The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-05-12

Lac qui Parlc, April lG, 1873.
The Community System.
l. ETTER IL.

1t is with ordinary feelings of in,crcs, that IN
der,ake to present the subject Of the common property
sysfa as it exists now, and has existed from time
lmmemoral anon, the Dakotas. And do so With
the hope that those in authority, viz: Oar new Gov
ernor OF Minnesota, and Superintendent Of Indian
Affairs, with the special Agent Tor the Dakoas and
others, may be Induced to adopt and carry out meas
ures of reform in regard to this matter.
Among people pursuing the hunters hfe It is not
strange that the principle Of common property, to
certain extent, should be developed In hunting the
deer AMI ba.iao it is generally ouad most a,vanta-
geous on the whole To 50 in companies. This is es-
pecaly true of the latter. The tatqnka Of thc pra-
ries 60 in large herds and are soon drvcu off if
chased constantly and whou, system. Hence the
necessity, in the buffalo hunt Of the .'so'dcrs lsdre'
which is organization for regulating the time and
manner OF surrounding them. Several years ago.
when buffalo were plenty in Ibis region, the writer
spent many Sabbaths at the IVehpaonman encamp-
the Pomnae dc fcc, and several times preach.
ed in the soldiers lodge. A few extracts from
mrm,randa made al that time, will convey some idea
OF the Department of the Interior in Dakota camp
In their language, the soldiers lodge is called IL
yo'5ni. THIS hys'iD is their legislative and judicial
ball. No goes to kill buffalo except when chase
is determined by the soldiers IN this lodge II
any should dare 10 do and thus drive away the
buffalo, the soldiers would break his gun cut up his
blanket, SC. that is, according to their language
"sodiers NIP him.
The tent is enc OF the largest anl best in the en-
campmcnt. Dry grass is spread around in the in-
side. The fire is in the middle. Beyond the fire are
two lunches of grass wrapped around and fastened
to the ground by Of pins. Ga these two
punches o. grass tic two pipe stems, blue, the
common prairie color, and the other red, which is
used only on special occasions. By the side Of them
is a pipe with ordinary stem, which is commonly
used A little Tobacco board, and two or three sticks
to clean the pipe with, form the complement. of the
smoking apparatus. Still beyond the pipe stems lie
two bundles Of sticks Of which is 51ck the other
red. There are the soldiers the evidences Of their
membership and the emblems Of their authority.
When the fiyotlm was organized red sticks were given
to all such had participated in killing enemies, and
Nacf to the younger men and boys. At the frs.
meeting each one brought his stick; and these were
collected and bound up in the two bundles. When
the tyta as dissolved, these sticks, they say, will
be tied 10 tree top.
Four OF the real soldiers, or those represented by
tue red sticks, chosen as principal men in the
lodge, whose place is Immediately opposite the door,
The side TO the right of the judges, is appropriated
to chief SELLERS, while the left is occupied by young
men. An cyanpaha Or crer and cook are appointed,
whose duty II is to he ever present in the lodge Al