The Iola register., 1891-01-30
THE INDIAN TROUBLES.

A special Agent Makes His Report as TO
the Cause of Dissatisfaction-They Want
Plenty of Beef
WASHINGTON, Jan. Commissioner
Morgan, of the Indian Bureau, has re-
ceived a report from Special Agent
Cooper regarding the Sioux troubles in
the Northwest. Mr.. Cooper was sent
to Pine Ridge at the beginning of the
troubles and he has been there through
out. He says that there seems to have
been complication of causes for the
difficulty, and the Indians themselves
do not appear to know what caused it
He continues:
''There seems to be diversity of
opinion on this subject by men who
have for the past twenty-five years
been acquainted with the Indian char
acter. / think the first starting of the
trouble was the ghost dance the cere-
monies of which best suited the older
Indians, and especially the chiefs, who
were realizing that by the advance of
civilization and education they were
losing their influence with their people
and gradually becoming creatures of
insignifcance. The ghost dance prom
ised much that was desired by the In
dians, and the doctrine taught was very
acceptable to their susceptible nature.
They readily grasped that which prom
ised such liberal rewards. The originator
of this dance was fully aware of the
Indians superstitious nature, and in
setting up the doctrine and prescribing
the course of ceremony constructed it
so as to N, ct the exact wishes of the In
dians. / have talked with great many
head men on this reservation, such as
Big Road, Little Wound, Jack Red
Cloud (son of Chief Red Cloud and
Crow Dog, and they all seem to be of
the same opinion, and that is that the
ghost dance theories promised them a
great deal more than they were getting
from the Government, and they all
Joined it. thinking that it would in the
end bring them abundant of wild game
and plenty of every thing to eat with
out the least effort on their part Lit
tie Wound says that a great deal of
jealousy exists among the chiefs, and
they would adopt any method that
would restore their lost prestige over
their people"
The agent reports that there is still
great discord between the two factions
of Indians-those who signed the Sioux
treaty and those who did not The lat
ter were among the prime leaders in the
ghost dance. AS to what methods of
administration will be necessary to fully
restore harmony, the agent SAYS the
Indians should be given plenty to eat,
especially beef, and sufficient clothing
to make them comfortable. He recon-
mends the enlistment of friendly In
dians In the police force. He says, in
conclusion:
NO one can deny the fact that the
Brules have caused all of this trouble.
A few Indians from other agencies
have gathered here also, but had the
Brules been checked in the start the
trouble would have ended and settled
this question. The presence of the mil
itary on a reservation is a good thing in
time of war, but has a very exciting in
fluence over them in time of peace.
From my experience with Indian af-
fairs, ! must confess that the use of mil
itary would be my last resort to settle
among the Indians. In
my opinion, the best method for set
Ting trouble among Indians is to use
the good element against the bad, and
quiet the matter among themselves,
and it should be remembered in
this connection that the very
best method to be used in subsidizing
an Indian is plenty of beef. The older
Sioux are Just as carnivorOus in
their desires as they were twenty
five years ago, and this class will never
be educated to the diet of the white
people. Many people may differ with
me in this matter. The newspapers. as
we'll as individuals, all have their the |
ories and solutions of the question, and !
are liberal with their criticisms toward |
most every one connected with Indian !
affairs, and this, like MANY other pub |
lie questions, has to be burdened with |
that class of people who know the |
least and say the most. 1t is probable |
that the treatment of the Indians has |
not in every respect followed exactly |
the written laws on the statute !
books. or the unwritten laws of |
but to suppose that the de-
partment has always been wrong (as |
many would have the world believe), |
and that the Indian has always been |
right is to suppose that che savage is
with stronger sense of moral |
obligation than the civilized man, a |
that will hardly be accept
ed by those who understand the in
wardness of the willy Sioux. / believe |
it safe to say that the present indica-
tons are that the most serious time has |
passed, and in conclusion would most |
recommend that the Indians
from other reservations be returned to
their homes as soon as it is practicable |
TO do SO, and required to remain On |
their respective reservations until the
present feeling and excitement quiets
lown."
To Open the Strip.