The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-03
STARVING INDIANS
A Bishops Story of Scenes in
Dakota.
CHEATED OF THEIR LANDS.
Driven late Eieak and sssriie Region
where They rr~ese Ca DEATH
Eleven Muiiea Aeres


Right Rev. John Shaniey. II. n. Rishcr
OF North Dakota, occupied The pulpit Of
the cathedral here today. and told q psti-
full story OF the privations and snfferings
OF the Chippewa Indians. occupying the
reservation OF the extreme northern part
OF his diocese. His object was to secure
assistance for their relief.
With that end in view he described most
vividiy the condition Of these Indians as
witnessed by himself during the recent
cold weather, when the Thermometer
registered forty degrees below zero. He
charged the government With having
stolen IL .ooo,oO acres Of land this tribe
possessed when Dakota territory was d.
vided between the Sioux and Chippewa
Indians.
Eleven million acres stolen boldly. and
not one cent paid In return for H." said his
grace. land the owners sent to the northern
border OF the state, the coolest and hleakest
spot in the country. whore two townships
were organized with 5000 acres Of land.
This is filed with bod timber forests and
lakes. swamps and rocks. On these 500
acres were put l go Indians, who are try.
Ing to make their living. these wards Of the
United States living where 100 white men
could scarcely raise enough 10 keep them
alive
His grace than described his personal
visit to these townships, where, he said, he
witnessed scenes that would have disgraced
Siberia
Il spent over Q week with these people.
with the thermometer registering forty and
sometimes forty-four degrees below zero.
The Indian houses are log huts. con-
structed by the Indians themselves,
without flooring. and with sheets and
quilts covering the windows and doorways.
The crevices between the logs are flied
with mud that cracks and falls out with
the summer heat. and 10 blown out by
the northern winter blasts, 10 that the oc-
cupants may as well b sleeping outside.
In these huts IL Is not infrequent 10 find
six families living. These 1850
Indians cannot make their own living
there. They have never been supplied
with proper agricultural Implements Last
spring the director OF the Cath
Ole Indian bureau sent twenty-four
plows to these Indians, and with these
they managed 10 break 500 acres of this
virgin SOIL But there was no rain, and
today they are obsolutsly destitute. No
grain, no food. no clothing, no money,
1850 Christians. i,a30 OF Gods children are
living on this continent today on the point
of starvation.
while visiting these people. I entsred
the house OF m old Indian. There was no
food in the houss that day. but there were
tears and desperation. A poor, old Indian
woman had q puny, sickly child in her
arms. She wept for JOY when she saw me.
thinking God had sent relief TO her chill
dren. She showed me her child. There
was not pound of flesh on IT. bonsA
II am sure that child is deadl
II am not easily moved, used A am 10
scenes OF misery in large cities, but could
not but cry on that occasion. In one cor
ner Of the room thsre was Q boy six years
of age. Another was crying BY the Chin
ney place. trying to warm his shiverinR
form, while the old Indian was kneeling by
the fireplace muttering. probably yowing
vengeance to the white racel
AT another hoveI q poor old man,
SIS years of age. was lying on the frozen
ground dying Of consumption. no one near
him but his poor old wife, who knelt over
him with q rosary in her hand. praying
for God to take her husband. Night was
setting in No light. no candle, no one to
say kind word to the poor old coupisi
And this In Christian country. In the
United States Of America, the land of the
free, the land Of plenty!
"ln another hovel I found children
without clothing. gathered around q fire.
place plucking out the charred sticks, that
they might roll in tho warm ashes.
The United States appropriates s. 90
To these Indians. about $3.50 to each one.
This amount win be spent in -four and fat
pork. and distributed among them. The
pork Ia sickening. l myself. would not
have believed the truth Of the story u had
not Witnessed It.
During eighteen months previous TO the
FIRST OF January, 1880. out Of 400 Indians
100 died. These deaths are almost inyari-
ably OF starvation.
Women are almost universally clad In
one garment. calico dress to protect them.
and, Let IL be said TO their credit. that not
one woman was missing from the little
parish church on Sunday"
The reverend speaker closed by appeal
ing to the congregation 10 extend 10 these
poor people. their unfortunate brethren.
portion OF their substance for the relief Of
these poor Indians.