The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-08
AN INDIAN CONFERENCES
Sioux Chiefs Have a Talk With the
Secretary Of the lEt6FiOr.

WASHINGTON, Feb. THE conference
between Secretary Noble and the Sioux In
| dian delegation began this morning at the
Interior Department. The Secretary of
War and Mrs. and Miss Proctor were pres
ent; also the wife of Secretary Noble and
Miss Halstead
The conference was opened by Secretary
Noble, who said: You were represented
| here Just after an agreement with General
| Crook vas made. You made certain re-
quests and complaints at that time, and you
received certain promises from me. There
! has been trouble since then, and you have
come again to say what YOU think as to the
| cause of the trouble, and TO make any fur-
| Their complaints you see Iii: Inc Secfet':Iy
| is here to tell you that he has Kept us
| word: but if there is anything more lie can
| do. through friendship for the Sioux, he Is
| ready TO do H. lie is your friend, and the
Great Father has told him to be your
fIiend. BE wants you to talk to him as
friend, and he VIII meet you IN the same
spirit.
The Secretary then asked if the Indians
had made any arrangements about speakers.
He could not hear them all, but he would
listen TO few, and he desired them To speak
briefly. He added that II no objection were
made he would hear from John Grass, Hol-
low Horn, American Horse, Two Strike,
Hump and Young Nam A traid-of- His Horse.
In response Louis Rencoltre said this ar
rangement was net satisfactory. as it was
desired that each agency should De repre-
scented.
The Secretary replied that he would hear
John Grass and American Horse and then
take counsel with them as 10 who should
follow.
John Grass then came forward and Rev.
c. 5. Cook, Episcopal minister ut Pine
Ridge, acted as Interpreter. Grass at once
began to speak of the recent trouble among
the Indians, the origin of which he did mol
know. They had come for the purpose Of
comforting with the Secretary in regard to
the latter. The Indians, he said, did not de-
sire to be driven back to their wild life, but
wished to consult with the President so as
to determine upon their future. The Ia
dams thought 1t desirable that the agents
should be civilians rather than OF the mill
| tary. In the past, lie sald, Indian agents
! had opportunities to steal, but now 1t was
! difficult for them to adopt such practices.
! The agents of late years, he said, We're good
| men. Speaking of his own reservation
! standing Rock, the threatened trouble mad
| been put down by the Indian police.
! Grass added that they believed in the In
! dian police, and he requested an Increase of
! fifty men. Grass then shook hands with
the Secretary and took his seat
American Horse was the next speaker.
| He displayed considerable natural ability
| and made graceful preface to his remarks,
! referring in complimentary terms To the
| Secretary and the ladies resent. The
! Government, he said, had made mistakes in
! their attempts 10 cIyiliZe the Indians. He
! proceeded to enumerate their mistakes. H.
stead of the position at the agencies being
| filled in by In0lanS, white men crowded
! them out aud took The places. What his
| people wanted was chance to rise and fill
| positions of trust and confidence which were
! within their reason. He then spoke Of relig-
! ious matters ana said there were three relig-
! iOuS hD1ips iuHiF rpSprynfIun NVhn ,NprG
! trying to teach them to live better lives, aud
1 especially To bring about religious mar
riageS. But they did not want 10 be COM
PEELED to marry certain persons.
The Secretary inquired who had sought to
compel them TO marry.
American Horse replied he referred more
particularly TO persons who eloped. When
the people were brought back the agent
obliged them to be married
Mama irald-oi- Horse related
his services in the interest of harmony dur
ing the late trouble. He brought his people
inJo camp and had turned in their arms.
How many" Queried the Secretary, and
the orator was somewhat nonpluSsed. He
| knew the total was small and did not care to
| say. He hoped the Government would not
only educate the hiIdren. but also give them
something 10 do when they had flushed at
| school.
Two-Strike said he had made peace with
| General Miles, and WAS now going to do
| what he could to maintain it,
| Hump said that about so Of his people
| had been killed aud there should de some
| consideration shown the survivors. He
| wanted the rations increased and continued
| Hollow Horn, Bear and Mediciue Bull
talked briefly and then Secretary Noble
| spoke to the Indians. He said: 1.-The
| Indians must not be discouraged. He would
| be supported as long as he endeavored to do
well. There were two sides to the question
| of what is due the Indian, and what is due
| from the Indian. Up to 1884 the Sioux had
been given $40, 600, 900 by the Government.
The Government acknowledges its treaties
and agreements with the Sioux. Siuce 1884,
when this money was paid, there had been
! much more money paid, according to the
| treaty. The Secretary then quoted stats
| tics as to the issues TO Indians. Schools,
such as the Indians want, had been kept up
at all the agencies, and industrial schools,
such as they want, had also been re-estab-
ished at Pierre, and another school would
be put I'D at tlandreau. Farmers had been
kept at the different agencies TO show the
Sioux how to farm the land. 1t was mere
accident that S1G0 000 should have been cut
oil from the Sioux appropriation Immediately
alter the agreement with General Crook
Ii would have been the same if there had
been no agreement. These things should
now convince the Sioux that the Government
had been trying To do what was right for
the Indians"
In conclusion the Secretary advised the
| Indians to think over the many things the
| Government had done for them. The Secre-
| tary said he wanted the Indians to make up
| their minds to 90 the best they could TO
| educate or to have educated their children,
and never to let their young men dream
that they could ever get anything by force
| from the Government of the United States.
TnnH nTIJTOg rndnnTo oruEr,,-