or territory
Avhere the reservations are situated
Avell and good; but fit men, the best
men are needed, and there should be
no bar to selecting them from any
state. If the appointments are to
be made according to the principle
the politicians insist upon, the result
will be the deterioration of the Indian service, for it will practically
throAV all the poAver into the hands
of local politicians, most of whom
have no faith in the Indian,no desire
for his improvement, and no scruples
in dealing Avith him. Their constituencies are not yet up to the point of
upholding them in any broad or
generous action, and no men under
such conditions can be expected
to stand alone, much less to face a
possibly antagonistic public opinion.
If the politicians have their Avay
it will be less then ever a question of
thebestmen fertile place, and atthis
crisis in Indian affairs when the one
thing essential to development on
the lines of citizenship, is that the
agencies should be under the control
of educated, capable and honest officials, any giving Avay at Washington
Avill very greatly imperil the Indian's
best interests.
Those avIio are most familiar with,
and best able to judge of the present
status of our Indian tribes, claim
that OA'er one-half of them are today
ready for civilization, and that what
their friends have to do is to see that
they get a fair start. They are men
who in some directions have not out-
groAvn childhood, and need teachers
as well as leaders. Their rate of
progress will be directly dependent
upon the influences which immediately surround them, and these influences center'in the personality of the
agent or other official into Avhose
hands they may fall. It cannot,
therefore,be too often reiterated that
the appointing poAver i s the key to the
situation. Wliy that should be given
overtothe stateswhich arenoAvclaim-
ing it is difficult to understand, for the
ReserA'ations are as much outside of
state jurisdiction as is the District of
Columbia; interference Avith the one
is just as legitimate as Avith the other.
The success of this policy Avould for
many reasons be especially discouraging to those who are working inthe
hope of a near solution of the problem
■of Indian administration. It would
indefinitely postpone the civilizing
processes Avhich are just beginning to
make themselves felt, and, considered merely as a political measure, it is
certainly not necessary. It is, therefore,to be hoped that no action Avhich
is in the nature of a precedent, will
be taken by the officials at Washington, until they have carefully
studied the situation, and are ready
to accept the results Avhich will in-
eA'itably folloAV upon such a shifting
of responsibility as is involved in
this latest scheme for the protection of the'Svards of the nation."—
The Independent.
THE   1MMNTING   CLASS.
The folloAving table is a record of
the last two Aveek's Avork in May.
A comparison of this report Avith
that contained in the last number
of The Word Caiuuer will show a
decided improvement in the averages of each pupil in the class.
(HAS.   Ii.   I. WVSON.
The Sunday-school recently started among the Avhite settlers south of
us on the Beservation is constantly
growing. 3G were in attendance one
Sunday, 39 the next, and 44 the next,
and this last Sunday 74. The
superintendent, Mr. E. H. Scotford,
and the chorister, Miss Ella Worden,
from Santee School, with the corps
of local officers are progressive Avorkers. This timely Sunday School
enterprise in connection with the
short, pointed sermons of F. B.
Eiggs, will, we trust, bring abundant
fruit. The work will continue Avhen
he has gone from us, since he has
started the ball a rolling. These people have anarchists in their locality
to battle Avith, who are trying to dis-
uade the youngmen from attendance
upon these meetings,andare circulating Mrs. Parson's book and literature of a similar character as
much as possible. It is said that one
of the ladies of the Sunday-school
showed this socialistic advocate the
door when he began to advocate his
doctrine. Pray for these people that
they may have enough of divine
wisdom and grit to meet the necessities ofthe case. Bev. Mr. Belknap
preached there this last Sunday,
August 4, and will preach there
again in two weeks.