Then the outbreak and massacres of 1862 occurred, seemingly sweeping everything away. It was the death-struggle of heathenism, alarmed at the steady advance of Christianity. Other political causes and conditions merely made this outbreak possible. And yet what seemed annihilation was only multiplication and dissemination. Again was fulfilled the Scripture: “They that were scattered abroad went preaching the word.” And the conversion in the military prisons of hundreds as it were in a day, is one of the notable instances of the power of God’s spirit.
Twenty years ago the field of Christian missions among the Dakotas was confined to a small section of the nation then dwelling in a corner of Minnesota. But now the field extends over the great Missouri valley and on northward toward the Saskatchawan in the British Possessions.
The work whose beginnings we have noted, originally one under the American Board, has since been divided. In 1871, at the time of the general division of the missions of the American Board, that part of the Dakota Mission immediately under the charge of the venerable Dr. Williamson and his son, Rev. John P. Williamson, was transferred to the care of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. But the larger portion remained with the other veteran of the mission, Rev. Stephen B. Riggs, under the care of the American Board. And now with the year 1883 another transfer is made to the American Missionary Association. But the five native churches, with a membership of 340, that had meanwhile grown up about Sisseton Agency are graduated from foreign missions into a home mission connection, and so naturally pass under the care of the Presbyterian Home Mission Board. It is not within the scope of this short article to speak of the work accomplished by the Episcopal Mission in the same field, which had its beginning about thirty years later than the original Dakota Mission, and in recent years has had very considerable success. Nor can we speak particularly of the portion of our great field lying across the British line, for though we have furnished the native laborers it is not organically connected with us. But as for the rest of the original mission, even though divided, it works as one. It has one General Conference, and in all its publications and matters of common concern acts as one mission still.
The statistics of the Dakota Mission, as thus defined, show 7 stations, 6 ordained missionaries, 26 assistant missionaries, 13 churches, 12 native pastors and preachers, 9 native teachers, and 847 church members, contributing during the past year $779.83 for their own missions among the heathen Indians, and $1,080.58 for pastoral support and church expenses.
Of this there now passes directly to the care of the American Missionary Association 5 stations, with also an interest in the Native Missionary field at Devil’s Lake, 4 ordained missionaries, 21 assistant missionaries, 2 churches, Pilgrim Church at Santee and Shiloh Church at the Sully Station, with 8 native preachers, 5 native teachers, and a church membership of 194.
As has been noticed, the organization of the work from the first has been on the Presbyterian model, and thus the fruits of the mission have mostly gone into the Presbyterian connection. The church at the Fort Sully Station was an exception. It was organized as a Congregational church. Nevertheless, this Presbyterian cast, this whole native force, is to be considered as one, and will be used by whichever denomination is ready to prosecute the work most vigorously, for the denominationalism of these churches is not of a radical type, as is instanced by the recent change of ecclesiastical relations on the part of the Pilgrim Church at Santee. This is the original mother church, but in order to come into closer and more sympathetic relations with the churches that support the Santee Training School, it voted cheerfully and almost unanimously to leave Presbytery and become Congregational. Indeed this is not hard for them to do, for Indians are naturally very democratic.
In the work that may now be done for this people, Santee Normal Training School must be an important factor. It has vital relation to all these native churches, and it has a name among the heathen communities. Its growth has been slow, for it has taken time and work to instil the idea of a higher education into the minds of the people. Henceforth its growth might be rapid. It now has one hundred and one pupils in attendance, with seventeen instructors, including those in charge of the industrial and boarding departments. This winter a number of pupils have been turned away for lack of room. If accommodations could be provided, the number of pupils might soon be doubled.
While giving great attention to industrial training, it affords unparalleled advantages for that training which is needed to make teachers suited to Indian schools.
The school is the basis of evangelizing the Indian. There will be no large audiences to preach to, except on exceptional occasions, until the school has gathered a company of disciples. Certain persons not understanding the nature of missionary work, or unable to take more than a superficial view, have recently represented our schools as of low grade, and unnecessary to real missionary work. But this is contradicted by the grand progress of the work.
We have spoken of five mission stations as now passing under the care of the A. M. A. But of these Standing Rock is hardly opened, and Berthold and Sully stations are sadly in need of reinforcements. And there are the large Indian Agencies of Spotted Tail’s and Red Cloud’s tribes, numbering about 7,000 each, which we ought to occupy. Then there is the Crow country in Montana, next door to our Berthold Mission. We should have at once six ordained missionaries and their wives, with as many more assistant missionaries, all picked men. This would enable us to manage a yet larger number of native missionary teachers working along with them.