The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-02-12

Most OF the chtIdren, except the three naHeu ABOVE
are Of mixed blood. III 80
The branches which have been ,auahtare read
ing. writing, grammar. arithmetic. geography.
history and natural philosophy, together wah com
position. Week.-Mrs. the progress has been good
in most instances, and quite remarkable IN some
The English tongue only has been taught IN our
school,
We think the plan Of teaching in the English
tongue only, is the right plan. If it had been
adopted every where throughout the globe. the eff
forts Of the noble army Of missionary martyrs, 10
convert the world to Christianity and civilization.
would not have been, comparatively barren.
What libraries and repositories ofArt and Science
and Philosophy, are there amongst the Indians,
to be unfolded to them, by teaching them their
own language But by unlocking to them our
language, they are admitted at once into grand
museum Of learning, collected FROM the stores of
all past time; well as into the laboratory of alt
modern art and science.
RED LAxE.--This is amongst the Chippewas,
several hundred miles north Of st. Paul. Mr..
Boutwell,, missionary at Red Lake, reports the
average attendance Of children at school the pa st
year, to be ten. Mr.. B. says:
''The soil at Red Lake is the best have seen
in the territory. and produces abundantly almost
all kinds of grain and vegetables; the lake also
| abounds in excellent fish.
The missionaries have ised this year one and
half acre Of winter wheat, which yielded forty
bushels per acre. They have a small piece Of
winter rye, which is the best ever saw in any
country. Their corn yields from fifty to seventy
FIVE bushels Of shelled corn to the acre; potatoes
yield abundantly, and are of better quality than
can be raised in the States.''
| LAc-aUI-PARLE.-This is the uppermos
missionary station on the Minnesota, being 100
miles by land. above Traverse des Sioux, and a.
MIR. Mcleod Of the Council.
Mr. Briggs, the missionary at that station,
amongs, the Dakotas, reports to the Commissioned
Of Indian Affairs, that er-
ssThe appearance Of The esDakota Friend - the
FIRST number Of which did not reach us until mid
winter, gave quite an impulse to educati. n. Sew
cral young men, who had not before attempted it,
Immediately commenced learning to read /, and in
few weeks bad so far advanced rs to be able 10
make out the meaning by spelling. Nearly fifty
copies were subscribed for at this place. about
three fourths Of which have been paid for.''
| We regard the fact that three fourhs Of the
subscriptions to newspaper, in any part of Min
nesota. have been paid, as particularly worthy Of
| imitation. ...-..
! KAposIA.-This Indian village. is three miles
below St. Paul, and is the royal residence Of his
Majesty Little Grow. DIR. Williamson, mission
AIRY, reports, that
''lt is not difficult to teach any who will attend
school regularly to read the English language; but
we have never succeeded in teaching any to I'M
derstand or speak much of it, until they have re-
sided for time in family where it is The
spoken language. Hence appears the importance
| of placing many Of the children possible IL
such families; for in this way alone are they likely
to acquire any useful knowledge of our language
which our Government regards so important thai
they should learn. In this way, also, they may
best acquire the habits, and learn something O
the economy Of civilized life--a kind of knowedgs
not less necessary than that Of letters and ouI
lanSuage--to enable them TO susta 10 ihemselve s
in the reservation to which it is expected they
will be confined in few years"
! These opinions of DR.. Williamson, are entitlet
to weight; and are in exact accordance with ou
own views on the subject. The Indian must b.
torn away from his mother tongue and from the
education Of the wigwam, to make him civilized
being.
/ FARMING AMONG THE SIoux.-Mr Pres
colt, superintendent of farming, makes a repor
this year, entirely consistent with the views which
we have often expressed, as to the importanc,
Of establishing simple efficient code Of laws a
mongst the Indians, TO abolish community an.
protect aud encourage the possession of individual
property. In our judgment, the community o
property, amongst the Dakotas, is the radica
4 cause of their remaining savases, precisely sucl
as their ancestors were. Take away the incen
tive to individual gain, and personal advancement
and we ourselves should relapse into idleness an,
se,ni-barbarism. Mr.. Prescott says:
"Ths farmers have planted more land than U
sua, but their labor, well as that of the Indi
ans, has been for the floods to wash away. THREE
bands that have raised some corn will have yiel,
, Of about 80 bushels to the acre, including wha
they waste in gathering; the three villages will
have about $50 acres Of corn, which, rated at 81
bushels per acre, will make $500 bushels 70
three bands One band have lost about half thei
crop by high water, and with the three other band
that have lost their entire crops, no doubt will suf
fer for food the coming winter.
The ten carts and harnesses, besides some ploug
harness, have all been issued to the Indians, bu
they have not made much use Of them, but have
quarreled about them, every one sayinghe ha
an equal right to the carts. The stoves you fur
!, nished them, some Of them have been used an,
some not; one chief gave his stove away. and tn
probability is, that some Of the rest will do tn
same thing. Ii was to be hoped that the India n
would purchase some provisions with some pal
Of the thirty thousand dollars they received fror
the Government, but | believe large amour
has been laid out in the purchase of old broke
down and worn out horses No doubt half o
two-thirds of them will die this winter. The Ia
8 dams were advised by you and other friends I
purchase some provisions, but they appear 10 b
: needless to all good counsel, and run into miser
/, when they could avoid j, in many instances. TIL
manners and customs Of the Indians has bee
/; more conjuring and witchcrat going on this SUN
5 mer than have known for many years. TIL
Q Indians have received thirty thousand dollars an
Q in about three weeks we see them about begin
q and borrowing as usual" r-