New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-04


that steps would be nstanter to provide at least
| a tenn 0rary waiting rom or shelter;
| the courtesy shown X. J. PETERSON.
| Newlork, Feb. ~, 1898
NO GHOST DANCES AMONG THE SIOUX.
| CoNTRADICTING SOME FAIRY TALES FROM THE
| NEIGHBoRHoOD OF PINE RIDGE AGENCY.
Tothe Editor OF The Tribune
sir The diversity of opinion and absurd stories cur
| rent about The Indian trouble at the Pine Ridge
| Agency are sufficient OF themselves to confirm the
fact, we'll known few that very few persons know
ANYTHING about the Indian situation. The Pine Ridge
Agency contains than 3,OOOOOO acres OF land nnd
II Is by no means easy TO get messengers from one
portion OF ii 10 another N this senson OF bitter coid
consequently such reports sent out to most OF
| the newspapers arc merely amorphous array OF
statements cullcd from irresponsible sources. Many OF
| the settlers and even some Of the indian traders
themselves know comparatively little OF the mental
processes Of an Indian not much more OF his habits In
| peace and war. and nothing mt all OF the Dakota
| tongue. The news-senderS, however, have no means
OF knowing that these people, living near the
| Indians. have little accurate knowledge concerning
them. and they, therefore, telegraph and write the
hazy conclusions Of people whose propnquiy they deem
| to be n sign OF valuable Information.
| To one who has seen the Omaha dancing many times
and the ghost dancing which IS the result OF the So
called Messiah craze, the statement that such dane
|
| merely lauchnble. No human being could endure the
exposure that such dancing entails at time, as now
when for weeks in Dakota the mercury has registered
from 10 to 80 degrees below Again. no one who
has lived among the Indians during these last months
fail to be- convinced that not one-third OF the
| Indians believe In the Messiah craze. or in the
efficacy Of ghost shirt The recent shooting OF tho
| cowboys on White River was the result OF Il previous
nagtng Of II not more OF the Indians by two OF
| hos m Wh 1
the most trcachcrous kind. one denies Treachcry
| In Indian, however Is courage. He believes IN
,ta.bng in the back. just as did the lliglanders OF
300 years ago, nor has Their" ever been IN our
Indian history such foul cowarilce as marked the
massacre at Glencoe In Scotland. The cowboy looks
upon all indians Of like importance and " having no
code to which they adhere with ancestral pride and
| v,ncration. Two strikes IS q notable man among the
sioux and he was undoubtedly insulted, and the In
suit was wiped ont. not rs result OF the Messiah
craze, but from personal motives Of revenge.
OF course once the Indians are excited by sHn
catastrophe. all their grievances combine TO inname
their passions And s'me OF their grievances are real
For example, the annuity goods at the Rose Bud
Agency such rs heavy blankets and overcoat' for the
cold weather should have been ready for them by
the first Of November Instead OF that they were not
prepared TO issue them until after the first OF january
when the cold intense. large part OF the reSer
walton land Is uni, for farming. and Yet 1t is only
have been directed from farming to tho raising OF
cattle: and for this last move a Republican Admins
,ration great praise. The meat used 10 De
issued 10 them the hoof and I'll" Indians shot inc
cattle down. skinned and cut them up themselves.
Now the cattle are buchered for them ana the meat
weighed ont to them. much 10 their regret.
But apart from these actual grievances, the result
NJ nexpcrcnce rather than Of malice there are sundry
factors interfering with a good understanding between
the agent In control and The Indians WIS. Elaine
t:ood,l, Eastman. the wife Of full -blooded Indlah
who has until recently held the position OF agency
physician nj Pine Ridge. has been constant source
Of ANNOYANCE Ia everybody who has had to 90 WIN
tho indians Of that agency. she has bitter prejudice
acnn,, The. Army, and. she speaks Dakota huentiy'
She la, been nudicious In her talk among th' h"is
| on thl, subject Her notorcty In the East mas ''ue
hcr also unduly sensitive To her prerogaveS as inc
wife NJ the agency physician. ana althoush She HID
never positively abused her privileges, she has ui
| douhtedy taken pains to negative the plans anu pur
poses 81 the agent captain Brown Her r'hso'a ro"'
bc agency IN, been received by all parties, whatever
their personal prcjudiccs. with gratitude Inc wei"
| known Mr. Mae gillicudd,. formerly an indian agent
at Pine Ridge himself spares no effort to make Kh'"h
| h, discomfort and his disapproval oil all anu every
method Of any and all agents And these various
clements conspirc make the entente anything p"'
,,, h,v..p thc Indians and the Government
officials. ~ -
| When II IS remembered. too. that an Indian out
break Is not an unmiXed evil, the si'ha'oh p''o"''
the more pcrpleNing. The movement OF troops ~
.rues 70 thc benefit Of the Indian traders, VINO sell 10
m. soldiers and 10 "A large body oil carriers livery!
and camp-folowcrS ~ all descriptions i'' '''
Indian outbreak with its attendant slaughter OF men,
women and children ut Wounded Knee. cost the GOV
rrm.nt over - 900 900 much OF which was "Ap'lueu
among the settlers in the vicinity. The agents are
~ a rule good men, but they are such men rs are
Willing to i've in these desert places for $1,000 year.
"a
'm,.rr,ncv Orcor, II the army dislike 10 IS'
uch positions. 1t j. 10 De doubted whether III n, nr,
n ,,nrc ,hrv are bound tn do 80. there are NOR
rom 10 900 indians th" Pin" Ridg" ana Kos" hlia
Indian agencies They ar" FED ana ni"Mgu an" ~ mem
Who know their language ma mond BE- ,hc
their habits and customs Mn n TV whii. were
nurur.s in such misc ti"f breeding fashion a.
' Won like Captain Brown. of Pine Ridge. ana Mr..
vtrh, ~ Ros, Bud are facing this problem ana are
v, ,S ,m. timc hanlpcrcd 10y lack OF authority Tn"
''oynrnm"nt has spent millions IN coorcng The indians
ala rnuaii"s which are supposed to prevent NAL
,am'I u, !" be- an cconomy among British officials
In ,imnr positions. to pay these agents even Us
nnc" men 81 the host canbrc. Were there no Other
argument against IT. ab'ury the mere ,n,emcn no WA,
two men whose combined salaries are ahonl FoooU a
YEAR are set to govern 10000 indians wrr" In,"
snoae President slcc' Cleveland paid l,S or no
attention the Indian during ms Las, MISREPRESENTATION;
but il is to be- hoped that during M. next term OF
four years h" will be moTr any. TO 'h" G gor VI "a
10 be gained but where there Is need Oh "onSan, u,
supervision and study whatever olh,r H'lN'',mt oI
thr Government should De delivered from poilicai
,,s siunton and political prejudice. II i ~ least
| bcyond dispute that I'm orr dealings win IN" indahS
poIltical preferences should have no weight. Good
| ,erut. with absolute authority and nEd i'>polSibliy
alone can solve these rraSing and intricate PROB
| lrms II was General Crook. OF blessed memory
,mong IN. Indian, and those In authority over them VINO
s,id creed and avaric" The part ~ the whites
| in other words the almighty dolar-iS NJ IN" bottom
| ~ nine tcnths 81 all our Indian troubles rs n
| somewhat Illlieratc but l"velheadcd mnchiian re
| marked lately: The Indians are bad enough but
| l.t 'cm stick In few Tammany hecers ont YER ana
| that will raise hell" :. - oo ~
| sioux Falls, s. Oak. Feb. Q, 1893.