West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-06-28
LIFE AMONG THE SIOUX.
PECULIAR TRAITS OF THE MOST
WARLIKE OF AMERICAN TRIBES

The Ignoble "Squaw Mem Of the
Frontier-FroIicsom Young In
dians at the Agency Schools.
Among the Sioux may be found many
white men who arc married 10 squaws,
cad who arc adopted by the tribe. They
are known in frontier parlance as 'squaw
men, aud before the Indians were re-
strcted TO the limits of the reserya-
tion, accompanied them from place TO
place in their nomadic wanderings. OF
this class great portion are French
Canadians, aud many of them are rich in
cattle and ponies. Their children are
usually bright aud intelligent, aud when
old enough are given the advantage Of
the mission and agency schools. and
taught TO adopt the customs of the
whites. The Government scouts en-
ployed at the various military posts are
composed chiefly OF French ha IT. breeds,
for the reason that asi a-e from their
knowledge Of the country they speak
with fiuency both the Indian and Ameri-
can tongues.
A glimpse of the young pupils at play
at the agency schools is always interest
ing. Their sports aud pastimes consist
OF bow shooting and in bu lding little
wigwams about the grounds. | once
heard lady teacher remark that for a
week she was annoyed by half dozen
OF the boys stealing away from the youth
at noontime and rarely returning till
long after school had taken up. She
observed that their ronte led them far
out among the hills. She finally discoy-
cred that the cause of these surreptitious
nv e.,
ing wolf trap which they had set in a
ravine. The enterprise was a grand sue
cess, tor the wolf was captured and its
skin carried TO the schoolhouse in tri-
umph
Although the Sioux are not usually
very demonstrative in their manners
about the traders store, they can, on
certain occasions, become as noisy aud
boisterous as "a whole convent when the
/ her Abbot has gone to bed" Among
other novelties in the store, we once had
an ingenious toy, which consisted OF a
small, square box, on the top of which
were four little images representing
Ministries, two of whom, seated on tiny
chairs, held respectively a set of bones
and a tambourine. The other two
figures were in standing attitude.
q key, the little musicians began a lusty
Gathering of the bones and tambourine,
aud the standing figures would break
out in wild dance, jerking and throw
ing legs and arms in mirth-provokiup
attitudes of every description. These
mimic performances never failed to
elicit the widest applause, the souaws
fairly shrieking with delight, and even
the most stoical chiefs shouting wy-yu-
pah away up) at the top of their voice.
They are, however, subject TO occasional
fits of dependency in which "a sadness
appears to fall upon their spirits, " and 1
have been informed by educated half
breeds living among them that the
different lines of paint on their faces
signify when they are in love, melancholy,
etc.
The Sioux picture writer's or artists
are by no means skillful painters yet
some of the decorations on their robes
are of very clever designs. Among nv
collection of Indian curiosities is quite a
large picture painted on cloth. represent
ing dozen mounted warriors bedecked
with paint and feathers all ready for the
warpath. 1t was executed for me by an
Indian named Blackhawk. He was q
participant in the Custer fight, and sew
eral of mis- pictures representing the
battle-ground were purchased by DIR. Nc
Chesney, of Fort Bennett, and forwarded
to the Smithsonian Institution. The
pictured representations of their battles
with other tribes are IN evidence of their
tendency to exaggerate their own Prov
ess. Every solitary Indian represented
IN these encounters as getting terribly
thumped with a war cub, or losing his
top-knot, is certain to be anything else
but sioux.
a noticeable feature of the Sioux is
their affection for their children. A
chief or, indeed, any Indian who is
well-to.d do, j. e., one who has many
ponies, SPACES neither pains nor expense
TO make his little ones happy by lavish
ing upon them everything in tho way of
gaudy apparel that barbaric fancy can
suggest. Some of the little boys, the
pride of their parents hearts, VIII en-
mounted on their favorite ponies wit II
embroidered saddle and bride, and their
own persons Offering with ornaments,
are sight to behold. -DsroH FjTo
Press.