46

44

he had prepared for the Indians. The earth, he said, was now worn out and it should be re-peopled.

"He had a long beard and long hair, and was the most handsome man I ever looked upon."

Philanthropists, while meaning well, from a lack of knowledge of the nature of an Indian, treat him in such a sympathetic manner--often selecting the most worthless and lazy Indians to bestow their favors upon--that he becomes puffed up with his own importance. Egotism leads to insolence, and insolence gets him into serious trouble with the agency employes and Westerners in general. The churches are all doing a good work, and it is not my purpose to say much against them, but they should work in unison, not against each other. The Indian cannot understand how so many beliefs could spring from one good book, and, naturally suspicious, when he hears one missionary speak disparingly of the salvation afforded by a rival church, concludes the whole set are humbugs.

When the commission visited the agency in the summer of 1889, for the purpose of securing signatures to the treaty whereby the Sioux relinquished claim to several million acres of their land, a number of promises were made by the commissioners which were never kept. Not so with the Indians themselves. As they sat about their tepee fires and discussed the affairs of their nation, they often wondered why the increase in rations did not come, why the presents were so long delayed.

{"PLENTY HORSES," Who, with "Scatter" and "Revenge," were leading [Braves?] with "Short Bull" and "Kicking Bea."}

An Indian never forgets a promise.

Can it be wondered, then, that the Sioux lost what little remaining faith they had in the whites?

As they brooded over their wrongs, the scarcity of rations, and miserable treatment, imagine with what joy they hailed the coming of Him who was to save and rescue them. How they hoped and prayed, only to be deluded and again cast into the depths of despair! Even this last boon and comfort was refused by their conquerors; for no sooner had the news of the coming Savior reached Washington when orders were issued to suppress the worship of any Indian who should dare to pray to his God after the dictates of his own conscience, or at least to stop the Ghost Dances.

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[The above is condensed from ILLUSTRATED AMERICA, and is in many respects very accurate, but the compiler gives it without comment, as the whole matter has yet to be investigated to get at bottom facts. --J. M. B.

{"SHORT BULL." [Bru e?] Sioux-- Leader of the Ghost Dancers, 'High Priest' of the "Messiah Craze."}

44

he had prepared for the Indians. The earth, he said, was now worn out and it should be re-peopled.

"He had a long beard and long hair, and was the most handsome man I ever looked upon."

Philanthropists, while meaning well, from a lack of knowledge of the nature of an Indian, treat him in such a sympathetic manner--often selecting the most worthless and lazy Indians to bestow their favors upon--that he becomes puffed up with his own importance. Egotism leads to insolence, and insolence gets him into serious trouble with the agency employes and Westerners in general. The churches are all doing a good work, and it is not my purpose to say much against them, but they should work in unison, not against each other. The Indian cannot understand how so many beliefs could spring from one good book, and, naturally suspicious, when he hears one missionary speak disparingly of the salvation afforded by a rival church, concludes the whole set are humbugs.

When the commission visited the agency in the summer of 1889, for the purpose of securing signatures to the treaty whereby the Sioux relinquished claim to several million acres of their land, a number of promises were made by the commissioners which were never kept. Not so with the Indians themselves. As they sat about their tepee fires and discussed the affairs of their nation, they often wondered why the increase in rations did not come, why the presents were so long delayed.

{"PLENTY HORSES," Who, with "Scatter" and "Revenge," were leading [Braves?] with "Short Bull" and "Kicking Bea."}

An Indian never forgets a promise.

Can it be wondered, then, that the Sioux lost what little remaining faith they had in the whites?

As they brooded over their wrongs, the scarcity of rations, and miserable treatment, imagine with what joy they hailed the coming of Him who was to save and rescue them. How they hoped and prayed, only to be deluded and again cast into the depths of despair! Even this last boon and comfort was refused by their conquerors; for no sooner had the news of the coming Savior reached Washington when orders were issued to suppress the worship of any Indian who should dare to pray to his God after the dictates of his own conscience, or at least to stop the Ghost Dances.

-------------------------------------

[The above is condensed from ILLUSTRATED AMERICA, and is in many respects very accurate, but the compiler gives it without comment, as the whole matter has yet to be investigated to get at bottom facts. --J. M. B.

{"SHORT BULL." [Bru e?] Sioux-- Leader of the Ghost Dancers, 'High Priest' of the "Messiah Craze."}