The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-09
WHO BUILT TIE MOUNDS?
j. v. BROWER TELLS HISTORICAL
SOCIETY 1T WAS THE
SIOUX
FOOTPRINTS LEFT BEHIND
Identity of the Mysterious Builders
LucidIy Traced in an Erudite
Paper Read Last
Evening.
FOOTPRINTS LEFT BEHIND

The Sioux Indians, the old, genuine
full-blooded Sioux Indians, in short the
ancient mound builders, surprising as it
may seem to hear the two races referred
to as one, was the subject of Hon j. V.
Brewers paper, read before the execu-
tive council of the Minnesota Historical
society last night. He scientifically
traced the Sioux Indians back to their
ancient habitations and villages sites and
arrived at surprising conclusions.
Every tribe of Indians known to have
been permanent residents in the region
explored were first described.
The next question considered was the
geologic age Of the lake the surface
of the ground, and the rivers, creeks
and streams. It was shown distinctly
that the mounds were built on top of
the black soil and of that material, in
dicatfng that hundreds of them are of
more recent origin than many suppose.
From the numerous village sites there
has been collected stone, copper, flint
and earthen objects and artifacts which
are exactly similar to the same kind of
material taken from the mounds adjofn-
ing the village sites. That fact shows
that the people who built the mounds
also occupied the ancient villages.
Each of the village sites discovered
have been explored and chartered. BY
the side of the chart OF 1900, the Fau-
queIin chart of 1858 was placed and il
was distinctly demonstrated by the two
charts that the Sioux villagers, residing
in Mile Lac in 1858, were resident at
identical places where village sites were
observed in 1900.
The next proposition submitted was
proof from the records left by RadisSon,
Hennepin, Duluth, LIE Sueur and Carver.
that the Sioux made and used stone
implements, clay pots, copper crescents,
a..,A 1r,1srr
rious stone and copper objects, following
which it was demonstrated beyond dis
pute that the Sioux removed the fesA
from the remains of their dead and de-
posted the bones in a bundled condition.
with the skull. Catlins works were
here produced to show that as late as
1885 the Sioux were building mounds
over their dead. A chart was shown
delineating the bundled bones of Indians
at the surface of the ground at Mile
Lac, with mounds of earth built over
them
1t seems that Thief river was named
after an earthen Enclosure made there by
Sioux Indians, and also that the Sioux
fortified their camps with entertainments
of earth at sunrise, near Monticello. and
al the Pipestone quarry which accoupg:'
for the old Enclosures and entertainments
Another clue was brought out when it
was stated that the Sioux war party,
which went to Crow Wing river in 1860,
built a circular boulder outline figure III
Todd county
Hon James W. Lynd, historian Of
the Sioux nation, was quoted, showing
that the Dakota people were at Mile
Lac at a very ancient period; in fact,
so long ago that no tradition remained
to show where they came from or how
long they had been there.
No trace of two distinct classes of stone !
implements and earthen pots has be4n
found at Mile Lac, and the only island |
in the region where the Sioux had viii |
lage to which Hennepin was taken in
1850, is overspread with broken clay yes
sells and stone implements.
The site of Kathio, the ancient Sioux |
village, at the outlet of the lake, first |
known town in the history Of Mime |
sofa, is described in Mr.. Brewers adj |
dress, and several hundred specimens
from his collection were exhibited to
prove the correctness of the early his |
toric record.
The conclusion, a concise and distinct |
lv stated series of facts, declares that |
the mounds embankments, lodge circles, |
stone implements and clay vessels found |
at Mile Lac were made by ancient Sioux |
Indians.
INTERESTING RELICS RECEIVED. |
The Historical society received last
night from Judge John I. Keagy, Of
Alma, Kan, forty-eig'ht stone specimens
of ebert These stone specimens were
dug up in what is called the Quivira dis
trict in Kansas. 1t is proposed to place
the stones in the new capitol building, to-
gether with other specimens TO be pre-
scented by Rev. Edward c. Mitchell.
Dr. Howard Morton, Of Minneapolis, !
was elected a member Of the society.
A few remarks of respect and grateful
remembrance were made about the late
John R. Jones, of Chattield, Mimi, by
Councillor John D. Ludden.
Gen. John B. Sanborn presented to the
society copy Of the first constitution and
bylaws of the Minnesota Pioneer guard,
which was organized in 1856. He also
gave a letter to the society which was
originally presented to Mat-to-co-ca-can-