Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-16
THE SETON INDIANS
SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR
BOYS AND GIRLS AT THE or.
TuMWA cHAUTAUouA.
Miss Lillian Gilman, Of Chicago. TO
Have Charge Of children's Clubs
Indian Customs and Manner OF Liv-
ing-sports and Pastimes.

~
Special attention Is being given for
the entertainment and instruction OF
the boys and girls at the assembly to
be held under the auspices Of the OF
tumwa Chautauqua association June ~
to July 4. Childrens clubs will be
conducted each morning by Miss Lii
liam Gilman of Chicago. The boys and
girls will be formed into Indian tribes
for the purpose of nature study and
character building in an interesting
manner.
Thompson Seton, known in the
literary world as the Animal Man."
and in the heart world as the Chill
dren's FRIEND" is the head war chief
of some $50 organizations of boys and /
girls known as Indians. These tribes
play Indian, taking for the model the
]. Fenimore Cooper Indian. The gov
eminent of each tribe Is by the council,
who, seated around the council fire In
the council tepee, discuss and decide !
all questions of Importance.
Indian Methods.
The council fires are lighted by one
"chief of the council fires Fire Is
never made with match, but by the
primitive method of rubbing two sticks !
together.
Besides the chief OF the council fires
there are sther officers among the
braves and maidens, notably the med
icine man" or medicine woman"
Every brave and maiden has an Indian
name usually won by some deed Of
valor. The Indians enjoy all sorts of
games and pastimes, of which the
deer hunt" described in the February
issue of Country Life is probably the
most popular.
Mr.. Seton has made Mr.. Fuller
Swift, manager Of the Midland Chau-
tauqua circuit, the organizer of the
Seton Indian tribes, with headquarters
in Des Moines. Mr. Swift has carried
this work with children into chautau-
quas and has for each chautauqua a
trained worker who leads the children
in the Indian play.
Trained In Woodcraft.
Tribes are trained in woodcraft and
| self-government. BY woodcraft we
mean outdoor athletics, nature study
and camping as fine art. Campcraft
| is made to include the simplest meth
DDS of triangulation, starcraft, finding
ones way, telling direction, sign
| language About 100 deeds or exploits
are recognized in these departments
and the braves and maidens are given
decorations that show what they have
achieved.
The plan is to give thesyoung people
Something to do" Something to
think about and something to enjoy in
the woods" with a view always to
character building.
The manager of the local chautau.
qua will be pleased to give further par
ticulars contained in the RED Book Of
the Seton Indians"
Miss Lillian Gilman, who will have
charge of the young people through
out the coming chautauqua assembly,
is a graduate of the Froebel Kinder
garten college and enjoyed a full
coure in physical training. She has
been teacher in the kindergarten as
well as graded schools Miss Gilman
was the director of the Chicago Vaca-
ton School kindergarten, having
charge of the excursions, outdoor
games, in which she had the direction
| of the large number Of children of all
ages in their summer outings. During
all this time Miss Gilman has been a
student of gymnastics, and part Of the
| time assistant teacher In physical
| training and games, making aespecialty
of outdoor work. She Is especially
trained in the Seton Indian work, and
by reason of her adaptability, expert
ence and enthusiasm is especially fit
ted for the director Of children's work
in chautauquas.
Her work in Ottumwa will be In the
line of teaching and illustrating var
ious forms of Indian customs and man
ner Of living, hunting, trailing, dane
ing and other sports of various kinds.