The sun., 1882-08-27
At AN INDIAN AGENCY.
The Observations orn New Horker-The Tor
tmres Of the Sun Dance.

The Observation. orn New Yorter-The Tor
lures Of the Sun Dance.
DR.. F. J. Quinlan of this city, who has been
for three years and half among the Sioux In
dians at Standing Rock Agency returned re-
Gently. and. speaking on affairs in that region.
said: There are about 5000 OF the Sioux on
this reservation. which extends 1000 miles
along the Missouri River. seventy miles from
Bismarck in the centre Of Dakota. These In
dians speak their own language almost ex
clusively. They receive food and clothing from
the Government amounting to about $3.50 per
year for each person. A child counts for as
much as a grown person In the distribution.
They are. therefore. increasing rapidly in
but prompt in ,IIipr m b brhs 81 When tEey aSm come
to the agency once in two weeks to get their
allowance. they often Try to got more than they
TO be larger than they really are, They carry
their pappooses in blankets. and on one oc-
ssasiSSn / saw a woman with % dog wrapped in In
could draw the allowance for 1t. The agent
happened tc pinch the dog, and its howIingex
The present agent. Major james NIcLaugh-
lin. who has been for thirteen years an Indian
agent, mas much influence over them. Many
have built comfortable lodges and cultivated
the land The crop this year will be larger than
ever. They are supplied with AGRICULTURAL i'm
pigments and instruction by the Government;
There are 100 acres for each Indian. and all
who desire can have the use OF land. The agent
is the despot Of the reservation as to power.
and the Indians are entirely under his charge.
He alone gives them permission to carry arms.
TO hunt. t. III the land or TO go of the r.ser;
Natlnn. He has Il mounted police force Of 200
Indians. uniformed, and selected for their
trustworthiness., They report every day the
supreme ruler. except in criminal matters.
which are attended To by the United States
Court at Bismarck. There is a force Of 200
To- protect the agency. This IL under command
Of C?. Gilbert Of the Seyenteenth intantryr yrs and
have nothing to do but while away the time. rs
the Indians are now all peaceful, The $500 Of
Sitting Bulls men who came back from Canada
and surrendered themselves are not so we'll off
as the others. but their condition is improving
rapidly. Sitting, Bull and 200 Of his warriors
are prisoners at Fort Randall.
About two-thi irds Of the Indians at Stand
ing Rock have adopted white mems garb They
are poygamists and some have, four or five
Major Mclaughlin has done much toward
teaching them that it would be better to deal
They are subjectitolmuch the same diseases as
the whites and about 300 cases per year were
treated at the agency. Many Of the Indians.
however, prefer their own medicine men.
Scrofula is the most prevalent disease. They
are very improvdent. and would get rid of the
years allowance at once If they could get 1t.
They are supplied once in two weeks.
There are two schools on the reservation
and the Indians receive much care from the
Benedictine monks. Indian apprentices are
taken in the various trades needed at the
agency. and in this way the industry OF the
white man is learned by the rising generation
OF Sioux. Care Is taken to keep liquor away
from the Indians. ana penalty Of fourteen
who is caught furnishing them with ire water
Several times u year there are great hunts or
ganized. in which the Indians who can be
trusted with firearms and the white men Of the
agency participate. There is "A general plan
pursued Of driving the hufraloes into some
selected ground where their carcasses can be
accessible after shooting them. The buffalo
belongs To the one who Kills 1t. The hide or
robe is worth from s. TO $40: The meat is care
hunt was organized with five white men and
| 900 Indians and 500 buffaloes were killed.
Apy cqe one Of the hunting party caught killing
be whipped Some OF the Sioux have BOWS OF
such power that they can shoot an arrow clean
buffalo he marks Il, and disputes as to own
ership are rare. Few show any capacity for
With small for the fe future
Great preparations are made for the sun
dane huge; s,raTh; tree i, brought iroG'
About ii are built about forty clusters of poles
with four poles in each of thes" clusters. There
are covered places arranged for the spectators
| The young bucks who are to perform the dance
! perform the ceremonies for three days without
! eating drinking. or sleeping. They begin BY
| standing in the sun the first day. footing whis.
ties. dancing. and looking at the sun ms long as
sheer exhaustion ON the second ia}
! ! he medicine men cur iOur STRIPS OF SklT
| loose from each man two strips in front nnG
/ two behind. These strips are cut about an
eighth Of an inch deep, and in such a way that
q string OF raw hide is attached The men arr
each tied To one cluster OF the four posts in such
! q way that there is no escape without tearing
| the strips of skin apart. The pain is very great
The skin is so elastic that II breaks with great
! dimculty. Often a man is Obliged to pull al
day before he can break the four strips If skin
and release himself. Those who endure the
| pain best are the bravcst men. Those who fai
/ from exhaustion are called women and are
/ fined heavily. 1t is a sort OF religious ceremony
! and is observed with great earnestness. The
/ Indians are great gamblers. and have Gam'
similar to poker They are all familiar with
ordinary playing cards. "