Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-23
REDIRECT
An INDIAN CHIEFS GRIEVANCE.
He Tells His Tale OF Trouble and Asks u
to Intercede With tho Great
EaNkNr

He Tells His Tale OF Trouble and Asks Us
to Intercede with tho Great
Father.
John Rec, q chief of the Yanktons and D
nephew of old Strike-the. Rec, orator, oracle
and head chief Of the Yankton band, came
to town last night and dropped in to ask
US to lay certain matters before the great
father. through the medium Of the Press
and Dakotaisn. ,Of course we complied,
knowing full we'll that President Hayes al.
ways waits with great anxiety while they
are distributing the mail at Washington for
the postmaster to hand out his Yankton
daily, and that he is generally disappointed
If he don't find something in it about In.
dams. John had several letters from emil.
nent missionaries. which recited that he
was . good Indian and a leader in the
church. These two facts Immediately es-
tablished q sympathetic feeling between us,
and while John conversed and George
Craser changed his Sioux into English we
transferred the substance of his utterances
TO paper.
He said that he resided in a singled
house on Choteau creek, was an industrious
farmer, a good Indian. that he wore the
garb of civilization and vas to all intents
and purposes a white man, barrin' the color
OF his skin. He said that his people were
all discarding the blanket and the bottom
less legg'ngs and were clothing themselves
In clothing similar that worn by whites.
Their hearts were all very good and all
they desired was to live in the peaceful
pursuit Of agriculture and be we'll treated.
His complaint was that certain white men
three in number-who came from the
east, were mixing up with the squaws, de
stroying timber and committing various
depredations which resdered their presence
a nuisance. He said they were demo.aliz-
ing some of the chiefs and be feared that
their residence among the Indians would
produce bad results. They had q boy with
them whom Mr. Rec characterized as being
hQpelessly bad and fit only TO be sent back
to the east without any delay. Mr.. Rec
had walked all the way from Yank:on
agency to lay these facts before the Rrea,
father. He desired us to further remind the
great father that he was known by all the
tribe 10 be a good Indian, that he was the
owner of seven hundred trees and had
built eight houses. The great father had g
long time ago promised him q medal as q
reward for his goodness, but the promise
had never been fulfilled. We desire to here
jog the memory Of the president and sug.
gest that the prompt bestowal Of tina,
medal would cause old John Rec to rejoice
more than a politician would over the receip,
Of a fat postoflce. 1t will be something be
could show to his children and tell them tina,
it was given him for being good-a quality
so rare among Indians that it deserves en-
couragement. We promised to do all these
things and Mr.. Rec read US a few stanza,
from his hymn book (Which he carries mex,
to bis hearty, shook hands affectionatel,
and departed. a great load is off his mind
We really hope he will get the medal
though, because if he don't he will los,
faith IN newspapers.