The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-09-08
REMAINING INDIANS.

parsilent appointing Hamlin Garland.
the wc.i-k1own writer Of Indian
stories, TO revise Indian names CT the
United States, is arousing much in
terest ct the Indian school CT the
PuyalluD reservation Maj. Frank
Terry. who Is in charge Of the schcol.
and also exercises supervision over tho
reservations Of northwestern Wssh7
ingtop, has made study of Indian
names for the past ten years. and has
written much upon the subject.
The new order comes personally
home to the Indians all ever the
country, as the changing and abridg-
Ing OF the names OF the indians is q
part Of Ilr. G2-land's WORK. 1t hz5
been found that Indians in various
sections are named Unfortunately
and it is impossible TO tell by the
name the relationship Of ore Indian
to the other This resulted in COM
plications daily on the reservations.
Maj. Terry talks Interestingly upon
the subject, and in an interview
says:
~Tralslatioas OF Indian Names, az
rule, have been unsatisfactory.
though there are exceptions The
case is reported from the Pawnce res
eryaticn, Oklahoma, of an Indian
named Coo-rux-ruh-rah-ru-- The
literal Interpretation OF his nl-ae as
given to me is .Fearing-a-b ear-taat- IS
wild With this Interpretation the
agent named him Fearing B. Wide
This is not a bad arrangement, but
there are many Indians whom | have
met with whose names could not be
90 nicely altered. For instance, 1 re-
member a Crow Indian whose name.
translated. was 'KiIls-the-one-vIth
the blue mara-in-the-center-o f-the-
chin Others / met we're named Sob
tail-wolf-No. 9, Keep -his-head-
above-WaeeT. Water
Ra.n-il-the-face,' Crazy horse Vel
low-bonnet,' and 'Afraid-of-his-eae
my These names, of course, ere I'M
eouth, un-American, and uEciv.Iizsd.
AS the Indian grows he commits
acts from tine to time, each of which
gives him a new name For example.
ne may see bear and run screaming
to a tepee The folks all laugh at
him and call MIN 'Afraid-of-a-hear.'
Later on he may become the pos
SCISSOR of an unruly pony. When he is
afraid to ride, and then he becomes
Known as .Afraid-of- his-horzes. Or
ne may mount horse from which an
other Indian has been thrown. and
ne then becomes known as 'R.Les-the-
horse. Further. he may become a
/ great hunter and kill many niId ami
mails. ard he then is known as Five
1ears,' and when he Stays another he
5 known as 'Six-bears' Ee may rer-
,orm a valiant deed in battle, and ride
MS horse through the camp Of the
enemy. fc- which he becomes known
IS observation-disclosures Eur
.ng the conflict he may kill one Of the
enemy. If his victim is the only one
slain he is known as 'Kiils-the-en-
! envy. But if Others fall, the ore he
Kills must be described in his name
IS 'kills-the-o1e-with -feath-
sr-in-his-scllp. or. 'Kills-the-one-vto-
des-the-pony-wit h-the-bob-taiI. If
ne bra.ds in his hair a yellow feather
which he has rlucked from the tail
Of an eagle, he may be called Easie-
all 'Easle-feather. 'Yellow-taiI.'
Yellow-feather. If he gives it to his
friend he viii be known as 'Givez-
feather. but if he Keeps it. when asked
'or it. he becomes Keeps the-yeIlow
leather if he has more than che
leather
"Or he may obtain his name from
some other object. If he is accus-
| -oned to ride what is known IS a
calico horse, he viii be Inown as
Spo5ted-horss' But il his horse has
R short tail, he will be known rs Bcb-
4 taii-korse. Now, the chances are
that he VIII be kncwn by all the fore
/ going names His enemies in the
-riho will continue to spear os hin as
4 Io1g-ccTs. or 'Afrafd-of- 81 orse >
while his friends viii sPeak OF him as
1 RiGes-his-horse,' 'Six-bears. and
'Kills-the-enemy.' For this rea-cn it
occurs that you speak Of a Inds71 in
the presence of members Of his tribe.
and call him 'Six-bears. trey may
lapgh at you and say: That is rot his
name his name is "Ru1s-tron-a-
bear But if you speak OF him to
other Indians and call him 'Euns-
! from-a-bear, they viii scowl and SAY.
That's rot his name; his name is
''IEills-the-encmy -
"Ecnce it win be seen that the IN
dian names are a delusion and . s'are.
and the practice of eonverti-g them
into English is eminently wise.
william Penn, Fitzhugh Lee, David
B. Hill AID William Shakespeare ere
the names Of Indian policemen at TIE
Shoshone agency. Wyoming. l myself
have seen George Washington. John
Quincy Adams. Franklin Pierce. Rip
Van Winhic. Allan C. Thurman ard
Hilary A. Herbert engaged together
in Z game.
"A funny little incident is reported
from the Apache reservation in Ut-h-
Arizona. An Indian policemen rode
up to the government school and de-
livered a little boy to the snpersn-
tcadent. What is his nanes de-
manded the superintendent. .Dez-Ao-