Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-01-06
$4,000 Allotted Blackfeet
Museum at Browning; Project
Fathered by Dick Sanderville
By J. l.. SHERBURNE

By J. l.. SHERBuRNE
A telegram was received by the
Chief last Saturday from Sena.
tor Wheeler saying PLEASED to
inform you that the Comptroller
General has approved a $3.50, OOO
ALLEGATION from public works ad-
ministration for the construction
of a Museum and Arts and Crafts
shop building at Browning
While the community is very
much pleased and appreciasive of
this announcement, yet there is
one to whom it is a grea. Joy,
and satisfaction of a dream full
filled. for it has been close to his
heart for nine years and his con-
slant efforts to bring this abont
have been at last realized, that
one is Chief Bull" or as he is
generally known Richard Sander.
vile.
His great interest was aroused
at the time that General Hugh
L. Scott came to Browning in
September, 1880. to take charge
of the international Indian Peace
council. to have stories of old
historic event and wares of the
tribes told in the sign language
for the purpose of recording all
upon the movie films to preserve
this method of communication
for the Smithsonian Institute.
Fifteen tribes were represent
ed. All these could converse by
means of the universal sign Ian
guaRe. but no two tribes used the
same spoken language. Many of
those in attendance had opposed
each other ia war raids of earlier
days. Now they met in peaceful
council at the instance and ex.
pense of the government to re-
cord the language in signs. which
in q comparative few years will
be used no more. The impor-
lance of the event impressed it.
self upon Chief Bull and he ar.
ranged to have the footprints of
each attending warrior including
General Scott left in cement.
This was done by the Indians by
removing their moccasins and
stepping barefooted into a form
of partly hardened cement so the
imprint was left. The booted
prints of the General were like
wise made.
At that time it was proposed
to make a monument to this
event. 1t was planned to build a
cement tepee. into the floor of
which these footprints could be
set in the circle form as in the
conference and after the fashion
of such a council in the old time
Indian fashion. The small circle
of rocks to be set into the floor
in the center of the tepee to rep
resent the fire. The footprints
we're to be set in the same rel
alive location as the Indians sat
at this sign language conference,
with those of the General in the
position of the chief at the point
in the lodge directly opposite the
door.
Chief Bull carried his plan
everywhere with him, and as
time passed tine proposal grew
from the modest cement tepee to
protect the footprints and a few
worthy relics until in the summer
of 1887 it had become a joint
museum project, one unit of
which was to have been located
at Browning and smaller unit
at Two Medicine lake in Glacier
National Park.
In 1884 during the spring and
summer. he was invited to Wash
ington. d. c., as a guest Of the
government to work in the
Smithsonian Institute to assist
in the completion of the sign
language which had been start
ed by General Scott. and left un-
finished by his death. For several
months Sanderville worked out
the signs and then helped sketch
them upon the cards for a per-
manent record of the govern.
ment. During this visit he talk
ed museum and urged that it be
built at Browning for the relics
of the Blackfeet aud the plains
Indians. which were then and
. are rapidly passing from the In
dams into o.her hands to become
scattered to the seven winds.
In 1885 he appeared before the
convention of District 81 Inter-
national Lions clubs, at Helena.
and made a talk. explaining his
hope that q museum might be
k.,;lk - houoa Tho rulioo of hio