New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-12-22
INDIAN MISSIONS.
THE WORK OF THE PROTESTANT EPIS-
COPAL CHURCH AMONG MANY TRIBES
OF THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES.

Although Americans have always been prone to
give their support to missions in far off foreign
lands, the work Of spreading religion among the
Indians has been entirely neglected. In fact
to-day there is not a tribe in the United States
which is entirely without missionaries The work
has been aided in years by the efforts or
many native Indian preachers. who have the ad-
vantage OF a thorough knowledge of the language
and customs OF the people among whom they work
The Protestant Episcopal Church, which has al
ways been active in Indian missions. has given con-
siderable attention 20 educating bright young Ind
fans for the ministry. Out OF forty-ntne clergy
men now at work in the Indian mission field twen-
ty-eight full blooded Indians Besides, the
Church has a number of Indian lay helpers and
catechiss. who licensed by the bishops to con-
duct certain church services
Most OF the Indians who have become clergy
men were educated in the Indian mission field The
first step is a thorough general education in one of
the Indian schools. Then the Indian is made a lay
helper and put in charge of some isolated congre-
cation. He has power to read the service and LEAD
the Indian worshippers in singing. They hold the
congregation together for the monthly visit of in
structon paid by one of the regular clergy. As
helper and catechist the Indian gets a thorough
knowledge of the religious work which he will have
TO do after ordination Two or three years is the
usual extent of this sort of work Then, If the can
didate has proven faithful and sincere, and shows
sufficient knowledge he is ordained into the lowest
order of Episcopal clergy and becomes a deacon
Advancement to the priesthood is conditional on
the Indians capability and fidelity, and is usually
delayed many years
The largest Indian mission district in this
try is in South Dakota, and is known the Mo
brara Deanery. 1t is presided over by Missionary
Bishop William H. Hare, who is assisted by SIX
white and fifteen Indian cergymen and nifty IL
censed assistants Out of a total Indian population
of twenty-five thousand fully ten thousand baptized
Indians connected with the mission. Services
held every Sunday at eighty different points.
some of the congregations. however. being small
aYd0 oh q
three thousand living communicates who annually
give to charitable and religious objects about s6oO
The annual convocation is great event in the
lives of these Indians The delegates from the ten
departments of the field numbering about two
thousand persons, gather on the level plain Each
department is led by its standard bearer,
holding aloft flag OF white bunting embroidered
with large Nobrara cross and the motto, In
Hoe Signo Vnces'' in Dakota. in different color
for each division. The delegations start from their
different camps. fall into line before the bishop
and clergy, and march toward the central place of
meeting. The most impressive part of the whole
ceremony is the ordination Of native clergymen 1t
is also held in the OPEN the Church officers stand
ing in the shade of a temporary booth The Indians
take a profound interest in this ceremony
The Indians ordained into the ministry are won,
derful examples of fine Christian manhood. said
the Rev F. b Rice who is CONNECTED with fs the
airy Society Of the CHURCH in this city They
simple way, with udeIity equal any min
ister of a civilized Christian nation. While they
people. they have a way Of getting at the Ind
ians quicker because of their knowledge of the
language and customs. The white minister has
first secure the confidence OF the Indians; the
native usually has that from the beginning
The Rev. Sherman Coolidge. full blooded -Arapa-
hoe Indian recently paid his first visit this city.
He is strapping big fellow, more than six feet
tall and created a strong impression wherever he
spoke. He is more scholarly than the average Ind
ian missionary. and is working at the Indian
mission Fort Washable Wyoming The Rev.
William Holmes and the Rev. Dallas Shaw are two
Sioux Indians who doing wonderful work
among their people. Both are graduates OF an
Indian school, and years in secular
occupations after completing their education.
IN all thirteen missionary districts and States are
covered by The Epscopalian missionary system.
Missions scattered along the Alaskan Coast and
Gp the Yukon River far Circle City and Fort
Yukon. In Arizona and New Mexico. where there
thirty five thousand Indians the work is in
charge of Bishop KendriCk. Idaho. Minnesota.
Wisconsin. Nevada. Utah and Florida among
the other States in which Indian mission work is
being done