The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06

ter, and many more were among the
crowd of sullen red men who gathered
to see the monument erected and ,dedi-
Gated. "a .-.-E 4 i.r,--
Where these children Of the plain, the
Dakotas, got their dramatic instinct can
only be surmtsed, but it was master
dramatist who arranged the opening de-
tails Of these exercises, and the effect
produced on these half-wild people of saw
age instinct cannot be described. @r
The little knoll. 100 feet high, by the
side of and overlooking the battlefield,
was covered on all sides by gaudily
dressed Indians, whose love of brilliant
coloring is well known. The green of the
surrounding hills formed splendid back
ground to the gaily bedecked Indians, who
silently watched the monument as piece
by piece it reared it's head under the
hands Of the workmen. 'H
A large band of squaws had pushed
themselves nearest to the little iron fence
which inclosed the one huge grave, and
stood with stolid faces gazing at the
mound.
Mourning the Dead.
Suddenly. as the last stone Of the rnonu-
ment was put in place, up from the battle
field In the distance, came strange,
shrill, mourning cry. Not an Indian
moved a muscle, but the few whites pres
ent looked with interest in the direction
squaw, bent with age, dressed in the pro-
verbal blanket, slowly emerge from
Bloody Gulch," where so many women
and children were killed during the bat
tie, and slowly climb the side Of the hill
towards the grave. ,S~-.
During the ten minutes required for
the ancient squaw to mount the knoll her
wterd cry continued to ring out-the cry
of the Dakotas mourning for the dead
Arriving at the apex the mourning
squaw took her stand at the head Of the
grave wherein lay her father husband.
brothers and sons, and continued her
lament, representing in her person cen
fury of persecution and death of the one
time powerful owners of the entire north
west.
Standing at the foot Of the grave,
throwing her arms from side to side the
old woman shrieked out her wierd song,
The surrounding squaws became excited,
Here and there one joined in the song
for moment and then ceased, as tho
afraid. Then one summoned courage to
continue-and another-and still others.
And then the whole bunch broke into the
most wierd, blood Guiding song
Imaginable. But thru the whole awful
noises the sobbing of the women could be
heard with distinction.
While the lamentations were at their
height, the old Warcry broke out from a
few braves-but only for moment. The
any resentment against the whites which
the memories might have aroused, re-
manned unshown
Gradually the shrieking of the women
subsidized into grooming and covering theil
heads and bodies with their blankets the
grooming sunk into soft sobbing- while the
leader of the women cast bright coloreo
clothes over the grave.
Ceremonies OF the Day.
This impromptu exhibition. over, thu
real ceremonies begun. Rev. WI. Cleve
land, chaplain at the agency, stepped for
ward and resting one hand on the monu
,ment, delivered a short address on Goo
Made Of Men One Nation" speaking il
the Dakota language.
Then Joe. Horn Cloud, prime mover ii
erecting the manument. stepped out ant
with that eloquence possessed by savag
tribes, said:
Standing by the grave wherein lie
my father and my brother, and gazing
upon the battlefield where they died, a
did many Of my people, I have only goot