Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-07-09
Successful 4th July
3 Day Celebration
Suceessful 3-day Celebration Held At
Fort Yates.-Supt. Covsy Outlined
Indian Citizenship Program

II The three-day Fourth of July ce-
Iteration Friday, Saturday and
Monday was complete success, and
q large crowd was present through
out. Owing to bad weather the
first two days which interfered with
the program, the celebration was
continued over until Monday. An
= interesting program Of races, sports
and base ball games with dances each
evening was carried out. Space,
however, forbids making mention of
the winners of the various events,
but it was the most successful Fourth
| Of July celebration ever held at Fort
Yates.
The program was in charge of
Thos. Frosted, Ben White and Her.
bert Buffaloboy, and they are entitled
to large measure of credit for the
manner in which the program was
pulled off and the crowd handled.
/ tits estimated that 1900 visiting In
dians from different points of the re-
servation were in attendance. Sue
] cessful celebrations were also held
| ut Bullhead on the same dates, and
at Cannonball on the 5th.
Friday forenoon the program
opened with grand mounted In
dian parade which formed at the
Agency and marched to the fair
grounds, where addresses ON the sub
ject Of Indian citizenship were deli
vered by Superintendent C. c. Co.
vey, Benjamin White. John Grass
and Thos. Frosted. 1t had been the
intention of the writer to make a
brief summary Of the remarks of the
different speakers, but owing to the
fact that there has been delay in
securing a translation of the speech
es made in Sioux, only part Of Mr..
Covey's address is printed this week.
It is hoped an outline of the views
Of the Indians on this subject may
be given later, and the columns of
1.-THE Pioneer are. open at all times for
this purpose.
Mr.. Covey's address was quite
lengthy, but he covered the ground
throughly, and his views on the
matter of Indian citizenship is sum-
married. in his conclusion in q
straight forward manner which
leaves no conjecture regarding his
stand on this important question.
The carrying out of his ideas will
place the Indians of the Standing
Rock reservation on an indepen-
dent, enduring basis within the
course of few years.
Mr.. .Covey said in part:
I want you people to all fully
realize the great change that is TAX
ing place among you, You are no
longer to consider yourselves as O
tribe. Each man must have an am
bition to be his own individual self
independent, self-supporting, citi-
zen of your great nation. The me,l-
sure of success of his undertaking
depends upon you, and you, and you.
upon each man and woman, upon
each boy and girl, and each must
make his own success. The rest of
lis can only aid him. want each
one Of you to understand that he
himself is responsible for his own
success. This l do not mean that
you are to be selfish and never help
another, you must all pull together
and have we'll organized communi-
ties but at the same time each ones
own efforts will decide whether he
is q success or failure. All my acts
here in charge Of this work will be
with a view to helping you each one
become strong individual citizen.
will try to watch you in all you,
work, in the way you spend your
money, in the way you look ahead
and provide for your future welfare
and I will do everything possible tc
aid and encourage you and to has
ten the time when you may have
complete control Of your own affairs.
To this end in order that may
determine who are those each year
who shall be given citizenship / am
going to appoint committee ol
your own people to pass upon your
application. will also get informa.
ton from your famers and mission.
3 aries and every other possible source
and last of all but most important
I am going to ask every man who
thinks he wantes to apply for thil
privilege to first examine himself
; You really know best whether
8 your are worthy and competent tc
be given complete control Of YOU
J affairs. You know why you are ask