Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-26
INDIANS NO LONGER
FOLLOW WARPATH
Rosebud Sioux of the Spotted Tail
Tribe Have Now Become
Race of Farmers.
MODERN HOMES AND SCHOOLS

MODERN HOMES AND SCHOOLS
II was only about a quarter of
century ago that the Rosebud
Sioux, in those days better known as
the Spotted Tail Indians, laid down
the tomahawk and the scalping
knife and turned their attention to
more peaceful pursuits, such as
growing grain and raising cattle and
horses on their lands that now COM
prise the counties of Gregory, Trip,
Mellette and Todd, an area about
fifty miles wide and $50 long, lying
along the south line of South Da-
kota, Just north of Nebraska.
That these Indians, of whom there arc
now about $500, have made good, is
the assertion of Charles l. Davis. super
intendent. who has looked after their
welfare during the last two years.
Returning from Washington. Mr.. Davis
en- route home to the agency at Rose
bud. s. D.. spent several hours in Omaha
last Friday. While here he discoursed
on Indians. particularly the Rosebud
Sioux. saying:
"of the $500 Indians of the Rosebud
agency. fully 1900 are self-supporting and
most of them are as good citizens as
you find anywhere. They are farm
ers and stock raisers though they are
giving more attention to raising cattle
and horses than to raising grain, At
this time they have something like 5000
head of cattle and about the same num-
Der of horses. They have considerable
land under cultivation and quite a large
area out to alfalfa.
That they are thrifty is borne out
by the fact that in the banks in the
towns close to their lands they have
more than 100000 on deposit. A few
of them have automobiles. but they are
not given to the purchase of these ma
chimes, preferring horses and wagons
and buggies.
During my trip to Washington. I ar
ranged for the purchase of 1000 heifers
and 400 to 500 brood mares. These ami
mails will be sold to the Indians at cost.
The stock is of good grade the idea be-
ing to satisfy the demand of the In
dian that they be made more self-sup-
porting.
Work OF Development.
When 1 went to the agency 1 worked
the idea of bringing about a develop
ment of the Indians and introducing the
idea of Independence among them and l
think that have succeeded. At the
present time practically all the Rosebud
Sioux reside in good. comfortable houses
They are warm and as modern as houses
can be made In the country. In these
houses they have good furniture and the
occupants live as well as the average
white people.
.on the agency we have three board
ing and twenty day schools but there
are not enough to supply the demand
upon them. Each year it is noticeable
that more and more OF the Indian chill
dren are anxious to enroll themselves in
the schools and in many instances it is
impossible for them TO attend, owing
to the distance that they reside from the
buildings
I'VE have done away with the old tri-
bal relations to a great extent and now
business that was looked after by the
chiefs Is conducted by council. the
members OF which are elected. We have
our courts and IL an offense is com
mitted. the offender is tried and as a
rule the decision is final. We have our
own police and our Jail and all over the
tract that was once the reservation. the
best possible order is maintained.
Indians Teach Indians
Farmers have come in from outside
and to them we have leased something
over 100000 acres OF land and the lease
money goes to the Indians, who are
the owners. They are careful in spend
ing their money and in buying and sell
ing use as good judgment as the aver
age white man.
AT this time most of the Indian land
is fenced and fenced with wire and posts,
and in these Enclosures during the sum
mer the Indians pasture their stock.
"a great many OF the helpers are In
dams. They work in the fields. teach
ing other Indians how 20 care for stock
and how to plant and harvest the crops.
The stenographer in my office is an
Indian girl and I'm taking dictations and
operating a typewriter, she is an eX-
pert. There are a number OF the young
women. who arc equally as good
some Of the white men living close
to our lands have married Indian girls
but we arc not encouraging the inter
marrying Of the races.
with the exception OF the oldest men
Of the tribe, all of our Indians are
rapidly acquiring the ways of the whites
ard are dropping the Indian customs. In
conversations among themselves, all the
younger people speak English and most
Of them speak the language fluently ]
can notice that there has been won
dcrfUl improvement among them durine
the last wears