Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-07
THE FIN Il hIDGE INDIANS
Some Account of their Hem ark abl
Progress Toward Civilization.

PINE RIDGE AGENCY, June 80.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER.
The JOURNAL AND COURIER will, 1 trust,
courteously allow me a little space in
which to correct some statements, no
doubt carelessly made, in its issue of June
18th by Mr.. George E. Bartlett, who was
we'll known to me when he occupied post
as Indian trader here, as 1 have lived al
most six years at Pine Ridge Agency,
South Dakota. 1t is easy to speak in a
large and vague manner of the west, and
especially of the Indian country, of which
little is actually known in the east, and it
is just such reports which give to the pub
lie erroneous and unjust impressions.
1t would be we'll, it seems to me, to re-
member that the six thousand ''lazy Indi-
ans' of Pine Ridge, who fourteen years
| ago were all painted ssvages, who knew
| not word of English nor any civilized
customs, and amongst whom not civil
| ized garment was to be seen, have almost
| to q man built with their own hands log
houses in which they live Ito the exclusion
of the 'lodges'O, having frat cut the logs
and hauled them often SIX or eight miles.
| At least half of them have gardens, and
| fields of corn and wheat; there is hardly
| a family in which some English is not
| spoken, and an extremely large proportion
| of men and women wear civilized dress al
| together, although 1t is far less becoming
| to them and far less comfortable than the
native dress. This is all the more remark
able because they are not obliged to work.
| The terms of the treaties give them food
and clothing. Are there many white men
/ vuhn ruff tv
would prefer to works
| As to the returned students,-this ques-
| ton has been 30 thoroughly settled by
careful statistics that it seems absurd to
| raise it again, but it is a pleasure to point
| to the returned students from Carlisle and
other eastern schools who are acting as
teachers and assistants in the schools scat
| tered over the reserve, as employees in eve
ry department of the government service
here, as wheelwrights and blacksmiths
| with shops of their own, as assistant farm
ers; as ministers of the gospel and as
clerks in the traders stores, of which
there are seven at different points. Mr..
Bartlett's old post is successfully filed by
one of these "lazy Indians" full blood,
too, who has not even had the advantages
of Carlisle.
Not one graduate of any eastern school
can be found on the Pine Ridge reserve
wearing the Indian dress. There are some
who have been away a short time, who
again put ON Indian dress. They have moi
learned enough of anything to bring them
| money and are obliged to take the blanket
which the United States government pre-
sents to them. II young woman tina
had the benefit of Eve years at Carlisle
"came back and Immediately fell back int
. the old Indian squaw ways" she has be
come hopelessly metamorphosed, as no on,
here knows of any such. 1 have Travelled
constantly over the reserve, know all tn
returned students, have eaten and slept ii
the houses of many of their parents.
do know a number of these girls who hsv
induced their parents to build an addition
, al room for them, in which they try to liv
, like white people. They make bread an,
cake, and pies, too, though 1t is not cas-
: for the old people to understand how an
( one can prefer such thingsto the sun-drie
, beef and the Indian bread.
81 If any of our incredulous eastern one
conld see these girls when they happen {
meet together, where a psrlor organ is a
\ hand, playing and singing the Englis
q | songs and hymns which white school girl
=. | sing, q great change would take place 4
his sentiments. Indeed, If those who tai
so lightly of Indian deprayity would loo
at their own ancestors of few hundre
| years Dack, ana esk themselves just ho'
;. far they are now in advance of those ar
/, cestors, and then think of the few year
o these people have had In which to chang
= the customs and habits of centuries ur
known, would they not hesitate befor
:; they condemnf Look at our colleges. Al
T white graduates" of colleges even neve
= ARRESTED for thievingf" Do our girls a
:. ways make good use of the training an
- education which they have from their YER
"a | hahvhnoIa II anR~ar Mr. Rartlett thu
r saEnsstly bsesuss We feel, We who kpa'