SUMMER CAMP OF INDIANS.
The compulsory attendance of all the children from 6 to 18 years of age in school, mostly in boarding-schools, has closed the mission day-school, and the native worker has become preacher and pastor and no longer a school teacher. Ten years ago the work of our native workers could be closely planned by the white missionary, but to-day he must plan his own work largely to fit ever changing conditions, and learn to make each day count most for Christ. These men must be men of fidelity, men who have been trained in our Oahe or Santee schools, men who have a much larger knowledge of the Bible than their fellows. There have never been half enough of such for the work.
David Many Bulls, one of the best men we ever had, never went to school a year in his life, but he was an exception in his successful work. He was stationed 70 miles from a white missionary. Well do I remember the starting of this out-station.
It was an out-station, away out from anywhere, but the few people there were urgent for a teacher, and promised to help all they could and furnish logs for a meeting-house. I travelled over 600 miles back and forth before we had a house for the preacher and his family. At first he lived in a tent, and in November it was cold. In the change from one community to another he was cheated out of his beef issues for a month. He suffered this with other wrongs rather than make complaint which might make enemies for his new work. Few attended his school and religious services even on Sunday, but he never lost heart. When his little babe was sick, and all his people were away for weeks, though sorely tempted to go back down the river 70 miles to his relatives, he stuck to his post, and when the little one died took this long journey for its burial and in a week was back at his work.
Though not strong physically, he seldom failed to travel the 100 miles round trips with his people when they went for rations in the cold of winter, and these, with his rides in house-to-house visitations, hastened his death after one year of most faithful and arduous work. Five men in succession have followed him, tried to do the work and given it up as too hard. And it is hard, for the people have done little in six years to help themselves.
An out-station work of 15 years' growth has been more hopeful, and last year resulted in a church organization, and this year the people have voted to pay in part the salary of their pastor whom they have chosen for a year. There have been few changes in native workers at this place and this fact has been a hopeful factor in the good results.
MESSIAH CHAPEL AND CONGREGATION, N. D.
In proportion to its membership their women's society has led all others in its contributions. When they wanted a nice bell the people raised two-thirds of its cost. When they built their chapel, they raised two-fifths of its cost. When they wanted pews for it they paid two-thirds of their cost. They were the first to build a good cemetery fence, the first to enclose their chapel with a substantial fence. One of their number placed in the edifice a fine memorial window. From their number have been chosen most of the native workers for other out-stations.