| Show CLEVER SANTEE INDIANS for the last two months montha the newspapers have been full of indian news and many writers lave have given their opinions as to the future of the red men some even have gone so far as to any aay that he be can never be civilized to sue see the fallacy of this opinion let us look for a momentum moment momen tup up in the northern part of knox cou county uty here live a people of whom little to is heard however twenty five years ago go they were more prominent in frontier history than their brethren who recently stirred up trouble in plue pine ridge can ever expect to be here live the santee band of sioux who figured so prominently in the minnesota massacre after the trial execution and imprisonment of the leaders of the outbreak the remainder of the band were moved west and located at crow creek 8 D in the year 1868 1863 after three years attempt to raise a a crop and the expenditure of by the government they were moved down the missouri and located on the bottom lands between N niobrara Nio brara and bazile rivers occupying the land where niobrara Nio brara now stands but as this land had bail been once entered for settlement battlement by whites who had been driven away by indians indiana they were again moved east of the bazile where they have since remained the agency to is about fifteen miles east of niobrara Nio brara on Missouri the and is located on a second bottom or fence about fifty feet above the river overlooking the bo ttomas it does and being partly surrounded by timber and high blu bluffs frait it is ie a very pretty place especially in the summer bummer when all is green and frag rant the agent in charge Is james E helms who was recently appointed from pawnee county the cantees are further advanced than other tribes in nebraska or Ia lakota kota except perhaps the Pl flandreau andreau band of sioux who are in moody county south dakota they have their lind in severalty live in comfortable houses and behave as well as a community of the same number of whites would the cantees exercise the right to vote and hold bold offices there being several township officers officer and sand one county supervisor who are indians indiana in politics three fourths of them are republicans Republic ns ne and the balance democrats and prohibitionists there are am five churches on the reserve three episcopal congregational all being well attended the cantees take a live interest in the cause of education from the fact taht they can so plainly see the results in their own tribe they have school facilities such as few other tribes have and as a rule make the best of them there are two large schools here une mission and the other government I 1 in a order that the term mission may be rightly understood it may be well to state that the government annually contracts with the different missionary societies for the education of indian children the latest available reports show that there are boarding schools and day schools of these fifty nine boarding and twenty six day schools are what are termed mission schools schou ls f that is schools owned and controlled by the missionary associations who are under contract with the government to clothe feed and care for the indian children placed there the rate per capita per annum ranges from to according to location of the mission schools the normal aral training ni school located at santee agency to is one of the best equipped in the west it Is controlled by the ameri an erf can missionary association and is valued at it is under the management of rev A L riggs biggs who has guided it from its infancy some twenty years ago the number of pupils is about who are taken from all parts of the northwest many coming from montana wyoming and the alie extreme north of the dakotas the aim of the institution is to train preachers teachers and interpreters to go among the tribes of the northwest and bring them to a higher state of enlightenment the plan of conducting the institution ution to is similar to abut of other boarding schools the larger girls are am domiciled at the dakota home while the smaller ones odes inhabit the birds nest neet the you ug men are at perkins ns hall and the boys at whitney hall and the cottage ly each home is in charge of a matron who looks after her family and to is the mother to all in IB addition to study in the school rooms the larger boys are taught shoemaking blacksmithing blacksmith ind and carpentry there is also a well equip d printing office in connection with the school where a number of boys are being taught that branch there are published two monthly papers capers in the dakota and one in the english language the work being done largely by indian boys there is also a large government school at santee called the industrial boarding school which la Is under the supervision of mr charles F pierce and to is considered one of the best beat in the indian service there are about pupils in attendance nearly all santee and ponca children the course of study which is prescribed bribed by the commissioner of indian affairs for all indian schools is similar to that of the common schools of the state though the advancement is not so rapid the boys are taught in the agency shops in iron and wood work also harness and shoemaking this training to is given them during the winter for in the summer all are it kept t busy on the large school farm af all I 1 departments are presided over by competent teachers who aim to make the training as thoroughly practical as possible and indeed it is for there are boys who can take a shoe from their feet and repair it or go to the blacksmith shop and make a clovis clevis or sharpen a plow the girls under their instructors attend to the housework of the school being taught to wash iron cook and make clochi clothing ng the larger pupils spend one half of their time in industrial work and are detailed at the beginning of each month to diffie different rent departments of the girls one class goes to the ae laundry another to the kitchen and another to the sewing room the boys are ako aho detailed some caring for horses others cows others hoes and others to the various outside duties of the establishment A record is kept of these monthly details so that at the end of the year each parent may know just what work their child has been doing during the term every th thing ing moves along with the order ebar char act of government institutions although perhaps the hours are longer than the average employee enjoy at half past five the rising bell rings half past six breakfast is served at seven the boys are drawn up in companies on the campus when the weather permits and an awer to roll call and receive orders for the day days dayis Is work after this the larger ones go to their work while the smaller ones amuse themselves until 9 when they go to the class rooms in the afternoon a all pupils go to their studies and there is also an evening session of an hour and a half for those who do not attend in the forenoon at the retiring bell rings and all retire for rest only to rise again and continue the same routine until the both of J june u ne when the school term ends As a result of the industrial training theban teesha tees bave veas as large a number of ine mechanics chantes among their number as can be found in the white communities of the same size at the agency shops we find indians indiana doing the work of carpenters blacksmiths barness harness makers millers and engineers in fact aall all POSIt positions in the mechanical department of the agency are filled by indians indiana and the work is being done as well as it could be by whites if anyone desires to see the work of these people there are many at the agency who will take cake pleasure la iu showing them about and alder after once seeing they will go away knowing that with patience and proper training the indian will become as skillful in all mechanical trades as his white brother C neb feb 8 |
