Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-09

Tho rehabilitation of an entire In
dian trtbc because OF u Christmas ccic-
bration number Of years ago Is TO
DO coninenoratcd IN special holiday
service out on the Santoe Sioux In
dian reservation in Nebraska.
Tho Santcc Sioux !s tho tribe that
underwent regeneration and PROGRESS
Cd from n position in which practi-
cally every man OF the tribe was under
sentence Of death. until to-day the San
tees stand at the very head of Indian
civilization. And all because or Il
Christmas celebration, The memorial
service VIII be unique ~ Indian cello
brations 80. There will BIO no sham
battle, no parade, no war paint, no
feathers. Instead, the entire tribc will
attend religious services
Each man will DO dressed in his
best balck suit, and each woman Will
wear her new winter hat. And after
The special religious services in the
church. the Indians will return TO their
homes and eat big Christmas dinners
turo of thc occasion is not the celc-
bratioH, but the why Of the cclc-
bration.
Tho San,ses will bc celebrating their
regeneration. And that regeneration
was brought about by Il Christmas
ago.
In the early Cos there was a serious
uprising among the Sioux Indians in
South Dakota. The trouble was dig
nificd by the name OF tho "Sully war"
The country WAS new At that time. and
settlers were SO FAR apart chat they
could be Of little assistance 20 one an
other. There was ra!ding and burning,
pillaginE and massacring before the
United states soldiers could get start
ed. But finally tho Indians were
rounded up and arrested.
They were found to be the band
known rs "Santce SiouX,' the most dis
orderly SGT In a tribe which rloried
in the name "cutthroat." Tho members
were so mean that they were practi-
cally cast out by the other Sioux: they
were ostracized. Not only did they
transgrcss the white mans law. but
they broke every law OF custom and
tradition OF the Indians themselves.
Anyway. the band was placed on
trial under the laws OF the white mar,
and all were found guilty OF murder
About sevcnty-c!ght were sentenced TO
hang. But the matter was brought 70
the attention OF President Lincoln, and
all but two or three OF the condemned
were pardoned.
MeaneSt Kind of Indians.
But what TO do with the band was
question. They could not be sent
other Indians They were too danger
GUS. They were rs hrebrand in n
powdcr-housc. So il was iu,aIly de-
tcrrnined 10 put them on a reservation
by themselves and let them live OF die,
preferably the lattor.
The site selected for the Santce
reservation was in Northern Nebraska
along tho Missouri River. Here the
entire band was sent. They took with
them their wives and children, their
dogs and their ponies. Here they lived
as best they could. Tho government
provided mengre rations 10" them, and
also guard OF soldiers to prevent them
from leaving their reserve. They had
nothing to do but to fuss and fight and
they attended to this business all day
and all night, They were the moan est
bravcst, most troublesome set OF IN
dams with (which the United States
government ever came in contact. In
point of civilization they Mcrc abso-
lutely tho lowest OF them all II ever
q tribe needed regeneration, that tribe
was tho SanteG Sioux.
But one day there came n missionary
to the Santces. They felt more like
scalplng him than anything else. but
he was backed by the white soldiers
He opened Il church and he opened q
school. When tho Indians were ill he
took care OF them. When they needed
advice lie gave it to them. lie taught
respect: he made them the most re-
spected, responsible and advanced OF
Western indians. Ills name is Albert
riggs.
Santees in Tribal Quarrel.
but before they reached their pres
ent advanced stage OF Development the
Santees got into II great tribal quarrel
over the selection ot the Indian police.
This led to complications. and in the
course of q year or two tho tribe was
divided into two great camps. Men,
bers OF the one side would have moth
ing TO do with members of the other
except TO fight with them whenever
tho opportunity arose. Tho Indians
began negloctinG their farms---which
wcre badly enough tended at best.
They were rapidly losing such c!vIliza
ton as they had acquired and were
again dcgcnerating into tho ''cutthroat'
Indian.
This foud had been in existence for
about three or four years when the
religious element determined to have
q Christmas celebration. This RELIGIOUS
element was not very strong, It may BIO
Imagined, and thero were scarcely
enough from either side to accomplish,
much without the aid OF Tho members