Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1890-08-29
81 PER YEAR. IN ADVANCE.

! or the Sioux reservation locked blue and
Indisiinct The cottonwoods along the
banks Of the mighty Missouri" were
| decked in yellow, and seemed to shake
their leaves defiantly at our moving party
as we broke the stillucss OF the woods.
| The Missouri is very low just now, and
ugly sand bars peeped out Of the river
! The water in the river is very muddy, aud
the sand in many places is very trcachcr-
Gus, as the writer knows to her sorrow
Miss Brown, while visiting sand-bar in
the river near Winona, some time prcvi-
GUS to the date of her letter, got into
the quicksand and escaped with difficulty
-ED. RECORD The river is only about
half mile wide at Winona and we we're
high, sandy bluff on the west side of the
river, and sixty miles south of Bismarck.
On windy days can fancy the fine aka.
| line sand, which is very fine, must pene-
trate every nook and Granny. There are
six companies of soldiers at Folt Yates
four OF infantry and two of cavalry. Mas
|'jor Mclaughlin, the Indian agent, being
absent, we were met by his chief clerk
with convcyanccs to take us from the
walks and drives lead around the princi.
pal buildings. The garrison, magazlue
and storchouse face the river while the
officers quarters are on q street running
at right angles with this. In the count
yard before the barracks is planted a
staff, from which, at height of eighty
feet, floats the stars and stripes. 1t makes
one feel patriotic to think that away out
in this wild country we are still under the
Watchful care of Uncle Sam. There are
about 5000 Indians at the Standing Rock
Agency. No one else is allowed to settle
or even build on the reservation, unless
in employ of the government. There are
several post traders stores on the rcscl-
vatlon, and here the Indians exchange
furs, skins. etc, for dry goods. BY the
courtesy of Major Mclaughlin we were
conducted through the store house. The
ratons are issued to the Indians every
two weeks. In the sore-house we saw
barrels of flour. corn meal, rice, sugar.
pounds and pounds OF bacon, coffee, tea,
etc. Even school books arc provided by
the government, and-bluing l saw
good, warm suits for the men and llnsey-
woolsey for the squaws, with tools and
shoes for the men, women and children.
1t is an open question whether this policy
OF the government does not tend to make
the Indians lazier than ever before. Some
of the finest land in Dakota belongs To
this reservation but the Sioux warrior
prefers roaming about on it, living in his
"tcpec," rather than building himself Il
house and cutivating the soil. There is
no danger of an outbreak among the In
dians 50 long as the government keeps to
its treaty. They ore too we'll fed and
clothed A number of them were seen
on the streets in their war.paint and
feathers, You cannot imagine how hid
cous they look when their naturally ugly
faces are streakcd with vcrmlllion and
Bull and Gall, but they we're not present
that day. 'Tis said that Sitting Bull is
the ugliest, dirtiest looking old Indian on
the reservation. Bands of feathers were
bound around the heads Of some of the
Indians and pieces Of buchskin braided III
with their hair. The Sioux are very diff
ferent looking frefi'4 the Seminoles of
Florida, for they have not that sad, hunt
ed look which the inhabitants of the ev.
erglades wear. great curiosity to our
teachers was a little papoosc which cer-
tainly was not more than week old. 1t
was bound on board, then rolled up in
a shawl, and slung over the squaw's
shoulder. 1t suffered itself to be passed
around among the merry teachers without
making sound. One of the teachers
even shook it little (from the force OF
habit, perhaps) to see if 1t would cry.
Then, as that did not have any effect,
pinched it, but still it slept.
The Indian Industrial School was also
an object of attention. There IS a large
gray building north of the garrison, and,
close by, neat little Catholic church
We were received in a parlor whose ex-
quisite beauty and neatness testified to
the taste of the Sisters. Away out on this
western frontier it is relief to the eyes
to see these beautiful paintings embroid-
cry, flowers, etc. We were much pleased
with the school. Here 1870 Indian chill
dren are being. taught the ways of the
| white fnhnu
and these little boys and girls looked as
happy as white children. They sang for
us, both in Indian and English. They do
the entire work of the establishment,
even to the gardening. For politeness
courtesy and apparent morals I have
never seen school of white scholars that
could in any way compare with it. The
school was founded four years ago by Sis
ter Gertrude, who was then only sixteen
that she could take 130 savage children
and bring them up to the point where
they now are. Surely it can be said of
her that her mission is ito renew, to
redeem and to regencrate." This beauti,
full young girl, with the strong, happy.
earnest face, half>concealed under the
cowl, was all inspiration to our teachers,
The Sioux are fast dying out. and I
think the reason can be traced to thei.
cAPoSuIc. TOT Instance, before aQVanc.
ing civilization had come IN the step of
the white man, these hills were black with
buffalo. Then the Indians had tents made
Of buffalo skin. Now, in the depths of a
Dakota winter, when absent from the
agency buildings. their only shelter is
canvas tent. They know not how to
build house, and the Indian has killed
all the buffalo. In the early spring, when
the snow is melting. the Indian will pre-.
fer his thin moccasins to the warm boots
u furnished by the government, and in
many other ways does he expose himself.
Once the Indian warrior was allowed to
have several wives, but the agent has
stopped that. as he has the ''sun dance.''
There have been no sun dances for sew
cral years. A sun dance is part of
the Indian religion. If his wife gets sick
or any other misfortune happens to HIM,
he tells the Great Spirit what he will do
at the next sun dance. Sometimes it ls
to tie himself up TO pole 5y strips of his
flesh slit down by the medicine man,
while others torture him. All kinds of
cruelties are practlced at a sun dance. In
each settlement of Indians there are few
Indian police, and they are obliged to re.
port anything of the kind to the agent
When our teachers left the store.house
We were all presented with some trlnket
made. by the Indians. Mine was poi
soned Indian arrow which l shall long
keep as a memento Of my visit 10 Fort
Yates. ELLA F. Brown.