Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04

sent on a sort of special trip for the Of
flee among the Indians and l realized
then that l am becoming frightfully far
away from them. 1 actually was timid
at night. N-Dan-Sis, meaning the
daughter of a chief, who slept in tents
until l was fourteen years old and never
feared to tramp the woods alone!
Actually, here'-She waved a hand to
Indicate the apartment at 9th and H
streets northwest. where the interview
was siven-'l am It times uneasy be-
cause 1t is almost on the street. But I
remember 1 have my Indian clubs and
then feel safe.
Can you use them?" she was asked.
Into her face came the same look of
utter contempt for such ignorance as
would dominate a pearl diver if asked if
he could swim OF course she could
and woe unto any luckless burglar who
breaks in under the fond delusion that he
is bothering the household gods of pale
face.
Mrs Baldwin can shoot. too. with a
bow and arrow.
She told how as child she was thought
rather clever with them. but had not
done any archery work for years until
two summers ago, when she attended the
Chautauqua.
Some ladies were endeavoring to try
|
suaded to make an attempt And
must admit that | rather spoiled their
further interest IN the sport. II all
came back to me like flash 1t is the
same with riding horse. All the time
| have been ,cooped up in Washinptor--
where for financial reasons l am very
glad to be cooped--I have had to do with
out such pleasure. Here only the wealthy
may ride. But about month ago / de-
ctded to get out on horseback / made
the most extensive prenara paou,,
it is enough TO cause laughter, how | had
TO get myself ready as compared with
the old method of merely climbing up
onto the horse and starting
Il was told that the exercise would
make me painfully stiff. as it had been
years since l rode. but | determined to
go anyway Well. my ride lasted for
several hours. and yet the next day I
Mas as easy In my body as though I had
merely rocked in a cradle. Some one at
the office told me it was the Indian abil-
ity to overcome fatigue quickly
In nothing did Mrs. Baldwin more
strongly display her re:notenesS from the
palefaces than the willingness to tell her
age. She even volunteered it,
Among the Indians a woman is proud
to be older and look younger than people
would think" she explained.
But, all the same she would be put
down as one who. admitting to so much,
must surely be more. At any rate, she
was born in Pembina, y. D., when that
section was mostly given over to wilder
ness and army posts. The place itself
was occupied by soldiers and little
N-Dan-Sis early learned to know and like
the white people. Her mother had mar
ried John Bottineau. who combined
From h Huguenot blood with his Ameri-
can ancestry and who. even when she
WAS sun litt.e child, had become
power for speech among the Indians He
studied law. became judge advocate in
Minnea polls. and is now attorney for the
Turtle mountain band of Chippewas of
which Mrs. Baldwin's mother was d
member.
Her grandmother was a full-blood, but
an unusually intelligent woman. and one
who dared venture beyond the limita-
tons OF the Indian women about her
She gave UP the wigwam for a log hut
when the grandchild was still being
carried in a cradle board" as the queer
straight piece of wood in which the
Indian mother carries her baby is called.
Here Mrs. Baldwin often visited, and she
tells most entertainingly of how, when
her family had moved away to what Is
now Osseo. small town about thirteen
miles from Minneapolis. they used to
make the long trip in midwinter across