Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-08-12
Maiden $ Isle Legend
Detailed by Van Os-
del, Dakota Pioneer
Hon. A. Van Osdel Retells the Story
Related BY Captive Squaw
ON Kampeska's Shore

OF the many legends Of local in
terest, especially to those who have
visited the beautiful portion of Lake
Kampeska at Stony Point, the story
of Maiden's Isle" is best known and
ranks as one of the finest traditions
in all Indian lore. Few are familiar
with the original legend. A. L. Van
Osdel, president of the Pioneers AS
sociation of South Dakota, an Indian
fighter of the early sixties, gives the
following authentic version of the
legend with an intresting introduc-
ton of early Indian history.
Early indian History.
In the early sixties of the last cen
tury the 3Coteau des Prairies,' rum
ming parallel with the Big Sioux river
was designated as the outer boundary
of the wild west, separating civilized
from savage life; while beyond on
the Dakota plains lay the feeting;
wilds known as the Buffalo Repub-
lic,' the Eden of the Sioux Indians
with their mecca at the Red Pipe
stone quarries.
There in the valleys of the Big
Sioux and James rivers countless
thousands of migratory animals roam
ed in their prestine vigor within the
trodden haunts of the Dakota Sioux
whose travoix trailed in the chase
westward to the Missouri river There
in land of tradition and Indian leg
ends, intermixed with aboriginal his
tory was wild population as ungoy-
ernable as the mighty Missouri river
that bore their rude boats over it's
turbid waters.
cheyennes 200 Years Ago.
S 1.-TWO hundred years ago the Chey-
enne Sioux We're located In the Ghey-
.enne valley of North Dakota. Later
they were driven across the Missouri
by the Assiniboines who took pos
session of their hunting grounds as
far south as Lake Kampeska #
"a war was declared against them
by the Yanktonais tribe. who were al
lied toa3he YanRfons, for the posses
sion Of their hunting gIS 1s in the,
Big Sioux and James river YaHeys.
|. Old Strike the Rec, head chief
of the Yanktons, who died in 1888 at
the age of 80 years, said that three
battles were fought. against the As
.Wahpetons, Yanktons and Yanktonais
BONES were driven north to the Chey
enne river
The Three Great Battles.
"The first battle was fought near
Lake Kampeska. the second farther
north and the third at Kettle Lakes,
SO named from; the Two Kettle band
of Sioux Indians who unearthed from
an old prehistoric mound there two
rude copper kettles. Later the hunt
ing grounds of the Wahpetons lay
east of the Big Sioux from the red
stone njaarries north to the valley Of
the Bed river The Yankton's lay in
all that portion of South Dakota be-
lof the mouth of the Medicine Knoll
creek near Pierre,s cup that stream and
across to- the Big Sioux at Lake Kam-
peska. The hunting grounds of the
lay north of the Yanktons
between the Missouri and the Big
Sioux from Lake Kampeska north to
the Bear Den hills on the Cheyenne,
Maiden's Isle.
II write this preface to the Legend
,f Maiden's Isle in Lake Kampeska
n order that the relative territory of
he tribes mentioned in the legend
nay be understood 1t was while our
detached command, under General
,iblesr lay at Lake Kampeska guard
ng several hundred Sioux warriors
vi,o had d taken part in the outbreak of /
61 that we discovered the little is
anS near Stony Point. One of seErl
couss, Daye Craig, informed us that
here was an interesting Indian leg
nd connected with the little island
nd several of US young soldiers ask
d an Interpreter to induce one Of the
aptive .s5arriors to relate the legend,
nut they all refused TO talk, not be-
ng disposed to break their sullenI
nd tacftugn replies by obliging us.
18th narra4iyes Of tradition and leg
nd. We ftaalIy induced an old
auaw who was the wife OF a sub
hief to relate the legend of Maiaen,s
sic, The following is the story asl
ear as I can ascall from memory
nd as we heard IT given by Tie oh I
quaw:
Protected BY Great Spirit.
This aittle island is protected by
le Great Spirit and for ages has
een considered sacred, for no perl
IN could be slain there without In
lrring the wrath or the fIreat Wa
onda and the everlasting condemna
on Of the surrounding tribes OF Da-i Il
sta Indians. !
HOnce upon time many ages ago
fierce war ragged between the ASsin-
cjnes from the North and WahDe !,
MS and Yantonais Sionx tribes
aneta was q brave young warrior,
e son OF Wahpeton chief whosel Z
Hage was on the shore pf Lake !, !,
ampeska. q q
The laughing Maiden. Ee
sHIe had won the affections of Min.
qua, the laughing maiden, daughsl Isl