The Press., 1898-02-24
NORTH DAKOTA LETTER.
Oberon, N. D., Feb. g, 1898.


 Peter Bear is a Christian Indian, a member of the Crow Hill Presbyterian church on the reservation. This church has a meeting house, plain frame struc- ture. The interior have never seen. It is seven miles from here, and quite by itself on the prairie. There is a log house near it-a parsonage-whic the former minister to these Indians used. The present pastor, young and single, prefers to be at the fort. There is not much of a settlement near the church. In sight of it, however, perhaps a mile away, is another meeting house which the Catho- lies put up. Peter Bear is a deacon, I think, in the Presbyterian church. He has every appearance of being a nice young man. He is stout built and has pleasant face.
 About two years ago he came over to see me, and to sell me some pictures for the benefit of the church. At that time he proposed to bring the Presbyterian choir over and sing native pieces for me in my morning services. did not under stand at first what he intended, as l do not understand his mother tongue. took him over town to some one who could talk Indian, and found he wanted to sing for the benefit of his church. said he might, and he might come along the next Sabbath, although it was con- munion Sabbath. The choir came, three young men and two young women. One woman who was to come, was denied the privilege at the very last by her father, who wanted her to go that Sabbath with him to his meeting. The choir gave us three hymns, and did very we'll indeed, though the girls were so excessively mod est they would hardly lift up their heads, and would not face squarely the audience. Had they been little bolder they would have given more pleasure. There was a splendid turn out to hear them. The whole service was impressive. One young man was baptized and came into the church.
 I had arranged to give the Indians din ner before they should go back on the reservation. Two young men and one of the girls came to the parsonage. We gave them seats with us at the table. One of the men is educated and pleas ant talker. We got along nicely. The young woman could understand every thing and could talk, but would not. Here mention a peculiarity of the In. dians in this matter of speech which we witness every day. When they can talk | , would be for their advantage to talk SC as to be understood, they will not. They hold tenaciously to their own language and will use no other unless compelled to. -yThe children in the schools art obliged to use English. They have tt learn it and use it, but away from schoo they fall back on the native tongue anC persist in its use. So this young woman at our table, pleasant and we'll hammered ! would not be drawn into conversation because it was carried on in English. w gave them five dollars and seventy fiv,
 cents to be used for church purposes, bu 3 we found afterwards they appropriated
 it to their own personal use.
 came in one day from some outsid
 work, and found MT. Catch Bear an'
 Miss White-Eyes Girl waiting for me t, B make them husband and wife. Piou ; Big Shields and John Elk were witt | them. They had no license, and I hesi tated to marry them; but after some ex ,, animation, and being assured that Ii cense was not required, they were joine C together, the joint being as good as r could make with John Elk for interpret er e To my surprise they offered me thre
 dollars. found afterwards they shoul
 have a license, but the marriage woul = hold any way.
 Just ten days later came home fror a an outside appointment was the Sat
 bath-and found an Indian party at tn
 house waiting for me to perform a mal 7 riage ceremony. The men were all in tn
 house, but the prospective bride and he
 little boy, two years old, were out by
 farm wagon, in which they had come h They all belonged to the reservation, an ; the men are we'll known in town. The l. were Charles W. Shields, interpreter VI Job Twohearts and Samuel Tiwaste, wh ; was a widower and was now waiting fo g a second wife. He was forty-three years e and the woman was seventeen. She wa
 a widow. 1 will give her name and th 70 interpretation of it as near as MT. Shield 9- was able to render it in English, Tun-ka1 kei-egotan-kewin - Sitting -with-ston, ,f girl" The native name I have in tn l. handwriting of MT. Shields, which ii n perhaps, better than my own. The nam ,t I suppose, is an allusion to the India d habit of sitting before stone idol in wo 5o ship, MT. Shields, who is an educate y Christian Indian, gave me to understan' se MT. Tiwaste had no license, and hes ,u tated to marry him. But MT. Shield t. gave me the practice of the Christian |. iu dians on the reservation, and that H. cense was not necessary, and after CO os sulting an outside party concluded e. would be safe to go ahead. So the W Se T man, who had remained all this time O r. by the wagon, was called in. Now the
 was another hitch quite unlocked fo sssssssssssssssssssesseeese