The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
SHREVD SIOUX INDIANS
Clever Method of Evading a Gov
eminent Order.
Wholesale Visiting being Prohibit
ed, the Red Men Take Refuge In
Holding So-Caiied Councils The
Experience of "Horse standingp
In Entertaining n Gathering.

Experience of "Horse Standings
In Entertaining Gathering.
SIOUX FALLS, S. D.. Feb. 24-That the
Sioux Indians possess much sbrewdness ia
Illustrated by their method of circum-
venting an order issued by the officials OF
the Indian Bureau at Washington. One
OF the customs Of these Indians has been
what might be termed whosesaie visiting
OF each other and adjacent tribes. In the
opinion of those who have made a special
study OF the Indian problem for many
years this practice has had greater In
huence than any other in discouraging
the Indians to become self-supporting.
Before the issue OF the order by the
officials of the Indian Bureau 1t was moth
ing uncommon to see a number of Indian
families. aggregating from thirty to ffty
persons. start out on visiting tour to
their brethren in some remote portion Of
the reservation or on adjacent reserva-
tions. These visiting expeditions were in
truth nothing more or less than foraglns
expeditions. for the parties took only
small quantities of provisions with them,
and the Indian and his family who were
''honored' by the visit were expected to
provide food for the whole party during
its stay, which might be two or three
days, or a week, according to the amount
OF food the entertainers could produce.
To refuse to provide food, and plenty
or II, for guests would constitute an IN
pardonable breach of Sioux etiquette
After the platter was swept clean the
visitors would return home or visit some
other acquaintance who they knew had a
good stock Of provisions on hand. An
Indian who had sufficient ambition to pro-
vide for the future was always singled
out, and in short time after the arrival
of his visitors his larder bore striking
resemblance, so far as edibies were con-
cerned, to a garden which had Just been
swept by a swarm Of grasshoppers.
Owing to this practice Of wholesale visit
ins. ambitious Indians were discouraged
in their efforts to lay by something for a
rainy day, and to stop the practice the
Indian Bureau at Washington some
months ago issued an order prohibiting it.
But from recent developments the In
dams have adopted this method of evading
the order: Instead of visiting" they now
hold so-called ''councils''~to discuss i'm
aginary or trumped up grievances. These
councils are invariably held in close
proximity to the home of some Industrious
Indian, who is, of course required to fur
lish those in attendance with food.
On the Cheyenne River reservation Is an
Indian policeman named Horse Standing.
He lives on a creek in the interior of the
In addition to receiving his
regular monthly pay he is also. as in the
,ase of other policemen, granted increas-
ID rations, and. being Industrious, would
;oon be comparatively wealthy were it not
or his friends" Last summer he and
lis Indian wife had a fine garden in which
hey raised about one hundred and fifty
head of cabbage. over hundred bushels
Of potatoes, and smaller quantities of
1ther vegetables.
He had also engaged extensively in the
raising of cattle. The rainfall in that
region last summer was much below nor
nal, and to keep the garden in good con-
lition water was carried from the creek
iome distance away. While this work was
,eing done the other Indians in the neigh
1orhood who were of a more indolent
disposition. thinking that only the white
nan was so low in the scale Of humanity
IS to be required to work, were sitting
n the shade. smoking and musing on the
iast greatness of the Sioux nation.
When the fall of the year came and the
ruits of the labor of Horse Standing and
lis wife were gathered and carefully stored
n the earthen root house, which had been
lug after such labor as would test the
mbition of even the average white man.
heir INDECENT Indian neighbors looked
With covetous eyes upon the cabbages, po-
atoes. and other vegetables as they were
,laced where the frost would not harm
hem Having in mind the order OF the
indian Bureau prohibiting wholesale yis-
ting. the neighbors of Horse Staining
we're for several months perplexed how to
ecure the choice cabbages, potatoes. etc,
which were in his root house.
Recently however, a way was devised
he Indians on that part of the rese-va-
ion suddenly discovered that they had
everaI grievances against the Govern
rent. and accordingly, a grand council
as called to discuss the matter and de-
ermine what should be done to call the
ttention of the Indian Bureau to the
---c-gs'' inflicted upon them by the In
ian agent and his subordinates. The
council was called TO meet at point
lose to Horse Standings domicile. In
ians of all sizes and degrees gathered at
he appointed time, and Horse Standing
as called upon, according to the rules
f Indian etiquette, to provide them with
,od.
The deliberations of the Council were
lore prolonged than is customary even
it'll such affairs among the Sioux. From
~ to day Horse Standing viewed with
REF the depletion Of his larder and the
aereasa in the number of his cattle, which
ere killed one by one TO feed his hungry
-ethren The aid of the Indian police
rec was finally solicited to dispense the
ldians. but not until too late Horse
landings supply Of vegetables and pota-
,es had disappeared in the hungry
ouths of those attending the council"
ID his herd of cattle was sadly depleted
numbers. Then the Indians gravely de-
irted.
The Indians receive rations from the
overnment every two weeks. but within
70 or three days. many Of the more i'm
evident ones have eaten the last morsel
the supplies given them Then they
I'VE to 20 hungry until the next ration
" or go on foraging expeditions among
cir more farseeing neighbors. How to
this without violating the order Of the
ashingJon authorities is solved by the
option Of the Council plan. and such
therings promise to be in fashion among
e Sioux from now on.