The Greeley tribune., 1906-07-26
REMAINING THE SIOUX.
SOME TWENTY-FIYE THOUSAND
INDIANS ARE RECElPlNG
CHRISTIAN NAMES,
Educated Indian Tribesmen Selected
by 1he Great Father" to ke-
christen Braves-Bob-raiIed Coyote
Becomes Robert r. Wolf.

| christen BraveS-BOb-taileo Soyote
Becomes Robert T. Wolf.
Uncle Sam has recently inaugurated
a 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
| scheme for remaining every chief ana
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 mucn
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. Il cognomen which most
likely had not the slightest resemo-
lance to those of any of his relatives.
The remaining of the 25.OoO mem
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 a
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 fuli-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 DIR. Eastman.
who is considered the best educated
| Indian in 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 be better understood when it is
explained that not only was DIR. 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.oo0 per-
sons of both sexes and apportioning
perhaps half as many or one third as
many different family names in ad-
dition.
In this portion of his novel mission
larry 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
la 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 Indians
old name in his new one. For instance
High Eagle becomes Mr.. Higheagle.
lBob-tailed Coyote was changed to
Robert T. Wolf. and Rotten Pumpkin
has been transformed into Robert
Pumpian
DIR. Eastman has been making Il
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 a
branch agency, or tribal headquarters,
for the purpose of notwithstanding the
inhabitants his first move is to have
Il conference with the chief men or
counselors of the place. They, in turn,