The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-04-19
SOUIx INDIANS WANT LAND
MODERNIZED RED MEN HOLD
ING A BIG CONVENTION.
Have Met to Discuss Means of Press
ing Claims Against Government
For Land They Never Coded.

DEADWOOD, S. D.-Eastern peO-
pie. to whom the word Indian"
brings to mind eagle feathers, war
paint and bunch OF scalps, would
have their eyes opened and their
ideas changed could they look in
upon a great meeting of representa-
tive Sioux Indians which IS being
held on the Cheyenne Indian TeseT-
walton, in this state. Instead OF war
bOnnets of eagle feathers these Indl-
ans in attendance are wearing the
latest styles Of derby hats; buckskin
suits are not to be seen, but some OF
the Indians are wearing tailOT-made
clothes, no lOng-haiTed scalps dan
gle at their belts, and not an Indian
of them all has long hair; and in
stead of a bunch of calico cayuses
staked out on the plains there are
dozen or so 1911 model automobiles
parked conveniently, and a number
Of buggies, carriages and spick and
span teams at the agency livery sta
BILE
The Indians are gathered to discuss
means and ways of pressing the
claim of the Sioux tribe to the lands
contained in the Black Hills area of
South Dakota-"the richest 100
miles square on the face of the
earth" as the citizens of this cOun-
try claim. The old Indian claim is
that they never coded this land to
the government, and, while they
know that they can never secure
return of the Black Hills to the tribe,
they expect to force the government
to pay them handsomely for the
great tract OF land.
There was nothing CT the old-fash-
toned Indian "pOw-wOW about the
conference; instead there was a bust
ness meeting OF a number Of bust
ness men. They talked a business
proposition in a business way, and
their arguments were as good and as
forceful as those put forward at a
meeting Of the directors OF big
railroad system.
The representatives came from the
reservations at Cheyenne River,
Standing Rock, Pine Ridge, Rosebud
and Lower Brule, in South Dakota;
Sante Sioux, in Nebraska, and
Tongue River, in Montana. The
most progressive men Of the great
Sioux tribe were present
There were no religious ceremo-
malls at this meeting; there was no
peace pipe" no ceremonial smoke
was INDUCED in; the representa-
tiyes did not crouch around a coun-
ell fire and listen to the impaSsioned
appeal of a hereditary chief. Instead
party of business men arrived
some by railroad train, others in
automobiles, and yet others in car
riages or on horseback Some smok
ed pipes and others puffed Havanas
while not few rolled cigarettes
In business way they got together
like business men who believe the!
have a valuable asset if they cal
establish their proper claims.
Probably nothing ever showed thu
tremendous advances in civilization
made by the Indians as does thi
meeting, in which the Indians ar,
seeking ways of recovering the valu
of their lands. And the contrast be
tween the present one and the othe
meeting at which the whites declar
the Sioux signed away their right
is in the contrast of civilization AM
barbarism.
The latter meeting was held il
1876 over at Red Cloud agency, nea
Crawford, Neb. Twenty-Five thous
and red Sioux, the most war-like an
best fighters of all Indians, were O.