The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-09-21
INDIANS GATHER
IN CONFERENCE
ON THE ROSEBUD
Hundreds of Tepees
Dot the Prairie and
Make Great Picture
THOUSANDS THERE
Brought Together for Their
Annual Religious Worship
and Business
THOUSANDS THERE

Dallas, S. D.-Onc of the great
est religious gatherings of the north.
west was concluded Sunday on the
Rosebud reservation, at which was
gathered about 5000 Indians OF the
congregational and Presbyterian de.
nominations. The Indians came
from Nebraska, North and South Da.
kota, Montana and Minnesota, it be
ing the annual conference of these
two great bodies which have ALWAYS
joined together for their work. The
distance to be Travelled was very
great and for that reason about half
oil the members were present. But
these Indians made great sacrifices
to go to the conference, and hun
drcds OF them have been saving from
one years end TO .he other TO save
enough money to attend the g!cat
religious convention. The greater
proportion OF the lniians made the
long trip by team and in many in
stances it took them from a week
TO ten days for tne journey. The
Rosebud reservation contains about
1900 Indians, but all did not par
tlclpate because a good share of
them are noa-christian, and others
are members OF otl.er denominations.
1t was il wonderful sight to see the
long string of teams vending their
way across the prairie to the point
OF destination. and having arrived
there to later see the vast number
OF tepes hurriedly put in position.
making quite a city itself, stretched
as they We're over a large section of
land. The entertaining of the dele
gates was accomplished through the
generosity CT the Rosebua' people.
while tho Pine Ridge Indians came
to their assistance as good n%eighbors
and contributed much to the enter
tainment of the visitors. 1t took
seventy-tive bceves in the way of
meat to feed tho delegates while
they were in session tine four days,
and to gather this all in the Indians
on both reservations started a fund
more thar a year ago to pay the en-
pcnses.
In the vast tent the Indians gath
cree for their daily and evening
worship and to listen TO the address,
es by the men from the east who had,
been sent by missionary societies to
talk to the red man. The various
topics were eagerly taken Zip by the
Indians. which embraced home life,
church work and other things that
are bringing results in changing the
life of the Indian, who goes home
filled with better desires to live a
better life, and to become good citi-
Zens.
Education of the Young Indian
was the most vigorously discussed,
for the Indians are deeply interested
in the bringing up of their children
in the American way, and want them
to be well e%ducatcd.' This subjec,
was presented by DIR. ID. Boyd, of the
Presbyterian board, and DR.. Doyle,
of the American Missionary Asso-
citation, who we're assisted in the
presentation of this work by women
from tho eastern cities and the wives
of the missionaries, whose sugges-
tons as to the care and education of
the children made a profound i'm
preston on the Indians.
Sacrifices to Educate the Indian
Children" brought out the fact that
the Indian has been a very good
parent. and that he wants to keep
his children within his sight, which
accounts for the reason that so few
of the children have been sent away
from home. The Indian is quite in
dulgent to his children, and the
word mo" seldom comes from the
parents lips, whether good or bad.
From their teachings they are now
learning that this has been a mis-
S&1' 4'fl}f1N sirH
take.
The Indian, with the religious
training that he has had so far, has
put a spirit of progression in his in
dividuality and it is given express
sion in the progress in the church
and in everything he does, copying a
good deal from the white man. The
women of the Presbyterian church
es have given of their money for
the work of missions and for the
church which reached more than q
thousand dollars. To do this many
have sacrificed their own comforts,
and they have supported their own
schools, given generously to foreign
whenever called upon and are always
ready to respond.
The Congregational churches have
also been strong in their support OF
the missionary work, and though