The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-12
BURIAL OF LEFT HAND sQUAw.

The other day, as noted briefly a
the time in the Eagles special dispatch
es, Chief Left Hand Squaw was bur
led with civilized ritual 1t was the
first time such a thing had taken place
among the Cheyenne Indians, and il
is not without its purport.
Left Hand Squaw was full-blOoded
Indian, Cheyenne chief. His allot-
ment was on Deer Greek in G county.
There on November %, this member
of race, which has been swept
across the country and into a small do
main, south of Wichita, gave up the
ghost after q long illness Of consump-
| ton. His people, the Cheyennes, were
formerly among the brave warriors of
the plains. The title he held, chief,
| had become merely titular and empty,
for the day Of chieftaincy among the
Indians is gone along with their pierre
ing war-whoops and grewsome face
decorations, and his hereditary posi-
| ton among his kinsmen, while giving
him prominence in the less and less
frequent councils, did not give him one
humblest one among his tribal follow
ers.
His life went out when his tribe was
facing new and cruel conditions. They
have been given allotments. Next
year governmental provisions, by trea-
~ stipulation, expires, and the Indian
must support himself. Mentally unfit
for education, physically rebellious to
labor, inherently prejudiced against
the conventions of white men, the tribe
of Left Hand Squaw, beginning in
earnest next year, confronts a condi-
ton full Of hardship and peril.
And in the last chapter Of the life of
Left Hand Squaw, there was intended
a lesson to the Indians, in the conven-
tional funeral ritual, an instructive
suggestion for the good Of his tribe by
Left Hand Squaw himself. For, In
dian, in his nature and prejudices there
must have been some tragedy in his
acceptance of the function of being the
first to be buried in conflict with ira
ditionS of his race. And il must have
been that he made this sacrifice know
ing that the Indian must accept the
ways of the white mans civilization,
his opinions, his religion and his con-
ventionalities, if the Indian is to en-
dure at ell.
During Left Hand Squaw's Illness
Rev. A. J. Simms, Mrs. Simms, the
field matron visited the old chief and
comforted him, both by little acts of
kindness as well as by prayer. With
the kindness of the minister and Mrs.
Simms sinking deep in his heart, Left
Hand Squaw, with show Of sincerity
but probably more out Of grateful ac
commodation, professed to believe in
Christianity and ''to love the Lord"
Left Hand Squaw appointed Mr..
Butler, the government Indian farmer,
his executor and asked that he be bur-
led in the white mans way.
To Mrs. Simms he gave a piece Of
calico and asked her to make his
shroud of it, which she did.
On the day of the first civilized fun
eral the other Indians came around
in their wagons 10 take part in Ito
them a novel ceremony. The body
was laid in a neat coffin and was car
ried to the wagon serving as a hearse
by four pail bearers Of his own tribe.
Oscar Bull Bear, Alfred Heap-of-birds,
Roman Nose and Thomas Hall. The
sad little procession moved away to
the cemetery, the pail bearers mounted
on ponies to either side of the hearse,
with fifteen wagons and buggies trail
ing gloomily along behind
At the grave Reverend r. P. Brown, |
of the Congregational church and Rev. |
\. ]. Simms of the Methodist Episco-
pal church conducted the services be-
fore the stolid, Indifferent Indians. |
Misses Ada Brown and Cynthia Han
shaw sang: What a Friend We |
Have in Jesus" and Jesus Lover of |
MY NOul.
After this ceremony Mad Wolf, an |
Indian, made a vigorous, fiery speech. /
Some Of the white people present took |
this as a protest against the mode of |
burial, but it developed that Mad Wolf |
too. had succumbed 10 civilization and !
WAS only advising that fire guards be |
plOwed around the cemetery.
The whole thing was sad. Whatey-
or may be the eXigencies of demesne
or enfranchised citizenship |
the condition Of the subjugated Indian
not the half breed nor the squawman,
is pitiable, and the tragedy of the sac
rifice Of Left Hand Squaw deserves
q place among the herOisms of history.
AN UNIQUE DON.
Hon. Don Cameron, senator from