The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-20
SIOUX WRITES A BOOK
WONDERFUL PIECE OF WORK BY
DR.. CHARLES A. EASTMAN
Knew Nothing Of the White Mans
Ways Until He Was Fifteen Years
Old-WiIson's History of the Amer
lean People-An Unpublished Man
uscript of Robert southey.
BY HERBERT BREWSTER.

Every now and then some ethnologist
expresses the opinion that the task of
bringing the red man into the state of
civilization enjoyed by the white is
too great for anything near actual ac-
complishment and then, as If by way
Of making answer, a notable exception
dian is DR.. Charles A. Eastman, who is
not unknown to the readers of the
magazines as writer of uncommon
ability. DR.. Eastman has written a
book which will not only be of inter-
est to the students of the Indian but
to the general public as well, for it is
wonderful story, in a way, of the
authors own boyhood Until he was
fifteen years old, DR.. Eastman knew
nothing of the white mans civilization.
His father, Many Lightnings, was
full-blooded Sioux who came from a
long line Of distinguished chiefs. The
young man was himself chosen chief,
but declined the honor. His mother
was granddaughter of Cloud Man,
who is known to history as the chief
who received the two pioneer mis-
sionaries, the Pond brothers, at his VII
lage, spot now In the suburbs of
Minneapolis. Cloud Man was one of
the first to advocate the white mans
ways, a fact which may explain the
remarkable advance of his greatgrand-
son once he began his schooling. DR..
Eastman, then known as Hakadah,
was brought up by his paternal grand
mother, for massacres and battles
which drove his people into Canada
separated the boy from his father for
ten years. His father had been impris-
oned and sentenced to death, but he
was pardoned by President Lincoln.
Take Up Homesteads.
Then he led a party Of his people
into South Dakota, where they took
up land under the homestead laws and
started a civilized and self-supporting
family. Many Lightnings took the
name of Jacob Eastman, and here it
was that his son, Hakadah, found him.
The boy took to school readily, and
soon led in his classes. 1t was not long
before he was attending Beloit college,
working his way by helping neighbor-
ing farmers. Knox college claimed him
for two years more, and then he went
to Dartmouth. Here young Eastman
became social favorite, leader in
athletics and a most excellent student
in his classes. He was champion long
distance runner throughout his course
in Dartmouth, played on the football
team and won medals for boxing. Dart
mouth men of the early eighties still
remember the attempts to haze the
young Indian. No one ever succeeded
in getting the better of him there. The
RI cf1
and after two years In Boston he was
appointed government physician at
Pine Ridge, s. d. Various appointments
and labors have followed since tat
time. He is at present in charge of the
government hospital at Grow Creek,
s. D.
Several facts are significant to the
student of the Indian problem. The
doctor was trained as an Indian for
nearly sixteen years, and as a white
man for almost exactly the same time.
Beginning without a word Of the Eng
lish language or a civilized conception,
he prepared for college in nine years.
The average white boy, with all his adj
vantages, takes twelve. DR.. Eastman
never attended government school,
and twelve out Of the sixteen years OF
his school and college life was spent
in leading institutions for the higher
education Neither he nor any of his
forbears were agency Indians, nor
has he ever received rations or annui-
ties, except a small money payment
for lands ceded in 1889, although he is
entitled to all the rights Of full mem
bershfp in the Sioux nation. He has
been for many years citizen and
voter DR.. Eastman lectures a great
deal about the country, in addition to
his .abors, and for many years he has
been engaged in original research in
Indian history and folk lore. Ills In
dian Boyhood' will be worth reading.
br. Wilson's Book Completed.
DR.. woodrow wilson, recently elect
ed president of Princeton university,
has completed his History OF the
American People," upon which he mas
spent several years Of writing. ana ths