Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-14

tueIl. j ItIe were VI CouISt uluHS otIic
Indians north and northwest. | mention
those who We're here.
These Missouri River Indians had a
good civilization with ample farm prod
ucts consisting of food-stuffs similar to
those raised BY the early white settlers
and civilization was superior to that
of most Europeans in the time Queen
Elizabeth. and much superior to that in
many European places only 100 years
ago, as for instance the Orkney Islands.
Their farm products were, specifically,
corn Give kinds), beans (three kinds).
s%Quashes and pumpkins numerous
kinds. Indian potatoes and sunllower
seeds. which yield well and make fine
bread when ground and mixed with
corn meal, and tobacco. Velvcty tanned
skins OF the deer and other animals
made good garments which whitemen
would gladly wear even now IN summer,
and garments We're also made Of other
materials. Their government was salts
factory. and crime was i%nfrequent. I'M
like what is commonly supposed, the
~ Wv '' N'oN Wv o.
crnment that they were satisfied II so
there was no sulfragette movement.
There was a womcn's court as well as
q mems court. Women shared equally
with men the honor and the RESPONSE
bility of belonging to the administrative
class. Strictly speaking there was no
aristocratic!f aass or ruling class. Their
system Of government was not social
ism or i~ndividualism, it was family
The unit an life and in all
of its Industries was the family. IIdu-
cations was ample in. history, geography
(morc than local. because 1t was GUS
|tomary for some to travel and learn,
art-work, music. agriculture, domestic
economy, civil government. botany, ZOO
logy, OrnithOlogy, etc. Each home n
each group was q school in which all
were alert to learn something new as
long as they lived. In some sciences
such as botany, ornithology and zoology.
the average man had more practical and
extensive knowledge than the common
college professor. They had much in
sight into scientific zoology, for instance
they realized that the ground mole be-
longcd to the same species as the bear.
They were we'll verScd in anatomy,
knowing the use OF every smallest part
in the human or in the animal body.
Then even knew that a human being
has an appendix.
And among these Indians there were
as yet no serious wars, though youths
in adjacent tribes sometimes had quar-
rclS. Among the Indians, as among
white men, two or more ardent youths
sometimes love the same charming maid
pleasing to the maiden .. vi
The Spanish came to northern New
Mexico. They had mines, cattle and
horse ranches, fields and shops. They
had trading posts far this way from
! New Mexico, which were unlicensed by
the government bcca use the license re-
CURED 4 heavy crown duty and was of
no real value. These Spanish had Ne
gro slaves. and this va the first which
indians had ever knOw of slavery. In
dams regarded these Spaniards as Bar
barians with artillery" to use their "
phrase, and ! am inclined to agree with
the Indians on this point. The Span
iards sold their wares to neighborinG
Indians who retailed them to Indians
farther north. and the common place
for this retail trade was right over the
Missouri river from here between the
Cannon Hall river and the Heart river.
Indians from the north and northeast
! crossed the Missouri river just Il little
down river from Bismarck. And over
yonder the northern ana southern In
dams snapped stories. folklore, history,
, geography. occult science (by which In
dams ]traversed territory similar to that
which the white man tries to raverse
with his metaphysical SpcculatiOn), they
snapped dances, music, prOphesies and
the newer wares Of the foreigner.
Negro slaves cost the Spaniards too
much. and so they induced renegade
southern Indians to capture. Indian
er Indian bands living further north.
This attempt to. capture slaves for sale
to the Spaniards is said to have caused
the first wars mon the Indians of the
Northwest. From this time on Indian
youths were trained to war. Previous
to this time the exercise OF the chase
was considered sufficient preparation for
any war emergencies that might arise.
Tradition says, that the Spaniards were
willing to give a good horse for three
virgins. | have seen an old picture made
by an Indian, representing three virgins
bound with ruWhjde thongs, being deliV-