The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-03-27
MERELY AN INDIAN BUT WHAT
A CATHOLIC!


hacanka), commonly going by the
name of Big Head (Nasulantanka-
big BRAIN, was one of the prominent
Sioux Indians on Rosebud Reserva
ton. He died February 10, 1920, at
| the age of 81, just fourteen years to
date after his being baptized by Rev.
Emil NJ. Perrig, S. j., at st. Joseph's
church on Black Pipe District. Up to
his 6Sth year he used to have two
wives, as other chiefs. His children,
however. he sent to the ST. Francis
Mission School and wanted them to
| be baptized Finding out that he could
not be baptized, having two wives, he
gave up the younger one and was
baptized on February Is, 1906, with
his first consort, says the Catholic
Tribune
| The Government Day School was
only a few rods from his Lighthouse;
still he wanted all his children to at,
| tend the Mission School. The follow
ing incident occurred at the time of
the so-called Browning Ruling
which denied to Indian parents the
natural right to send their children to
schools of their own choice. The
| Government officials in virtue of this
ruling had the legal power to take
them and put them in Government
Schools. instinctively called Protes-
| tant white Gown Schools by the
| Indians. One of them said: "Thc
| Great Father treats us like dogs. You
don't ask their permission to take
their puppies and put them where you
| please.' When the Agent refused
to let Big Head bring all his children
to the Mission, the latter said to the
Sister Superior: Il bring them any
how; and IL I pass through the
Agency and if the Agent comes out
of his house to stop my horses. III
bring them anyhow" And he did
One day he came to the Mission late
in the forenoon saying: Il am very
hungry" All right" / said, III tell
the Brother to give you something to
eat NO." he replied. Il came fast
ing to receive Holy Communion;
did not receive it for a long time the
lived thirty miles from ST. Francis),
and | am hungry after it, He as
cribed it to his receiving Holy Com
munion that he still felt so youth
full. Referring to some Catholic In
dams he once said: Il have told
them: You are much younger than
|, but look old already, you do not go
to Holy Communion oftenN"
In spite of his age he took great JOY
in accompanying the Missionary on
his trip through the camps and he
gave good advice to the Indians in
their meetings of the st. Joseph's and
st. Mary's Societies. The interest
he took in his missionary work is
we'll brought out in an account given
few years ago by one of the Mission
aries. He says: For long time
one of my companions was an old In
dian chief called Big Head. Some
times of a sudden I would drive up
to his cabin and call him: Well Joe,
get on your coat, we have to take
a trip. so ask your wife if you can
go.' Ugh, what has she got to say,
| am the boss So he puts on his
stiff hat and good GU clothes and
literally girds his loins for the trip,
as he says, against Satan He GER
| tainly does bawl him away on every
| OCCASION When we arrive at cen
| ter of any kind, some old brave with
a powerful voice goes around the
hills and with a loud cry, tells the
people to come to the services.
Though Brother Big Head can count
| eighty winters, he knows his prayers
! by heart and can sing many OF the
hymns, which he thunders out, with
perhaps more force than melody
After | am done with my work, / ask
some of them to give an eXhortatlOn
and now is his turn to give Satan q
bawling out. Although on account OF
their poverty they are not obliged
to observe the Friday abstinence. still
he would rather go all day on bread
and coffee than break the law. When
travelling with the priest he goes tc
Holy Communion every day, nor will
he go to confession the day before but
waits until Immediately before Mass
Having no server for Mass, / once
asked him if he knew how to ring the
bell. why, of course. | am a Sooo
hand at that ] soon found out thai
he was. for I could scarcely do {
thing but he would ring the bell, ant
he missed when he ought to have runs
it most. The other Indians always
have great fun whenever they tell this
story on him.
On another occasion the same Mis-
sionary wrote of him: "ln box o.
charity goods, which by the way are
lust as welcome as useful, I once re
ceived large silk hat. That said
is for my friend Joe Big Head His
face was wreathed in smiles, but
noticed he never wore it. Well, Joe
why don't you wear it, said. All
he said. I will wear that only wher
the Bishop comes And sure enough
on that occasion the silk hat was seer
parading around Some of the young
braves, for joke. tried to trade him
a horse for it. 'Hee-ya, Hee-ya! te
wa he la yelo,' (No, no, I like it toe
welD he said One day in Lent
drove up to his cabin. Nobody a.
howe. Where are they? I asked z
Little InGtan girl | found ruaH.ilc