The Irish standard., 1891-01-17
WAAT.RED CLOUD HAS 10 SAY
The Sioux Chief Tells Thrilling
Story to Father Craft. the
Indian Missionary.
DESPERATE FROM STARVATION.
He Blames the indian Agents for All the
Trouble With the Aborigines in
the Northwest.

Father Craft for the Freeman's Jour
nal, is an elegant recital of the wrongs
which his people have endured at the
hands OF the whites. The only wonder
excited by Red Clouds thrilling
story is that the Indians submitted 80
long to the abuses continually heaeed
upon them by INSCRIPTIONS agents and
traders.
In the interview referred to Father
Graft asked Chief Red CLOUD:
s'What in your opinion Is the cause OF
The trouble among the lndiansF'
Everybody seems to think that the
belief in the com ug Of the Messiah has
caused all the trouble. This is mis-
take. 1 will tell you the cause.
"Wheu we first made treaties with
She government this was our position:
Our Old life and our old customa were
about to end; the game upon which we
lived was disappearing; the whites
were closing around US. and nothing
remained for US out to adopt their ways
and have the same rights with them If
We wished to save ourselves. The gov
eminent promised us all the means
necessary to make onr living out OF our
land aud to ins1rust US how to do it,
and abundant food to support us until
we could take care OF ourselves. We
looked forward with hope to the time
when we could be as independent as
sho whites and have q voice in the gov
Brnment.
"The officers OF the army could have
helped us better than any others, but
we weI g not left to them. All Indian
department was made, with u large
number of agents and other officials
drawing large salaries. and these men
were supposed TO teach US the WAYS Of
the whites, Then came the beginning
OF trouble. These men took Care of
themselves, but not Of US. 1t was
made very hard for us to deal with the
government except through them. 1t
seems TO me that they thought they
could make more by keeping lis back
than by helping us forward. We did
not get the means to work Our land,
The faw things given were given in
such way as to do us little OR no goud.
Our rations began to be reduced.
Some said thai. We were Lazy and wanted
TO live on T&tiOns and not to work.
THAT IS false, How does any man Of
sense suppose that so great number of
people could get to wO, at once, unless
they were at once supplied with means
to work and instructors enough to teach
them how to use themy
>'ltemenber that even our little
ponies were taken away under the
promise that they would be replaced by
oxen and large horses, and that 1t was
long before we saw any and then we
got very few. We tried, even with the
means we had, but On one pretext or
another we were shifted from place to
place or were told that such a transfer
WAS coming. Great ttf,rts were made
to break up our customs, but nothing
was done to introduce the customs of
the whites Ever thing was done to
break the power of the real chiefs. who
geal)y wished their people to improve,
and little men, so called chiefs. were
made to act as dlsturbers and agitators.
Spotted Tail wanted the ways of the
whites. and a cowardly assassin was
found to remove him. This was
charged upon the Indians because an
Indian did it. but who set on the Indian
II was abused and slandered, to
weaken nv influence for good. and
make me seem like one who did not
want to advance. This was done by
the men paid bv government to teach
as the WAYS Of the whites. I have
visited many other tribes, and find that
the same things were done among them
All was done to discourage and nothing
TO encourage.
"Now, don't you suppose we saw all
this? OF course We did, but what could
We do? We were prisoners, not in the
hands Of the army. but in the hands of
robbers. Where was the army? Set by
the government to watch us, but hay
ing no voice in setting things right, so
that they would not need to watch US.
They could not speak for US. though we
wished it very much. Those who held
US pretended to be very anxious about
our welfare, and said our condition was
a great mystery. l. We tried to speak
ard clear up this mystery, but were
laughed at and treated as children. So
things went on from wear to year.
Other treaties were made, and it was
all the same. katlODs were further
reduced. and We were starving, suffi
clenC food not given to as, and no
means TO get food from the land were
provided. Rations were still further
reduced. A family got for two weeks
what was enough for one week.
What did we eat when that was
gone? The people were desperate from
starvation they had no hope. They
did not think Of fighting. WHAT good
would it dt,p They mipht die like mon