My People The Sioux by Luther Standing Bear

Author:Luther Standing Bear [Standing Bear, Luther]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hegne Publishing
Published: 2017-08-14T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XV: SCHOOL LIFE: THE LAST OF THE HEAD CHIEFS

WHEN my father arrived at Carlisle School, he had two presents for me — some silver dollars and a gold watch and chain. There was a little cross-piece in the center of the watch chain to fasten through my vest button. How proud I was to receive this watch! When any of the boys or girls looked at me, I always took out that watch and looked at it, imagining I could tell the time! At that day I did not know how to tell the time by looking at a watch or clock. And those silver dollars — how they did jingle in my pocket!

Then my father wanted me to go downtown with him, so Captain Pratt gave his permission. "When we reached the town, my father asked if there was anything I wanted; if I did, just to say so. But I thought he had done pretty well by me already, and I told him there was nothing I wanted. However, he bought some fruits and candy, which we carried back to the school.

Captain Pratt was very kind to my father during his stay with me, and took him to Boston, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington. I did not go with him, but a mixed blood named Stephen Moran accompanied them as interpreter. My father was greatly pleased that he was given an opportunity to visit these great cities.

After he returned from the trip, he spoke to me in this wise: ‘My son, since I have seen all those cities, and the way the Long Knife people are doing, I begin to realize that our lands and our game are all gone. There is nothing but the Long Knives (or white people) everywhere I went, and they keep coming like flies. So we will have to learn their ways, in order that we may be able to live with them. You will have to learn all you can, and I will see that your brothers and sisters follow in the path that you are making for them.’

This was the first time my father had ever spoken to me regarding acquiring a white man’s education. He continued:

‘Someday I want to hear you speak like these Long Knife people, and work like them.’

This was spoken to me by my father in the Dakota tongue, but it meant so much to me. He was so serious in his conversation along this line that I felt quite ‘puffed up.’ I wanted to please him in everything — even to getting killed on the battlefield. Even that I was willing to endure.

But now he had seen so many white people, all working, that he knew the days of the old Indian life had passed. My father was a very bright man, although he never had a single day’s education, such as I was getting, in all his life; but he always tried to learn all he could wherever he was.

Just before returning to the West, he was invited into our Chapel to listen to the service.

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