Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-16

OF the coming ages pass. you will hear OF
many others of my race holding places
Of high honor and trust.
MY people have ever been fighting
men and / believe the warrior ranks
highest among all the professions. He
fights for his women, his children
his home. Therefore, Chief War Eagle
name given Harbord by Indiansl, my
heart goes out to you because you, too,
are a great warrior who has done great
service for our country.
ON behalf Of my people. I invite you
into the Crow tribe-the highest honor
within my power.
And as the SHOWS OF coming winters
go by. I hope you will keep in mind the
needs Of my people in their struggle to
be better Americans.
May the Great Spirit permit your
moccasins to make tracks in many more
SHOWS is my prayer.
II have spoken"
In his address at the dedication Gen.
eral Harbord spoke Of the long friend
ship between the Crows and the white
people and of his meeting Chief Plenty
Coos at the ceremonies at the tomb Of
the Unknown Soldier when the general
acted as one Of the pallbearers.
81 am glad to meet the members of
the great Grow nation in the place where
they nave lived for so many generations"
said he. There has always been peace
and friendship between your people and
mine. You nave been friends and allies
of my people since the first white soldiers
came to the lands west of the Father Of
Waters. Seven years ago this coming
November your great chief, Plenty Coos.
and / were associated in the ceremonies
of the burial of the Unknown Soldier in
Arlington cemetery at Washington-and
the world will never know whether that
soldier who died in defense OF our coun-
try was of your blood or mine-au that
we shall ever know is that he died as a
warrior should die and is forever en-
shrined in the memory Of his country
men.
For more than so years Plenty Coos
| has been chief of the Crow nation. In
that time great changes have taken place.
Life itself is very different from the life
that he knew as a young man. 1t is not
too much to say that for all the world,
life has changed more in that so years
than in any thousand years in the earlier
history of your nation. Peace has come
to the Yellowstone and the Big Horn.
The railroad crosses your hills and VAL
leys. The automobile, moving picture,
telephone, electric light, typewriter, ma
chine gum. airplane and radio and many
| other new things have come into our
lives since Custer died at the battle Of
the Little Big Horn.
1t is impossible that all these changes
have come to you without some regret
for your old life; for the days OF the
buffalo and the antelope, the old free life
of the plains before the white man came
with his civilization and his laws and
his taxes. Yet every race of men that
has survived has at some time had to
exchange a life such as yours OF so years
ago for the more m~onotonous, more reg
ulated and many times less interesting
ways of civilization.
1T is the experience of all mankind,
lived through thousands Of years in every
part of the world. 1t cannot be escaped
or even delayed for more han a certain
time.
You are living sid by side with your
white brothers on the land occupied by
your ancestors. Your children, born In
houses instead Of tepees. go to school
with the children Of your neighbors. You
have been citizens of the United States
with all the responsibilities and privi-
leges hat go with that qualification, you
have a voice in the selection OF your
state, county and national officials and
In making the avs Of your country. You
must be prepared by industry and by
education to hold your own with your
white neighbors In the battle Of modern
life, where the railroad has replaced the
war trail; the primary instead of the
council; and the Grow has become a citi-
zen instead of a warrior and a hunter,
and rides q motorcar instead OF a war
pony.
The World war brought 10, 900 Indians
INTO the armies of our country, a greater
number in proportion to the Indian pop
ulation han was furnished by other
Americans in a war which was primarily
begun by white men against other white
men. Many Of them died at nome and
in France. l had the honor to serve with
some Of them in the American expedi-
tionary forces and / know of no case
where an indian was not a good soldier
n true to the traditions Of his ances-
tors. Nor were you content with merely
sending your men to the war. Indians
bought more than twenty-five million
dollars worth of Liberty bonds and sub
scribed literally to the Red Cross and
kindred wal philanthropies. Yours is q
record of which men of any race might
be proud. 1t can never be forgotten by
my people and 1t must not be forgotten
by yours.
80 much for the changes in life,
duties and responsibilities that have come
to you since Plenty Coos became your
chief. 1t is fitting that In commemora-
ton Of all this he should give to the
people OF the United States, and particu-
larry the people of the Big Horn country,
red as well as white, the land on which
he has spent SO many useful years. 1t is
the climax Of a life devoted to his people
and to the country in which we all live.
With the authority Of the department OF
the Interior Of the United States govern
ment, I accept this gift, and dedicate 1t
as a park to the memory Of Chief Plenty
Coos and the great Crow nation, old time
friends inc allies of the Great White
Father and now his trusty citizens and
our fellow countrymen.
The white friends of Chief Plenty
Coos have had 1t in mind for u long
lime To honor him In some fitting WAY