The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-01-07
SEEK THE BIG CHIEF
SIOUX INDIANS TO PICK SUCCESS
SOR TO RED CLOUD.
Fifteen Thousand Red Men Are on
the Tiptoe of Expectancy; There
Are Two Candidates for the Hon
or; One Is a Son of the Former
Head of Band and Another Off,
spring of Sitting Bull

Pine Ridge Agency, S. d., Jan. A.
Fifteen thousand Sioux Indians are on
the tiptoe of expectancy to see who
will be chosen head chief of the great
Sioux tribe to fill the place made va
cant by the death of old Chief Red
Cloud. Not for fifty years has new
chief of the Sioux been selected, and
the fact that a new head is TO be
chosen has set the Indian politicians
and political Wire pullers wild with ex-
element.
There are just two probabilities, al
though any man of the entire tribe is
really eligible TO the office These
two, one of whom is almost certain 10
be made chief, are Jack Red Cloud and
One Bull. Jack Red Cloud is. as his
name implies, member of the family
OF the dead chief, and he has all the
prestige of his fathers great name to
assist him in his campaign for the Of
flee
Sitting Bulls Son a Candidate.
But One Bull also belongs to a great
family-a family whose late head was
equally as well known as was the
great Red Cloud himself. For One
Bulls father was the redoubtable Sit
ting Bull, the greatest medicine man.
OF which the Sioux can boast. the man
who massacred General Custer and his
band. So that, while Jack Red Cloud
will have certain amount of in
fuence because of his fathers name,
lie will not have any advantage over
One Bull in that respect.
Young Red Cloud, himself grand
father, by the way, is a farmer, and
occupies an allotment near the Pine
Ridge Agency. He has, for years, liv-
cd at the Red Cloud home, the only
two-story house on the Indian reserva-
ton, and one built by the government
and presented to Red Cloud years ago.
One Bull belongs on the Standing
Rock Agency, where his father lived
after the Sioux signed the peace pa
per- and settled down to live accord
ing to the treaty.
Position Is One of Honor
For years the office OF head chief of
the Sioux has been one of honor, with
but little else. The chiefs position
is principally of an advisory nature,
and while q recommendation made by
Kim is usually adopted by the tribe
there is no penalty attached to the re-
tusal of any individual to abide by
the action of the chief
However, the honor is very great
the very highest that can be paid to
a red man. And for that reason both
Jack Red Cloud and One Bull will
fight for the position. Red Cloud is
backed by the peaceful members OF
the tribe, those who have taken allot.
Inents and are striving to farm and
raise live stock. On the other hand
One Bull is receiving the support OF
the old fighting men OF the tribe and
their descendants.
Strength Formerly Gained Place. {
In the palmy days of the Indian
when the buffalo roamed the trans
Missouri plains and settlements Were
few and far between; when the In
dians We're at war with the whites ant
fighting was the pleasure of the rec
men, the head chieftainshp was G
matter of followers. An Indian who
showed himself brave, lucky and th'
possessor of good medicine" soor
gathered around him small coteri.
Of followers. If his medicine continued
strong and the Great Spirit sent hin
success, his following grew and he be
came a su5chief On the death OF
deposition of the head chief, some Ont
of the subchiefs was elevated to tn,
supreme leadership. And having reach
ed that position it behooved that chic
to be ION the job every minute
Should the power Of his medicine wan'
and the enemies of his tribe win tw,
or three victories over his follows, tn,
chief was deposed and successor chos
en- from among the ranks of the sub
chiefs.
Now, there will be a general gather
ing of the subchefs of the tribe, an,
these men will select successor I,
the dead chief, Red Cloud. No time ha
yet been set for this gathering, ant
the election will probably not be hell
until the early springtimc. Until then
the nation will be without an officia
head