Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-04-20
YANkToN SIOUX DISRUPTED.
6ociaI War on the Indian Reservation
Question of Precedence.


hi Question of Precedence.
a The Yankton Sioux Indians, at their
reservation in western South Dakota,
Ware in a condition of disastrous social
9chaos because of questions of social
#standing arising from the experiences
ssof those representatives of the tribe
who attended the Inauguration Of Pres
ssident Roosevelt.
n Hollow Horn Bear rode in the inau-
Mgural parade, and therefore claims that
'Xfle has been officially labeled as the
'sSocial luminary of the tribe. But Da,
r. vid Sypher and half dozen braves
and minor chiefs who accompanied
anim to the Inauguration ard succeeded
Yin getting received by Indian Commits
gsioner Leupp, declare that they have
a. been shown marks Of greater favor,
Sand are in fact, entitled to recognition
Gas the -four hundred" of the reserva-
8tion.
M Mrs. Hollow Bear Horn is reported
Ito have issued an ultimatum. She pro-
asposes hereafter to occupy the same re-
lationship to Yankton Sioux society
a@that is accorded by the New York
ssmart set to that Mrs. Astor who does
gKnot have to use any initials on her Wis
88iting cards. BY way of inaugurating
vi herself in the social dictatorship, she
IN has issued invitations to roast hog
n dinner, to which Mrs. Sypher was not
#invited
I'll Mrs. Sypher, so the account runs on
u learning that invitations were out for
n for Mrs. Hollow Horn Bears function,
@countered by Immediately issuing invi-
N tations for dictatorship inaugural
s. function Of her own, to which the So
ctal leaders of the tribe were invited,
with the exception of those presump-
/ tious Hollow Horn Bears, who were
omitted from the list.
Now the campaign is On to deter
mine which of the functions-they are
\ both to be held on the same days
going to be accepted by society as the
real thing, with the label blown in the
fire-water bottle. Naturally, the situa-
ton is extremely embarrassing, and
apparently certain to line up tribal
society in bitterly opposed factions.
The situation is the outcome of Hol-
low Horn Bears faux pas when he
went to Washington He was instruct
ed by Indian Commissioner Leupp to
attend the inaugural as representative
of his tribe, and to report first to Car
Isle, Pa, to join a party Of distin-
guished Indians who would go from
there in body to Washington, under
the personal conduct of agents of the
department, with full authority to keep
them from getting full.
But Mr.. Bear, realizing that his ulti-
{ mate destination was Washington, saw
no sufficient reason for taking a stop
over at Carlisle, where, he had heard;
civilization was so dense as to be
catching. So he went straight through
TO Washington That was the mistake
of Mr.. Bears life.
Commissioner Leupp, learning that
Hollow Horn Bear had failed to obey
orders about stopping at Carlisle, re-
fused utterly to receive him. 1t was
the cut direct. Only by intercession of
mutual missionary friends was Mr..
Bear able to secure permission to ride
in the inaugural parade. He was de-
MED the sunshine Of the countenance
of the Great Father; even the reflected
}glory of the commissioners satellitious
face was not for him.
Meanwhile David Sypher, chief
who has a strain of white blood in his
! veins and a considerable faculty for
frenzied pony trading, whereby he has
acquired comparative independence Of
the agency ration distribution, organ
lied an unofficial party to attend the
inauguration They did not secure per-
mission to attend, but paid their own
expenses. Arrived in Washington,
they found that they, likewise, were
doomed to languish outside the efful-
gent circle of official favor, for they
had come without an invitation.
But Sypher was smoother than Hol-
low Horn Bear. He prepared a state
ment of his financial rating, got it in
dorsed by commission agency and
convinced certain senatorial interests
that he was practically a calico pony
trust. This established him at once
as worthy of the highest marks of SEN
atorial favor and avenue of approach
to the commissioner presently opened
itself. Thus it turned out that the I'M
! official party was presented to the vice.
roy of the Great Father, the commits
sioner, and received thu official glad
hand.
But the Sypher party was not al
lowed to ride in the official parade. IL
fact it was cipher in the big doings.
Now the question which agitates Yank-
ton Indian official circles is whether
the unofficial delegation that reached
the throne room, but didn't ride in the
parade, shall take precedence of the
official delegate who received the snub
direct, though afterward being gra-
ciously permitted to ride in the process
sion.