New-York tribune., 1901-02-24
WHAT INDIAN COUNCILS" uE1y,
PROHIBITING "VISITING'-HOW HORSE
STANDING SUFFERED

Sioux Falls, :. n. Feb q (speciaD That The
sioux Indians possess much shrewdness Is films
trated by their method OF circumveutine a., orta-
issued by the officials OF the Indian Bureau ~
Washington One OF the customs OF these Indians
had been what might be termed wholesale visiting
of each other and adjacent tribes In the opinion
or those who have made special study OF tire
indian problem for many years this practice has
had greater Influence than any other in discour-
aging the Indians to become self-supportIng
Before the issue OF the order by the officials Of
the Indian Bureau II was nothing uncommon To
see number OF Indian families aggregating from
thirty 20 hfty persons start out on a visiting torr
20 thelr brethren In some remote portion OF the
reservation or adjacent reservations These
visiting expeditions were In truth nothing more or
less than foragng expeditions for the parties took
only small quantities OF provisions with them and
the Indian and his family who were "honored'' bv
the visit were expected to provide food for the
whole party during Its stay. wtch might he two or
thrse days o. a week, according 10 the amount OF
FOOD the entertainers could produce
To refuse to provide food. and plenty Of H. FOR
guests would constitute an unpardonable breach of
Sioux etiquette. After the platter was swsn+
clean the visitors would return home or vfsff or,
other acquaintance who they knew had a good
stock Gf provisions on hand An Indian who had
sufficient ambition to provide for the future was
always singled oI'. and In short time after the
arrival Of his visitors his larder bore a striking
resemblance 50 far edIbIes were concerned -
a garden which had just been swept by a svarr, %
gr7sshoppers. Owl & 10 this practice OF wholesale
visiting ambitious Indians DISCOURAGED il,
their efforts 10 lay by something for raI,v da,-
and TO stop the practice the Indian T,,raa,, =,
Washington some months ago issued an orIav =,
hibiting IT,
But from recent developments the Indians b,,..
adopted this method OF evading the order. I,s,t
Of visiting they hold sO-caIIed ..,o,,r,ot1.
discuss imaginary trumped up grievances -rbse
councils are invariably held in close proxin,i,,, =.
the home of some Industrious Indian who fs 80
course. required 20 furnish those in ATTENDANCE
with food.
ON the Cheyenne River reservation Is an India,
policeman named Horse Standing He II,.as - :
creek in the interior of the reservation 1, ,,5t
tion TO receiving his regular monthly nav ba - -
S III the case OF other policemen. granted increased
ratiOns and. being industrious. would soon ha 60
parativey wealthy were ii rot for his friends >,
Last summer he and his Indian wife had a a.
garden In which they raised about one hundred
and fifty head OF cabbage. over a hundred b,sbaIs
tables. 'Ns0-
He had also engaged extensively In tho -atsi
OF cattle The rainfall in that region last summer
was much oeioW normal and TO keep the garden I'm
soou cohdition water was carried from the creek
some distance away. While this work was heinz
done the other Indians in the neghborhood VIII
were OF more indOlent disposition thinking that
bS b nT Wlte WI t man was so low In the scale OF
~ III tHe MS, sndSe S snohlhs anu mustns the past
When the fail OF the yeat came and the ,r,s .,
tn labor OF Horse Standing and his wife WeTs
gathered and carefully stored I'm the earIhen roof
hou5e which had been dug after such Labor as
would test the ambition OF the average "a hire
man. their indOlent Indian neighbOrs looked vxith
cOvetOus eyes upon the cabbages. potatoes and
Other vegetables as they placed where the
frost would not harm them Having in mind the
order OF the Indian Bureau prohibiting WhOlssaIa
Visiting. the neishbors of Horse Standing were fr-
several months perplexed how TO secure the choice
eabbases. potatoes etc. which were in his root-
house - ~ ''
,Ifssss Recently how PoTeye way devised. The
discovered that they had several grievances against
the Government, and. accordingly. n grand s'cOUn-
en- was called 10 discuss the matter and deter
.lhS what should De done To call the attention
the Indian Bureau 90 the wrongs inflicted uDOn
them by the Indian agent and his subOrIinates
Ihs councf was called 10 meet at a point close
10 H9rse Standings domctie Indians OF all sizes
dI ahG stees gathered az the appointed time and
H0rse stanclnE was called Upon according 20 the
food. f' '0" WIN
The deheerations OF the council were more
trolohsed than - customary even with such al
Islrs among the Sioux. From day 70 dsv EJorsa
S,shdlng viewed with grief the depletion OF his
IdrIsr ana the decrease in the number 81 nis
ee'"s' WHICH were killed one by 70 feed his