Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-12-19
Il LETTER
BY Hoksilaska. a Full Blooded Sioux In
dian From Standing Rock.

The following letter is remarkable from
the fact that it is written by a ull-blooded
Indian boy, 90 years of age He is the
teacher of the Indian school at Marmot,
(prairie dog villagel, about thirty-two
miles southwest Of Standing Rock agency,
near Sitting Bulls camp. Mr.. White On
dian name Hoksilaska) was educated a
Fehanvi'le, ILL.,, and Cloularf, Min IL, and
as will be observed by his letter has pos
sessed himself of an abiding faith in the
Christian religion. Fiying-by, whom he
quotes, is a prominent Huncapapa chief,
and one of the recent hOStileS. He is said
to be a handsome specimen Of physical de-
velopment, and about 50 years of age. He
has never been east TO be educated, which
makes his utterances all the more remark
able:
GRAND RIVER, VIA STANDING Rock,
Dec 81 desire to say that the progressive
features of our st. Joseph and st. Mary's
societies organized at this agency and The
general advancement of our people in
christianity and civilization forces me to
express my ideas concerning the same.
The society. meeting OF men and women
(St. Jo,eph's and ST.. Mary's) is held
twice a month, under the auspices
OF Rev. Bernard, O. S. b., and our kind
benetactor, Mrs. Mclaughlin. The other
societies OF st. Joseph and st. Mary of st.
Benedict church, located sixteen miles be-
low the agency. are under the control of
Reys. Fathers Martin Bede and Francis, as
they work together in rescuing souls from
the hands of the evil one. Our believed In
dian agent, James Mclaughlin, also con
siders himself a member OF the st. Joseph
society, while his estlmable wife conducts
the meetings; and once in a while, as times
permit him, comes into the meeting where
he also delivers valuable speeches regard
ing their welfare for both the present time
and the future.
The upper society of st. Peters church
have purchased a neat hewed log building
at a cost of about S165 for meeting pur-
poses, while the lower society of st. Bene-
diets church have also completed a neat
log building by their W hands, aided by
Rev. Father Martin. 1t is not enough to
count the number of the society's buildings
erected this year, for there are two other
church buildings in course Of erection at
such places as the congregations seem fit
one at Cannon Ball, about forty miles above
The agency, and one on Grand river, about
thirty miles below the agency; thus Dur
cherished desires for what | have Just
mentioned are SO far gratified.
At each meeting every member is re-
specially requested to express his or her
lde!as in regard to the teachings of our
Holy MotRer, church and how to
carry them out faithfully amidst
the hold: backs>o of h%eathenism as :wat as
for both are existing on the
sly for the distts'e.;eaurour souls. Gen
eral speeches about the principles of civili-
cation (White mans WayS) are also made
at each meeting.
Some of the members of the societies
about eighty-six persons in all-under the
kind care of Agent Mclaughlin, We're per-
purpose of seeing the societies of that
place and to hold meetings with them, and
their return from that agency we re-
ceived information relative to their coming
to our place next summer.
The light Of Illuminating and directing
the workings of these good societies of st.
Joseph and st. Mary: instructs us that st.
the nations of Indians together in a har-
lnOnious union OF christianity that some
years ago were so divided up by the exis.
of enemity between them, into small
but wild and fierce tribes.
Other societies of a similar nature are
also reported progressing at the different
Indian agencies with satisfactory results.
What next comes to my head to tell, il [
am permitted, is counter to what l bave al
ready related; that while christianity and
prevail over our lands for
the salvation of u souls, the final posses
sion of the kingdom prepared for us" and
for the general needs of humanity, a sort
Of superstitious practice has lately risen in
the form OF the "ghost dance" among our
dams of the western Indian agencies
where this %spirituaIism, or the messiah
craze as we call it here, has originated
and has already gained a number of be-
levers.
1t has been related to us by a newly APP
pointed prophet of the Indian Messiah
known as Kicking Bear, that a son of the
of Indians and has told them that he was
put to death by the whites and that he
now in return comes to punish all the
whites by Punishment from this continent,
or by turning them all into different sorts
of fish, while he would save all the Indians
that are innocent of his being killed. The
period fixed by the Indian Christ when
this event should come to pass will be
about next June, when the grass comes up
about three or four inches high, to enable
the coming ghosts to Craze their vast num-
Der OF ponies along as they come.
We are also Informed by the ghost dl-
rector, Mr.. Kicking Bear, of the tidings of
joy not at all concerning the felicity of a
true heaven above, but the return of our
AAutah ~ "AiSh Woo Ct"nhp1ou iiuCl
meath by the progress Of civilization, and
all the animals on which we used to live
years ago.
The appearance of the "new coming of
Christ" has been related in SO many differ
ent forms that | may be giving al account
of it in a wrong way, but the first appear
ance Of the Indian Messiah was, as we
were told last fall by Low Dog, who came
back FROM there in the form of a horned
Oh hOrseback-the horns indicating
the return of our butfalOes and the horse
representing the return of the numerous
ponies we have lost in the past, as they are
believed to have souls like men; that if a
horse is badly treated or OverwOrked the
horned Messiah will take it back by shoot
ing it down through lightning and thun-
der. 1t is said that all the animals owned
by the Indians but who have died or were
killed in the past are found in the spiritual
world by those who visited the spiritual or
ghost world in spirit. Even the most aged
people are saidt to regain vigOr and strength
of the prime of life.
The present appearance of the Head
Ghost is now told Of in a more respectable
manne than heretofore. The ghost dance
carried on here is a sort of Sun-dance. A
pole is erected in the center Of the circle of
dancers as used to be the custom OF the
past sun-dance, to the bOughs OF which are
tied all the offerings to the horned Messiah,
such as c~alicos, calf skins, tobacco, etc.
,-----~s-a.