The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09
INDIAN CHILDREN'S TRAINING.
WHAT THE RED MEMS LITTLE
ONES ARE TAUGHT TO-DAY.

| Win glnd welcome, IL II always time
for hanksEiving. Everybody goes 70 shake
hands with the parents. Be Il q girl or a
boy, Il IL always welcome.
The grandmother Ia the real nurse, says
Miss Mary c, Collins In the American Mis-.
siondrB. The young child IL kept In the
same position for the first month. II is
wrapped and bound tightly and loosened
several times during the day, but always
bound up Immediately. II IL Ia healthy
IL cries but little the first month It sleeps
and eats
Then II il unbound and taken out Of the
stih little bundle Once free, IL learns that
it, cry will procure anything that is to be
had As soon as II IL able TO understand
! II IS taught to be afraid Of strangers and
to be silent ] have often been in a house for
half hour or more without seeing . sign
OF child or hearing a sound. When I
passed out two or three pairs Of bright eyes
we're peeping out Of the door. The children
were covered over with old clothes OF bed
clothes and kept perfectly still and quiet
during my stay. suppose this comes from
the necessity in the old times Of keeping
quiet when an enemy was near.
child il taught to reach its little right
hand out to shake hands with friend long
before it can talk. This il probably its
first lesson in etiquette.
At two or three years Of age the mother
begins the real training Of the child. al
ways with the fathers aid. One Of the
severest punishments inflicted Ia TO throw
cold water on the child which persists in
disobedlence. Dakota mother never
strikes a child Until the child Is 8 years
old he does little but eat and sleep He
plays II be desires but IL never required
to do the least thing for himself or any
one else. He may sleep as long az he
chooses in the morning, eat as often as he
likes, and drop down at any time through
the day, curl up in blanket and sleep.
But the Indian rules Of conduct are
drilled into him constantly. He must never
call brother or sister or a cousin or a
brother-in-law by his given name. He must
speak Of them only by the title Of relation
ship. He must never speak OF a child's
father by his name in the child's presence.
This is an open insult. to both child
and parent He must never take the aup-
permoG' seat. but always drop down near
the door, until invited to go up higher.
He must always speak in low voice, al
most inaudible 10 us who are only dull
cared white people.
A girl must not be seen without a shawl
on and over her head. 1t is considered eK-
tremely immodest. No girl, after she is
10 or II years old, may play With boys; not
e ven with her own brothers. This Is con-
sidered highly improper. She may not 20
TO any place alone nor even With another
girl unless her mother or grandmother ac-
companies here. When girls come home
from school and tell the mothers that they
are white girls now, and will not submit
to the presence Of a chaperone" It causes
much sorrow and anxiety in the house, and
il the daughter laughs and talks in a loud
voice the home feels disgraced.
The girl is allowed to do what is required
in the home helping, but no father or mother
would allow a daughter TO 90 out IN hunt
food. That Is the mans work. The man
must make the living; the woman must
keep the house. Civilization, however, Is |
doing away with the old chivalry, and we
see the latter day Indian willing TO let wife 1
or daughter 60 out from home to work for |
money More Is the pity.
The child in the lndiAn home is taught /
In its plays their rude arts, and, Of course.
they play at whatever they see grown people !
do was interested one day In watching /
some children near a board fence, PLAYING,
They wet their fingers In water and drew |
animals and men on the boarda making
the outlines quite wet, and then laughed az
they threw sand at the pictures to see IL |
adhere and 70 see a whole menagere APP
pear on the fence.
have seen them make a drove OF bufTaloes
out Of the mud, and a man on a honse with
a straw for gun in the act Of chasing the
herd. IL would all be so full Of action that
one could easily Imagine diminutive herd
Of real animals. The child may get ever so
muddy and dirty and torn. but he runs
home happy. sure that no look or word Of
reproof will await him He is care free.
the father, mother and grandparents are
his friends as well as servants. When old
enough to stick to a pony's back he Ia
taught TO ride. When a baby he ia taught
to swim. Life to the Indian child at home
is one round Of happiness Careful in his
behavior toward his elders, polite 10 his
playmates, addressing playmatas as skoda"
urendl, instead OF Tom, Dick or Harry;
not rude at all in manner or speech. the
children are the JOY OF the parents and the
life Of the home. The free. outdoor life
makes them close Observer OF nature and
the little people OF woods, water and prairie
are well known TO them. Many stories
do they hear Of the wisdom OF animals
and Of the kindness Of animals n men.
In these wRyr the children are trained and
drilled. One will hear n mother say many
Zines 70 a spirited child-tO boys and girls
alike Move slowly" Move quietly
DO not speak 90 loud DO not raas before
|
10 you before you speak" &c The boy !
IS specially taught 10 10 brave and endure |
Il Is no disgrace for boy or man 20 cry
because Of sorTow. but he must never cry
rom pain.
Whom little Indian child is three or four
years old he Ia taught that the "Wakan
Tanka, or The Gpat Mystery" il every
where and In everything In nature. and he
must pray TO this Great Unknown II
! hoy, he IL given a little bow and arrows.
1r pretty whip, or something that he
yUatly appreciates. and then j. told he
must give the thing he holds most dear as
! sacrifice TO the gods. Sometimes this IL
4 stone which they worship, when 1t Is
JAILED grandfather, or il il the earth, =
which they call mother Sometimes they
'eem 70 worship the spirits Of the dead, as =
hey believe in the transmgration Of souls. r
have seen a pet crow which was held IN
great reverence because, they said 1T held ,
he spirit Of a dead friend. The children ,
Ire 80 thoroughly trained to the idea Of
'acTifce that they enter when quite young :
nto the spirit Of IL, and will give q choice
pet dog or a beautifully trimmed blanket o
o be offered as a sacrifice. Anything that :
hey are led 10 believe will please the gods
hey will give as an offering. I
Th0y are taught to fear contRgion, not Il
~ coming In contact with the sick, but
~ being In the house or tent where any one
las died, or by burning wood that has been