Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-29
Some Indian History Secured.


While DR.. Beede, Indian missionary
of Cannon Ball, and H. G. Fish, cura
tor for the state historical society
were at Scion and Cannon Ball look
ing for history for the state histori
cal society, they obtained from Mrs
Strikes, the wild Cat" a story o.
the Kildeer fight between the SIOUX
and the soldiers OF Sully. Mrs. Strikes,
the wild Cat" Is blind, but with he'
minds eye she saw the scene as II
was terrifcally fought when she was
but 20 years Of age.
The Sioux Of the Minnesota massa'
ere and the Sioux all through the
west were afraid of hanging If they
acknowledged anything in connection
with the affair, and they never forget
the 80 Indians who were hanged at
Mankato, December 26, 1862.
DR.. Beede and Mr.. Fish also met a
Mrs. Tunkins, who is so years old
She had never seen Mr.. Fish before
and she seemed suspicious when he
first asked her of the Yellow Medicine
affair. She had sat outside the build
ings when the men at the Yellow Med
icine were killed, and she had moth
ing to say, thinking all these years
that there vas still an attempt to get
evidence against her people. When it
was explained that her story was
wanted only for historical purposes.
she still shook her head and said, in
her native tongue, 81 can't tell any
thing, Perhaps they would come and
get me and hang me for seeing It,"
proving how long it takes to gather
history among these people while the
so wildly In their Sninds.
The best thing the society was able
to get while on this trip was three
winter Counts" A winter count
is the history OF the tribe. Each year
some Of the prominent men of the diff
ferent tribes Of the Sioux nation get
together and decide what event was
OF most importance in their history
that year. They then paint this on
CuIAl OuANSnlu Vi canvas, dIIu OClC
events are corraled around this one
event.
These winter counts" in the pos.
session of the historical society go
back to the time they spent the win.
tiers at the mouth of the Missouri on
the ocean. They have recorded their
first sight Of ships sailing on the
ocean, and also the first horses they
ever caught. At one time they
caught a number of horses with
shoes on and this was OF so much
importance that they recorded it. All
through the 1928 years of history they
have recorded. the raising OF corr has
a prominent part. This is recorded
where the white man or the other
tribes have stolen their corn.
Bad winters are often remembered
and either the snowshoe is pictured
out as the method of securing game
such as they could get, or the death
OF some of theftribe from sickness or
freezing to death. F
There we're many very early traders
pictured in these counts and they al.
ways gave them a name, sometimes
a name not altogether compliment.
airy, but at least truthful.
The fight with the other tribes, fall
ing OF the stars in the early thirties,
the death of prominent chiefs or med
iclne men, great catastrophes, were
also pictured in this vivid manner
These winter counts" are in short
their history books, pointing into the
dim past and recording truthfully the
events throughout the west. The
Sioux are still recording events on
these counts, but the old times are
passing away and the educated young
people are fast forgetting the ways
Of the older people.