The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1894-01

              The Word Carrier
VOLUME   XXIII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
NUMBER 1.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBBASKA.
JANUARY, 1804.
FIFTY CENTS PEE YEAB.
OUR  PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Edu
cation! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! The re
suits of which is American Citizenship!
And the gospel is the Power of God for
tlieir Salvation!
The Lower Brule case is another
instance of rank injustice caused by
a treaty forced upon a tribe of Indians. The way to keep such a
treaty is to break it. These Indians
were induced to sign one thing and
to believe in another. The men
who made
the promises are dead.
But the legal document lives;
and holds
the Indians
in its inexorable grip.
They are being dragoon
ed into ac
quiescence.
The mean
and the dispirited ones
ai enow eulogized, while
any who
have spirit
above that
of a dog,
or have put
faith in the
government
promises,
are branded as renegades and
when caught
are put at
enforced labor.
No man in
South Dakota stands higher in the
regard of the Indians of that state
than Senator Pettigrew. He has
taken a warm, personal interest
in them and has earnestly worked
to secure their welfare. He has
done this at times and in ways which
prove that he has been actuated only by conscientious motives to do
what is just and right by them. His
efforts in behalf of the Lower Brules have come from his conviction
that the government is morally
bound to carry out the promise of
General Crook as against the treaty
which is causing the present trouble
The Waldron-Blacktomahawk decision proves to be like sawing off the
limb one stands on. Already bills
are being introduced in Congress
to quiet title on the reservation
lands thrown open to settlement by
late treaties. If the mixed-bloods
are not Indians the votes they cast
for these treaties are illegal. And as
the treaties depended on their votes
they are null and void. The Sioux
Indians can therefore now take
measures to reclaim the ceded lands
and disposess the settlers.
INDIAN   PONIES.
These are among the most severely abused of animals. But the
abuse is largely due to ignorance-
Miss Lord has been very successful
in spreading "horse sense" among
the Indians.    She makes this one
of the features of her missionary
work, and we are hoping to see
large results from the broader appreciation of the worth of kindness
and intelligent care. Miss Lord
says: "I find the Indian men seemingly interested in all the illustrations in my horse books, and I always try in my explanations to
them to tack on a practical moral
for their everyday application ! A
picture showing the position of the
lungs, for instance, naturally suggests that horses if over-driven become broken-winded.   A vein of the
delicate anatomy of the foot suggests the care it ought to have. The
muscular system illustrated furnishes the text for proper hardening
of the muscles by nourishing food
and right kind of exercise. Looking at a picture of the skeleton I
was telling some of 'our boys'
about the relative position and
length of certain bones in trotting
horses as compared with the same
in heavier animals for draft. They
listened attentively arid then one
quietly said to his neighbor that his
own horse had the formation for
, speed, as I had indicated. One even-
| ing, during my up river trip, I got
into this subject with one of our native teachers and some of his neighbors. All seemed interested in the
subject,and one of them said : 'The
Dakotas don't know these things!'
That is too evident."
Santee Normal Training School.
We give here a view of one-half of the grounds and buildings of Santee
Normal Training School. As we view it here, we stand ou the west side
of the campus and look eastward. The street that divides the school
settlement in two, lies just to the left of the picture. On the north side
of the street are Whitney Hall, Perkins Hall, The Boys' Cottage, the shops,
and the four cottages.
Our school is comfortably and, in the main, conveniently housed. Our
dining hall is an unusually complete and pleasant building. The school
room accommodations are, however, not what are needed. The school
rooms are scattered here and there and the main school has to make use
of the chapel, to the detriment of both school and chapel. A new school
building and a new chapel are among our dreams.
Santee cannot complain of lack of notice. It is widely known and
generously mentioned. This is accounted for in part by its age and
geographical position. Under its present name it is now twenty-three
years old. And it stood away out in what was then and for years after
its beginning "the wilderness." But many have been called to give attention to Santee because of the fights in which it. has been engaged, and in
which it bas always won. All Have admired its pluck, and many have
become converted from opponents to colaborers and friends. For the
thing that has given Santee its pluck and bottom is that it has had ideas.
Its best reward is that its ideas are coming into such general favor.
We have now come to one of the turning points in our history. The
abandonment of government subsidy has necessarily brought temporary
curtailment. While the teaching force is not diminished very much, the
number of pupils is cut down to less than half But the average quality
of pupils is much higher, as selection is possible. And the freedom
from political relations will be felt in very many ways. The development of the school along its own lines and in carrying out its ideas will
be more perfectly accomplished and more rapidly done than would
have been possible before. "       .-;...   / ".
Provided, that the Christian people, who support the school by their
gifts, can see the large work it has in hand, and can thoroughly realize
that it is their school and that its success depends upon their faith and
cooperation. Have faith in your school, and have faith in God. Then
let all work for it.
CHRISTMAS AT THE DAKOTA HOME.
We wanted agood, long Christmas,
so commenced ours on .Sunday at
nine o'clock p.m. at prayers. Most
of the girls recited verses of their
own choosing, having reference
to Christ's
birth. A joyous hymn
was sung,
prayer offered, then
a few questions were
asked and
answered
about why
we celebrate
Christmas,
followed by
a little talk
about Love.
Each girl
was then
given small
tokens of
love and
good will
from the
matron and
her daughter.
At bedtime
the stockings we r e
all hung in
a row, and a
merry lot of
girls went up
stairs with
the promise
that they might come down at five
o'clock in the morning and have all
the fun they could until breakfast.
It took a great deal less time to
take out the candy, nuts, oranges,
doughnuts, potatoes and ears of
popcorn with which the stockings
were filled than it did toput them in,
but any amount more noise. All
the morning merry greetings were in
order with some interchange of gifts.
The regular work in the Home
was quickly finished. Through
the day the girls worked well and
cheerfully in the l'ining Hall or
wherever needed. At 4 o'clock p.m.
the dinner for two hundred people
was ready. The Dakota Home girls
served as waiters, and received a
well earned compliment from Dr.
Biggs for their promptness and neatness. The dinner and speeches consumed over two hours time. Then
all went to the Chapel to share in
the fruit of the Christmas tree.
The Home girls were generously
remembered. After this, they went
again to the Dining Hall and worked with a will, clearing and setting tables, washing dishes and helping put things in order for the next
morning.
About 10 o'clock all came home
very tired but very happy, declaring it had been a long but perfectly
lovely Christmas day.        a. c s.
Santee Normal Training School Press,
Santee Agbncy, Neb.