The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1896-04

              The Word Carrier
t
volume  XXV.
HELPING  the  right, exposing  the wrong.
NUMBER 4.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
APRIL, l8Q6.
FLFTY CENTS PEEYEAB.
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 Poiver of God for
their Salvation'
AflEK  XEN YEARS.
At Santee Agency we have been in
pursuit of justice now for ten years.
We may say that we have measurably succeeded. Our first work,
when the Santees were stepping out
of their tribal relations, was the
organization of the community into
civil order under our state laws.
It took about five years to work up
into this. The culmination of this
work of civil organization was the
establishing of the local justice
court. Last January marked the
completion of five years of service
by Justice Lawson who" has made
tliis court a success.
The obstacles to be overcome
were first, the ignorance of the
Indians in regard to our ideas of
civil order. For instance it was a
step of great significance when
the organization of the Indian
community was based upon residence in geographical districts and
not according to tribal relationship,
relation by neighborhood instead
of by birth was to them a revolutionary idea.
Another obstacle lay in the paternal care of the government. By
habit and the law of routine this
paternal care is generally exercised
in doing for the Indian rather than
Laving him do for himself.' Even
when he goes to exercise his franchise as a citizen voter it is at first
taken for granted that the United
States Agent will put a ballot in his
band and "vote him."
It also takes time and effort to
awaken the Indian's interest in these
new relationships and new duties.
His conservatism and inertia are
much in the way of movement in
new things. After a while he finds
that civil relations in the new order
bring him individual influence and
dignity which makes the duties involved less irksome. He finds that
laws give protection as well as restraint and he begins to value its
right administration. At first Justice Lawson was the best abused
man in the county. And there
were many who laid up a grudge
against him after having to appear
at his court. But when their turn
came to be pleaders for justice they
discovered the use of law and the
benefit of impartial judgment. They
are now sorry to see Mr. Lawson
step out of office.
The white citizens of our county
the have had much to learn. At first
policy of economy led them to count
the Indians as parties for whom they
were not responsible. So the bills
of our justice court were regularly
thrown out by our county commissioners. When however, drunkenness, riot and murder were the product of such neglect, and the costs
of Indian cases in the District Court
were piling up, it began to dawn on
the minds of the white people that
the way to meet the case was to
support the local courts; not only
as regards the public peace but as
a question of economy as well.
Affairs have taken a turn just now
which will give our work a back-set
for a time. Yet it is a part of
the battle. The appointment of a
United States Commissioner in the
county has turned many cases to
the United States court at Omaha
which should have been handled in
our county and state courts. What
the United States court has done
for the maintenance of law on
this Santee Agency during the ten
years is not worth mentioning. The
United States laws, in their relation
to citizen Indians, are so ill defined
and so many points are at issue in
the courts, that very little can be
done under them. The U. S. court
has most to do with Indian liquor
cases. But the laws are inoperative, and the only good that prosecutions do is to bring fees to the
court officers and a little inconvenience to the transgressor.
Just now our county is being
switched off the track of regular
work by the idea that the United
States is now going to take care of
the Indian cases without expense to
the county. After a little it will be
seen to be a failure, and the county
will have to take up its responsibilities again. It will be all the harder then, for this temporary surrender of its proper functions now.
THE LEGEND OF PORCUPINE BUTTE.
Long years ago, so long ago that
these traditional circumstances are
told only by the older men of the
tribe, a young man was to be seen
wandering about,with a very downcast look upon his face. He might
well have been called the "Knight
of the Buefnl Countenance," had
anyone who saw him known e-
nough to give him the name. However, he had reason sufficient for
his very forlorn expression of countenance. For many days and
nights, had he and his companions
been searching for buffalo, without
the least success. And tbe people
were starving.
The young man climbed up on a
very high hill, standing by itself,
and there he searched the landscape
o'er. It was of no avail. He could
see nothing but the wide country,
its hills and valleys, and the pine
trees dotting the hillsides here
and there. His face grew more
down cast, and his vision more
troubled than ever.
Suddenly a voice broke upon the
stillness. "Why are you so sad at
heart," it said. The young man
gazed about him in astonishment.
He had seen no living being. "Who
spoke to me," was the thought. He
looked around him, but saw nobody.
"I must have been dreaming," he
said to himself, and again his countenance fell. But directly the same
voice spoke. "Why are you so sad ?
Why is your face so sorrowful?"
Again the young man looked about
him carefully. No human being
was visible. The only living thing
he saw was a porcupine, lying with
its head in a northerly direction.
"But that thing could never talk,"
the young man said softly to himself. However the procupine spoke
once more, and urged the young
man to tell him why his countenance
was so sad. Then the young man
answered that it was because they
could find no buffalo. "And my
people are starving," he said. _ The
porcupine said then to him, "Take
notice the way in which I am lying,
and where my head points. Follow
on in that direction, and you will
surely find buffalo." The young
man believed what the porcupine
had told him, and gathered the men
together. Once more they started
on their quest for buffalo. This
time they were successful. The
porcupine had spoken truly. Never
were buffalo more abundant. The
people starved no more.
So in gratitude to the porcupine,
the hill was named Pahinsintela
Paha, or Porcupine Butte. And so
it remains to this day.    M. B. M.
Porcupine, S. D.. April 13, r8ao\
WHITNEY HALL LIBRARY.
For several years it has been our
great desire to have a collection of
good books within easy reach of
our family of young men. Four
years ago a worn copy of "Webster's
Unabridged" and a few small copies
of the Dakota Hymn book were the
only books in Whitney Hall. As a
matter of course books did not enter
into the life of the boys as a necessity or a pleasure. They would look
at the pictures but the books were
roughly handled and soon torn,
whenever one was left in their sitting-rooms. Leisure hours were
spent idly talking or playing games.
None of the boys had ever seen
more than a half-dozen books together in one place. About two years
ago a letter from the Congregational
church of Mansfield, Ohio, saying
that one hundred books were on the
way to Whitney Hall, was almost too
good to believe. When the boxes
came there were nearly twice that
number. They were unpacked with
shouts of delight, the whole family of
boys assisting. Smaller packages
have been received since from many
I kind friends, until we have now a
library of five hundred volumes.
Last fall one of our printer boys
printed some neat labels which read
as follows:
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Besides being of great value to
the pupils of our school it is a free
circulating library. Any one complying with the simple rules can
obtain books. A great many living
near us, and some fifteen, and twenty miles away, have made use of the
opportunity.
A number of reference books are
not loaned, but can be consulted by
any one who chooses to read them
here.
Many duplicates have been received that have passed to usefulness
elsewhere, and gave us the pleasure
of giving as well as receiving. In
this way a Sunday School in Boyd
County, Nebraska, which holds its
services in a sod chapel has been
supplied with a small collection of
books. Word came to me after the
first package had been sent that
"every family had read every book."
So it was with the greatest pleasure
that we could cull still another assortment from our shelves. These
have just gone. Other duplicates
have been given to the Dakota
Home and to individual pupils.
The influence of these books upon
the boys has been most helpful and
elevating. Their constant presence
is a rebuke to ignorance, and has
stimulated the desire for knowledge.
The games are covered with cobwebs, while books are handled with
respect and veneration. The favorite subjects are Natural History,
Bible History,United States History
and Biography in the order named.
A number of the pupils read and
delight in stories, Miss Alcott
being the favorite author with the
girls. As a help in preparing lessons
our books are depended upon with
the utmost confidence by every
boy in the house. Sometimes we
look in vain for the desired subject,
which is always a surprise. So
many books ought to tell about every
thing, of course! We need many
books yet to make us perfectly
happy and as useful as we want
to be. If you have a useful book
that you do not need, send it to us.
Please let me assure all those
who have helped us, of our sincere gratitude for your kindness.
Yon have given a pleasure that is
lasting and beneficial.
Ella WoEnEN.
April 14, 1896, Whitney Hall.
OUR  PIPESTONE MISSIONARY.
Mr. John Thunder, an educated
Indian who is a Presbyterian missionary on the Sioux reserve, Pipe-
stone,has been visiting attheschool a
few days. He brought a pupil named JamesTa-te-i-ya-sa-ma-ne,—whistling wind—to the school. Mr.Thun-
der has but nine families on the
reserve- and has an average of 20 at
his Sunday services. A neat church
and dwelling has been erected on
the reserve. At the missionary meeting on Thurday evening Mr. Thunder spoke in both English aud
Indian. His earnest advice to the
children was that when they had
completed their education they
should remain among the white
people and earn their living by
diligently following their trades.
On the reserve they could have no
chance of the work and would be
useless. By going back they would
lose the benefits of the education
they had received. They should
stay with civilization and in civilization. There was plenty chance
for those who wished to return as
teachers or missionaries. Mr.Thun-
der wished those who intended to
stay out to show hands and nearly
all expressed their intention of
doing so. Mr. Thunder spent a
couple of years at the excellent Industrial School at Santee, Nebraska,
and has been four years doing
missionary work, a portion of which
time was spent in the United States.
—Progress.