The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-20

Reports received at the Interior De
parsment from South Dakota declare that
The Indian Bureau is making remarkable
Roadway IN the civilization of the Sioux
in that State. A visitor to any OF the
reservations today. says one report,
might not be inclined 10 that belief. but
If his memory ran over q period OF thirty
or forty years. he would appreciate the
change.
The Sioux used TO be among the ferceSt
Indians Of the West To Jhe.r credit are
charged many bloody massacres. notably
the killing of Gen. George \ Custer and
his command Of about $50 men on Little
Big Horn River. in Montana. in 1876.
Their last determined stand against the
white men was at the battle Of Wound
ed Knee Greek, 1896, when fhirty-fiye
officers and men and over go Indians were
killed Up to that time they had, .or
dfty years, retarded the advance OF owl
Zation west Of the Mississippi, ki.-iug
and scalpIng right and left, and murder
OusIy harasSipg the Government trooys
sent out to ! otect the builders o. the
Union Pacific But a different CONDITION
of affairs exists today
There are over COCO members of the
Sioux nation in South Dakota. and they
are increasing annually. The tepee OF
the plains has given away to tne log,
abode. and farmhouse; the war dance Is
relic of the past. except for an occa-
siOnal celebration on the reservation
when a feast dance is INDUCED in; the
war songs are supplanted by religious
songs taught the children and the grand
children at the day and the Sunday
school; the great hunting expeditions are
a thing OF memory. The Indians paint
| their faces still, but so, they argue, dos
the pale-face squaw- Their decoration
today is that of personal adoTnmenJ, not
preliminary step to a massacre The
breech-clout fantastic headzear. and
streams OF feathers have made way in
! the majority of cases for civilian cIO,hes.
On the Pine Ridge reservation live SIS
! Indians. the remnants OF those VINO par
/ tiCipatcd in the Custer massacre and the
| Wounded Knee Creek battle. More chill
! dTen attend school there today than a
| year ago This tribe devotes its time 10
| stock raising. The love for dancing and
! giving away food and property are the
! two tribal customs hardest TO abandon
Nearly 5,OCG Indians reside on the
/ Rosebud agency. They have abandoned
! agriculture for stock-raIsing. and Gu ing
! the past three years have remOdeIed
| their houses, substituting single roofs
/ for old-time Cirt ones. putting in win
dows. building COrrals, and putting up
/ hay They are growing more numerous.
and the attendance Of children at the
/ schools is increasing
/ The Cheyenne River Agency has almost
1000 redskins. and the registration books
at the post show a slight decrease in the
3 past few years. The Indians Of this res
( eryatiOn,' says Agent Hatch. ''as people
/ have given up all the old customs. Some
Fr1r- IL
in the yapOT bath. and although cOnjuring
! is no longer pTacticed. some make their
medicines in secret. Government physi-
clans are constantly thwarted in their ef-
forts by the use of Indian nostrums. The
old idea of the Thunder God still remains
in the minds of some, hence in the summer
time. as the black clouds loom up. and
( during the storm. cedar is burned as
sa crifce- Some still retain the idea that
ghosts roam around at will. with power
for evil. and some also fear TO 20 out
alone at night The old tribal custom Of
selling girls in marriage IS no longer prac-
ticed but in place of tor, rather, as
lingering Part of 1.-THE brothers. Sis
/ tiers. cousins, uncles, and aunts. as well
as the parents. must first give their con
! sent before the girl can marry. The old
tradition that the earth is the Great Fa-
Their the people do not now believe. Some
2
( ", when eating, dropping bits OF food TO
the ground as 4 sacrifice TO -ToOnkanshe-
I Ia one OF their greatest gods
There are less than -2.0G0 YanktOn IN
dams N the State. and they prefer farm
/ ing TO stcck-raising- Dancing and the Civ
ing away of everything they own are the
old traits hardest TO overcome
At the Sissetoa Reservation. on which
are about 1000 Indians. they either farm
OF rent their lands to white men, and live
on the proceeds One custom that works
/ q deUiment 10 them IS visiting. An Indi-
an has very little ambition TO accumulate
/ stock and grain. for rs soon Is he does,
/ some OF his friends make him a visit.
/ which terminates Only when stock and
other breadstuffs are gone, for Indian Ell
gUette does not permit nina to refuse any
thing 70 his friends.
| On the Crow Greek and Lower Brule
| reservations are to be found more chill
| dren attending school this year than last.
| Stock raising is The chief industry win
! dancing and visiting as d recreation.
| To sum u:5 the results the Irdion is more
! successful as a stock-raiser Ihan as farm
! er Members D the rising generation Of
| full b!O0ds take 10 education. attend school
more regularly than their pale-faced
| brothers in the city schools. and appar-
| emily never forget what they once learn
CD .rTrTr1r OF 1zIT.ST TcITrgrTzT