The Breckenridge news., 1906-07-18
REMAINING THE SIOUX.
SOME TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND
INDIANS ARE RECEIVING
CHRISTIAN NAMES,
Educated Indian Tribesmen Selected
by the Great Father" TO Re-
chriSten Braves-Bob-tailedC Coyote
Becomes Robert T. Wolf.

| Becomes Robert T. Wolf.
| Uncle Sam has recently inaugurated
unique and ingenious project in con-
nectiOn with his Indian wards-or
at least the most populous division
of them. This is nothing less than n
scheme for remaining every chief and
brave. every squaw and papOose of
the Sioux tribe The object of this
wholesale rechristening is to insure the
right descent of property, something
| that has been attended with much
difficulty under the old condition of
affairs when the Sioux had no family
name. and each redskin could be
identified only by his own individual
fanciful name. a cognomen which most
likely had not the slightest resemb-
lance to those of any of his relatives.
The remaining of the 25,OO0 men,
bers Of the Sioux Indian tribe was or
dered by President Roosevelt on the
advice of Hamlin Garland and George
Bird Grinnell. well known authors,
and other persons who have made
study of the needs of the Indians.
To decide upon the naming was
however an easy matter in comparison
to the actual carrying out of the
strange undertaking.
SUSPICIOUS OF THE INDIANS.
The President and his advisors real
iZed from the outset that it would be
one thing to give the Indians new
names and quite another to induce the
sons and daughters of the forest
ever suspicious of the white men-to
accept and use these new names.
However the Great Father at Washing
tor was fortunate enough to enlist the
cooperation of DIR. Charles Alexander
Eastman, highly educated physician
and clergyman. who is a full-bloOded
Sioux, and who came into national
prominence some time since when he
married Elane Goodale, the talented
young New England poetess. At the
Presidents solicitation Dr. Eastman,
who is considered the best educated
Indian i'm the world, agreed to person
ally undertake the task of inducing his
people to adopt the system of family
names desired by the government.
Just what this responsibility meant
will he better understood when it is
| explained that not only was DR.. East
man to visit all the Indian villages Of
the Sioux tribe and personally bestOw
names but he must also devise or in
| vent the new names. Just imagine
selecting given names for 25.0O0 per-
sons of both sexes and appOrtoning
perhaps half as many or one third as
many different family names in adj
ditiOn.
In this portion of his novel mission
| airy work for Uncle Sam the Name
Giver. as the Sioux now term their
educated tribesman. has displayed rare
| Judgment and fine regard for family
history and tradition among the Sioux
"a thoughtfulness that has done
much to win the good will of these
| intelligent but conservative Indians
for the new project. Whenever pos
sible he has perpetuated an Indian S
OLD name in his new one. For instance
High Eagle becomes Mr.. Higheagle,
Bob-tailed Coyote was changed to
Robert Il. Wolf, and Rotten Pumpkin
has been transformed into Robert
Pumpian
DR.. Eastman has been making a
round of all the Sioux reservations
which are located for the most part
in the Dakotas and elsewhere in the
Northwest. When he arrives at @
branch agency. or tribal headquarters,
for the purpose of rechristening the
! inhabitants his first move is to have
q conference with the chief men or
cOunselors of the place. They, in turn,