Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-09-13
ne slsar nre.sr.

The sIsax treaty.
The Irsliaus at Grow Creek Agency are still
considering the treaty for opessIng the Sioux
reservation The outlook Is very bright at
this agency and very gratifying reports are
also received rom the lower Braie, where it is
expected that still less difficulty will be en-
eoHntefed in securing signatures. Capt.
| Pratt il confident that if n eoHsDaratixelY
clean sweep caH be made at these two agen-
eies no serious difficulty viii be met in secsr-
| ing sufirient signatures to render the bill
| operative The prospects Of . suetessful ter
! Hsination of the laboFs Of the commission are
not by any means hopeless.
The fountain head of all the opposition en-
! rountered here lies with q reftaiu few who
haye forged ahead OF the great mass and nov
| possess considerable iFtoek, and they are fear
ful that they will not have the entireearth to
| Craze over. They sesm 10 lose sight OF the
Fact that 1t takes but n 9th of the proposed
| reservation Co locate eyerg Indian entitled to
land upon q 320-aere farm and that al
abundance viii he left, They are opposed
from selfish purposes and seem TO I've
willing to sacrifice schools and nh
the privileges of civilization and adj
tanrement to the great mass Of Indians go
long as they are allowed to occupy thou
sands Of acres with their comparatively
small herds Of enttie. Still this bill would
| would not interfere with them in any respect,
but they allege that any change would
necessarily do so. Chief White Ghost at the
last council said:
Now. my friends we want TO do this work
pcaeeably and quietly. That Is good, that
Is right; | am glad OF that. We want 10
put our attention closely to the work you
| have brought to Us. We want to consider
It quietly and peaeeably, We were to come
forward uith the pen, but this is not the
day; we want to put it OF another day.
~ AbSfa GfFkaf txsa afsttff al ftffra whom
Jude White called his attention TO a brief
which the Indians had referred to him for
consideration, which covered two requests
whieh the Indians made. one being remuner.
atsd from the Northwestern road for about
seventy-iye acres OF land which that road
had taken possession of when extending to
Pierre and the other calling for the transfer
of q number of their people to this agency
from Standing Rock. The judge stated that
he had examined the papers carefully, and
would call the attention of the government
TO both matters at once. White Ghost then
said:
| i thank you for that: that is good. The
| Great Father when be secs he has an impor-
tant work to do, work that must be done
quick and properly. he takes his soldiers by
the hand and tells them to do it rtght.
The great father viii choose o man from
among the multitude, n good and wise
man, for a judge. A .man who has
no malice toward any one. That Is the kind
I of the man, the greatfathar generally chooses
for n judge. And among you all there is a
| great spirit who watches over him b is
| chosen and it will be well with Us. Why | am
happy at this. / have suffered from this
earthly work, this land work, and ] hope
that everything will be Strengthened out.
| have wished for that, and il will make me
happy. Grunts OF approval we're frequent
during the speech of White Ghost. He wos
Immediately followed by other prominent
HrsaoIa-z lRA - NEAnp. cunEA M xtaIt =
against the bill, but laid great stress upon the
proposition set forth in White Ghost sspeeeh.
The real sensation Of the day came When
Bowed Head, an Indian. spraBg into the
circle and delivered the following urgent APP
peal to the Indians:
You are my friends, and what | am going
to say may hurt you. Nevertheless | am
going TO speak. My friends. | am on a differ
emit path from some of the rest of you. ! am
not one OF the chiefs sitting there, but j am a
member of the tribune, and ! want to make
q lead far the children. ] am not n bit afraid
OF you, beeause you arr mea. Theonly man |
am afraid OF is the God in whom | believe.
i want to save the young generation of this
tribe. He that believes in the Great Spirit
and sweats Tor him. / believe in him. Fam
going TO say a few words 10 You Indians. l
am not going to act for my own personal
good. Ihave no children, but ! have grand
children. l do not wish to impose upon the
rights Of you chiefs who are sitting in front.
No. my friends, l only look Mt IL for myself
individually. You know my allotment.
There is large, fine timber on it. four stacks of
wheat. and | have a selt-binder. feel that |
am at liberty to say what 1 want TO. II
anybody is friend OF the great father /
thought you chiefs were his friends. Now,
you chiefs have spoken of our fore
fathers and their graves upon the
hill, and then thought to
myself like this: When our forefathers died
srbu+ haa thaw . ols.ha1 Tor .psg WIT
did they do for usf | viii tell you what works
they left behind them. An old campfire
where even now the grass does not gros and
old buffalo lanes that we can see on the
prairies. That is all that is left oftheir work.
We can see the old stones that they worship |
ped still piled up. Young men, do you wish
your children to go in this way? You chiefs, |
my brothers, my cousins. my relatives. pray
yon to have mercy On the young people who
arr beginning life and have no property TO
start with. ! do not say these words because
! seek TO gain honor for myself personally.
| do not say them because | expect my great
lather TO remember me hereafter for il.
Come forward, you chiefs, and set us an
example. f"How."1 We are waiting for
you because you are chiefs I"how but IL
you do not come forward; we win go for
ward regardless of you. I"ffow.'l White
Ghost, you are poor in health and death is
waiting for you every day. But ! have
something deeper than that to say to you.
Ny friends, you may hate me, but I tell you
what is good. know IL is good. You may |
not think it is good, but l know hat il is
good. have finished.
FOLLOWS ms EXAMPLE.
A young Indian nnmed Williams then
walked into the circle and placing his hat
gently on the ground said that in the pres
ence of oller men lac uncovered his head.
He then made the most feeling aud
effective speech that has vet been delivered
by the Indians, calling on the Indians If they
loved their children and wished them to be.
come educated, made happy and prosperous
to come forward and Sign the paper, and then
walked hravely up to the table and regard
less Of threats placed his name upon the bill.
At this action the entire mass Of indian
spraug to their feet. For a moment a fear
ful silence prevailed. Then the friends Of the
2ill, including two ehiefs, gathered about the
able, and those opposed, seeing the folly of
Interference, quietly witbdrew from the coun-
Ill. IL was an imposing sight when Williams
walked cooily and quietly up to
he table la the first name
snrolied, and he deserves great credit for his /,
nerve, having been frequently threatened
sith death il he carried out his determine
ion. About sixty names were enrolled at
1t the rooms of the commissioners The
commissioner are g~ratIied with the days
york. and are confident that nearly every |
indian on the reserve viii come up and sign
Turing the coming week. No more councils |
sill be held, and the work hereafter will
,e done at the rooms of the commissioners. !
The commissioner brought their work
1T this agency to a climax at the !
evenings counci by calling for signatures, |