The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-06-26
PIONEER and DEMOCRAT.


Journals sen ileman ~bo frm b.. ipiimse aofHsm'
long rad lspee At he kottbws amfty qnshhed 10 do
is.tes 10 the satjsct Which be discusses
During our explorations west this spring, We
met with many Of the f@ Heod. Hankpai'n
Pteya,Luse, and other bands Of the Yankton
Sioux who usually occupy the country watered
by the Cheyenne and James rivers Those In
dams are dependent entirely upon the buffalo
Tor clothing anil subsistence. and when they are
deprived Of that animal which MT unfrcquent
ly occurs, they have no other resource Tor oh
tanning the means Of subsistence.
We have known such snncrings among tb0se
Indians in years past. but none more severe than
in 1887, when the small pox broke ont among
them at an nclement season Of the year, and ut
u time when there were lew buffalo To bc found
in the country sickness and privation dcr-
troyed them in great numbers during the win
ter, and in the spring their campiircs were
" few anil far between
Since that time they have suffered frequently
from starvation, and the severity Of the last
winter caused them 10 loso n,any Of their bor
~es, 40 that although the buGao were plenty
they found much difficulty in providing food for
their support.
These frequent snil.rings induced many OF
them to epdeavor To provide for Themselves
something upon which they could rely in case
81 failure 81 the buffalo and some four or five
hundred came 10 the C0tenu drs rraire IN The
early part 81 May last, for the purpose Of plant
ing corn, II they couh obtain hess and seed 30
Unfortunately neither could be obtained from
the annuity Indians, either ON the coican or at
lac Traverse. and with lew exceptions they
they were compelled 10 return 10 the l'ul'alo
Range
1hoe Indians have had no intercourse with
our Government cxcclt by meeting occasion
ally with an Agent on the Missouri. Few Of
them have ever visited the mouth Of the Min.
neso'a. and tho most they know in regard "a
the views 81 government IA reference to the In
dian tribes they have learned through The ira
,lcrs an'l the annuity teams, They expressed
much anxiety on the subject ~ agriculture, and
appeared very d'~iIous Of rsortipg 10 Il ~ n
certain means 81 preserving them from the snf
hrings consequent upon u failure ol the buffalo.
True, their IDEAS Of agriculture extends M far
Their than the cultivation Of n patch Of Indian
corn. but the benefits they would derive from
that, In connection with the dmuniiion Of the
buffalo would lead 10 other improvements,
Why ,houd not the Government treat with
the ludinns Tor the lands north aud west OF the
Missouri and Sioux rivers? The lands along
the Jnmct river and It's Tributaries. md those
watetcd by the Cheyenne .are II an excellent
quality, much Of which would settle tapally
EItablish with those Indians a system similar
10 that existing with tho Chippewa, and in n
short pcri"l thosn rowing bands who are now
dependent on illcsc precautions means Of support
presented by the chnsr, would l'r"onw agricul
tar.is They would adopt that M a more Ger
tain and IS. laLo,ior,s means OF Subsistence tina.
the ono they now pur,uc
These Indians have lands with which they
could provide the n"am necessary To enable
them 10 change their mode Of lilt retaining
ample locations tr themselves anL their IL
secninnIE IN u short period the whites would
locate among tlucm, aud the lndinn- would soon
be swallowed up 10y, AMI become part Of the
white settlements.
If however. the gu,ctumcn, d"s no, design
treating with ,hoso Indians, and thus enabling
them 10 buy the mnns hy which they may h.
come civilized. then va hold tina, "a the guar
dian oi the Indians, il Is bound 10 provide the
means, gratni,onsy. to enable them to plant
.urc,cn, lo secure them irom starvation N cnsc
IT u iallurr Of the buffalo
ir,. nj least. hoes AMI st'l corn bc provided
Tor them, AMI ready for their usc a, the proper
points on the Cotcau dies Prairie, and on the
Jane. riyrr hy the Gsi ui MAJ u.,t, 10 ht Jis
trhut,y among the Inliaus that viii plant aud
II possible have lands plowrd ior lhccI. that they
may be- enabled 10 enlarge their paintings by
another sensrn
This Is ccrtainl, doe the Indians who occu
Pr the. .pvnvl ani every moral ohligat' en- de
urntl'': .inH.r,y,c!uen, They ARE anS
,oa; 10 hlant tu' s"ciot within themselves,
.;hc uraa, Todd =: .EI':' ..'g.l. prpand to
proved. ,lt.sirGri:'!hr 'ac:,'il: s.. portion Of
their lands. II the Go,crumcni, With alone can
be- ,hc purchaser, will pay them Tor il, and with
the procc,sls Of the sale they viii secure the
means To enable them to become cuItiva,or' OF
the soil lfthr government will not purchase,
then It should gratul,cusly provide the means
mN~saty To- protect them against actual star
Walton
W. wonld gladly hops that the present AL
minlstrauon would take the necessary steps To
secure the civilization 1T all the Sioux Indians
N our Territory, by extending over ,lsm the
wise policy cmb~licl ia tho las, ,rcatics with
the Chppcvas which "a 81 rapidly Developing
the agricultural abilities o( that tribe l,ut i'll
III, Sionx are TO hc lcft by thr aimna,n,on
under the same treaty s,pula,,ous they wcrc
found. We ask in the nam OF humanity that
all may be extended ,o those with whom VI
have no ,rra'y s,ipula,ioas, sufficient To enable
them To protect ,hrmscyed against ,he raNagrs
II ianlinc
With tai trtasury the so,crnmcr, can un
Joub,e,lly devote u itw thousand dollars to All
object 50 meti,oruus ~ tsli and involving the
,lg,r.. naomi. ,,.r a.