The American Missionary — Volume 42, No. 02, February, 1888Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 42, No. 02, February, 1888
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
The writer of this letter is Loafer Redhorse, a son-in-law of the Titon
Chief, Swift Bear, whose band have colonized as homesteaders along the
Niobrara River near the mouth of Keya Paha River. Their colony is one
hundred and thirty miles from Rosebud Agency, to which they belong.
Their settlement we call Burrell Station in honor of Dea. Burrell, of
Oberlin, Ohio, who gave the money to build the school-house and home for
the teacher. Mr. Francis Frazier, son of Pastor Ehnamani of Santee, has
now been their teacher two years.
Loafer Redhorse is anything but a loafer. He is one of the most
industrious men. He is one who would naturally be first in war, as he
says, and now also is first in following the plow, and learning the ways
of the white man. Among other things it is interesting to know what he
thinks of prohibiting the use of the Dakota language.
MY FRIENDS: Let me speak now. I am sad because of one thing which I will
now speak of. Since our school-house (the Burrell station school) was
built, I, with my children, have attended with a glad heart just as if
it were my own. And now I hear that it is likely to be closed, and I
will speak about that. And this is why I have something to say. The
scholars who go out from the Brules to go to school, come back without
knowing anything, for the reason that they don't teach them anything
except to work. That is the reason they don't know anything, I think.
And I will tell how it was with us under Indian customs since the time I
had understanding. Then the Indian tribes were happy. Into whatever
country was good they roamed just as they pleased. At that time,
although there were many Indians on all sides, there was a great country
in between full of buffalo. It seemed to be the buffalo's country. And
the Indian people were made happy because of the buffalo. The people
would move their camps and pitch their tents again and the buffalo would
come right in among their tents with a great noise. Then it was that the
people had great joy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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