Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-04-05
INDIAN GIRLS OWN STORY.

Pathetic Account by 2ttkala Sa of Uel
Own "Civilisation,
Htkala- Sa, daughter ot the nakotas
may vet fulhll the tentative prophecy
Of M0rVta Dana, who, in review OF
American fiction said. "A romance
of the ahorigincs by one Of their sur
viNors would be ot melancholy inter
est There may yet come u
tit(ul flash from the dccayed fires OF
the red mans nation" The stories OF
Hitkala-S a. in the last three numbers
of the Atlantic, have possessed much
moro than melancholy interest. anu
the flash from the deCaying fires Of hen
ancestors Is SO bright and so well sus
tanned that to cali 1t httul were wild,
these interesting papers appears In the
March number OF the Atlantic and de
piCts the varied feelings and the sharp
contrasts forced upon the Indian
among her own people after being
wears among the whites and at the
indian training schools.
The first sketch gives the Indian
majdcu's impressions of her childhood
In this, by the way, she adds import
ant testimony to the statements made
by Charles +, lMmmIs, who, IN My
Brothers Keeper, now running in the
Land Of sunshine, most scathngly
CrittClscs The present government
methods OF Indian education In the
second sketch Xitkala Sn Describes her
experiences at an Indian school whore
She was being prepared for teaching.
Her description Of her feelings as she
started for this new life III pathetic:
Soon we were being drawn rapidly
away by the white mans horses
when | saw the lonely figure OF my
mother vanish in the distance a sense
Of regret settled upon me felt sud
denly weak as Il might fall limp to
the ground, ! was In the hands OF
strangers. whom my mother did not
fully trust. no longer felt free to be
myself on 10 voice my own feelings
The tears trickled down my cheeks
and buried my face in the folds OF
nay blanket Now the first step, part
ing me from my mother, was taken
and all my belatcd tears awaited moth.
ing Having driven thirty miles tt
the Icrryboat we crossed the Missouri
in The evening. Then riding again q
few miles eastward. VIC stopped be
fore n massive brick building
looked at 1t in amazemcnt. and with 4
vague misglylng, for in our village
had never seen SO large a house
trembling with fear and dIsirust d
the pale faces, my teeth chattering
from the chilly ride. ! crept noislesslS
IN my soft mOccaaIns along the narrow
hall keeping very close to the bare
wall | was frightened and bewildcret
IS the captured young Of a wild Great
ire"
Here is a point strongly touched by
Mr. LummIs He objects to the TAX
ing Of the Indian children from theil
mothers aud fathers, herdnR them IL
the Indian schools and then scndinf
them back to their tribes or village,
again at the end Of their school course
only slightly In touch with white civ
ilIzatlon and almost wholly out q
sympathy with their own people.
And IL IL this coming back that at
kalaSa so graphically and touchIngly
deals with In the present paper She
has come to the school near the re-
serve to teach the children Of her OWE
people In memory dwelis neyer-to.
be-forgotten glimpses Of the old. hap,
by freedom Of childhood. and these
memories from the contrasting medi.
nm between then and now Her quar-.
ters at the school she describes as 0
small carpeted room. with CHASTITY
walls and ceiling The two windows
both on the same side. were curtainet
with heavy muslin yellowed with age
A clean, white bed was IN one corner
Of the room and opposite It was a
square pine table covered with q
black wooden blanket"
What world II reproot in that
paragraph! CHASTITY walls and ceiling
dnll-colored curtains, one-sided view
and a black tablecloth for an Indian
maiden whose earlier years had had
the horizon and sky Of the pralrles fol
walls and ceiling, almost limltless view
in every direction and all the beauties
Of nature for coloring. What sordit
surroundings for one to whose lif'
brilliant hues were as the breath d
the forestl Is II any wonder that sh,
exclaIms: "A laaden weakness caml