News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-03-02
A Boston Girl's Freak.
SHE JOINS AN INDIAN TRIBE TO LEARN ITS
TRADITIONS.

4
The Sioux City (Iowa) Journal tells
this romantic story:-Many of the Jour-
nal readers have doubtless heard of
Cushman, the young man who has gone
to live among the Pueblo Indians, of
New Mexico, as one of the tribe, that
he may learn the customs, traditions,
and religion of this interesting and ex-
elusive people. 1t may interest those
who have heard of Cushman to know
that for the past seven months there has
been living with the Omahas, thirty
miles below this city, an educated young
lady-a Boston lady, too-who is for
the time member of the tribe, because
she hopes in this way TO learn some
thing of the inner life of this, the Oldest
tribe, excepting the Pawnees; in this
part of the West.
This lady. Miss A. G. Fletcher, was
in the city on Tuesday with DR.. Wilkin-
son, agent of the Omahas and Winnie
bagos. The agent says that on taking
charge of the Omahas a few weeks ago
he found this lady with them and nearly
starved. During the lady's brief visit
to the city Journal reporter had the
pleasure of meeting, her. He did not
interview, but was interviewed, the
subject being the mound builders works
on the Broken Kettle Greek, few
miles north of the city. He began to
say that @. r. Marks had made some
excavations, and his theory was 81
do not care for his theory. wish to
know what he found" was the observa-
tion of this disciple of original informa-
ton. Miss Fletcher is brunette,
solidly built, about twenty-five years
old, rather good-looking, and with
directness of speech and way of stand
ing silent while irrelevant conversa-
tion is going on that probably comes of
her present mode of life. Miss Fletcher
intimated to DIR. Wilkinson that before
coming to the Omahas she Lad been
with some of the warlike northern
tribes, and from her present place of
study she would 60 to the New Mexico
Pueblos, thence to the Flatheads of
Washington Territory, and return east
by the way of the Sioux country.
Possibly lady readers of the few par
ticulars that could be obtained about
their scientific sister may be interested
to know that the Omahas have not wan
dered far from where they are now To-
Gated, as far as either Indian tradition
or the accounts of explorers tell. Lewis
and Clark's expedition found them at
Blackbird Hills, only few miles above
their present agency. The Pawnees,
supposed by the wise in these matters
to be an older people in these parts,
have been hustled about from place to
place by the whites, and so are not as
good subjects for investigation. This
probably induced Miss Fletcher to Sc
lect the Omahas as a study. On the
contrary, the Sioux, if Indian
tradition is to be believed, are a new
people. The tradition is that party Of
wild young men of different tribes
banded themselves together to make
new tribe. This was in the Blackfeet
country, near the head of the South
Saskatchewan River, away to the north
west of Fort Benton. These Romans
of the North marched Oh, conquering
and absorbing the tribes they subdued,
marrying such wives as pleased them.
Their course was to the south and east,
and was not interrupted until the whites
came in from the east.