ORIGINAL SITE OF THE SANTEE NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL
WOONSPE WANKANTU">
ORIGINAL SITE OF THE SANTEE NORMAL
TRAINING SCHOOL WOONSPE WANKANTU, SANTEE, NEBRASKA SANTEE NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL
1909-1910 The education policies for American Indian children
in the early history of America was developed first by the efforts of the missionaries who
wanted to christianize American Indian people and they planned to do this through the
education programs of their various missions. After the missionaries established schools
and set education patterns than the federal government also began school systems for
American Indian children. The federal government used the various treaties as a base to
establish schools and developed requisitions and various policies as time went on. It will
be pointed out that this system was followed at the Santee Sioux Reservation. The Santee Sioux Reservation establishment took
place from 1866 to 1869. Prior to white contact this particular band of Santee was made up
of a group called Mdewaukanton who lived in the area today called Minnesota. The largest
known group of these people is the Dakota Nation. The smallest group is the called the
Isanyanti which is a Dakota word that translates loosely "knife people dwellers"
and are made up of the following: Mdwaukanton(Spirit Lake Dwellers), Cessation (Fisher's
Camp), Wahpeton (Leaf Dwellers), and the Wakpekute (Shoot the Leaf). After the Dakota War of 1862, many of these people
were displaced. They either punished by hanging, condemned to prisons in Davenport, Iowa
or forcibly removed from their home territory. Many of the Mdewaukton were sent to central
territory to a place known today as Crow Creek Reservation. Through the help of missionaries, the prisoners of
war were released and transferred by steamboat to the Niobrara area in North Central
Nebraska. Women and children accompanied these prisoners. The river route they were
transported was down the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri and then up the Missouri
River to Niobrara. This group of mainly Mdewaukanton was first moved
just east of the present site of the town of Niobrara, Nebraska. Then they were moved to
Bazile Creek and later to the present site of Santee. The decisions for the establishment
of the Santee Reservation was the result of several treaties, the last one being the 1868
Fort Laramie Treaty which provided the foundation for most of the following legislation
that affected the Santee Sioux. The Act of Divide the Great Sioux Reservation
determined the boundaries of the Santee Reservation, the land purchased by the Santee
Normal Training School and the land allotments for tribal members. "To each head of a
family, on quarter of a section; to each single person over eighteen years, one eighth of
a section, to each orphan child under eighteen years; one eighth of a section; to each
other person under eighteen years of age now living, one sixteenth of a section. The establishment of the Santee Sioux Reservation
was finalized in the summer of 1869, when the boundaries were determined. The original
tract of land was twelve miles from east to west and averaged about fifteen miles from
north to south; encompassing 15,075.92 acres. It included some good agricultural land in
the southern and eastern parts but the majority was grazing land. Now that the Santee Sioux Reservation was formed the
missionaries had ideas to christianize and educate the Dakota people of the Santee Sioux
Tribe. This was the godly duty of the missionaries. For example, churches were built
during this period and some are still in use today; such as the Episcopal
Church at Santee which is 124 years old This christianizing went hand
and hand with the actual classroom education plans of the missionaries. The main person who wanted to form a school for the
purpose to educate Native people to become missionaries to their own people was the
Reverend Alfred Langley Riggs. D.D. Only one year after the Santee Sioux Reservation
establishment was final, Riggs founded the Santee Normal Training School in 1870 as an
academy for the training of Native teachers. They had an enrollment of 111 students from
the immediate area. Other began to come from other Dakota (Sioux) communities. This school
was still in operation in 1933. Although the purpose was to have a denominational school,
the various government agencies pressured for a government manual training school which
was formed later, and was separate from the Santee Normal Training School. The important policy of the Santee Normal Training
School was the instruction in the Dakota language, especially in the teaching of theology.
Riggs was strongly convinced of the importance of teaching in the Dakota language. As an
educator and linguist, he understood that the thought and philosophy was closely tied to
the spoken Dakota words, The world view of the Dakota people was also reflected in the
Dakota language. The government agencies were strongly opposed to the
use of the Dakota language in the classroom instruction at the Santee Normal School but
gave aid for those students who were not from Santee. The government helped by giving them
food rations. Then Riggs had asked the government to subsidize the tuition payments of the
students which they agreed to do. This aid increased from $12,271.00 in 1883 to over
$12,00 annually in 1893. The agents continued to pressure Riggs to
discontinue teaching in the Dakota language or they would withdraw their financial
support. Riggs argued that the use of the Dakota language was "Indispensable to best
instruction." Things, not names are what the true teacher must grasp."
Government agent Janney said, "So long as they were educated in their native tongue
they were still Indian. And, as everyone knew, the primary aim of our Indian policy was to
transform Indians into white men." The theological classes had to be suspended as
this course was held almost entirely in the Dakota language. The training if the
interpreters had to be terminated too; as the government commissioners ordered. In spite of Riggs arguments for teaching in the
native language, the government agents would not relent and eventually government aid to
the school was stopped altogether in 1893. In 1871 the Santee Normal Training School had
developed a printing press and printed many materials in the Dakota language. Therefore,
this school had perhaps inadvertently helped keep the Dakota language preserved by the
printed words. Many words were translations from English and into the Dakota language; the
many commonly used works were the Bible, hymnals and other religious writings. These books
are still used in some families today. Older people still read from this particular Bible
written in the Dakota language are still being used. This helps them hear the Dakota
language in a slower rhythm and helps them learn the language. In summary, the use, the printing and the
preservation of the Dakota language was accomplished by the missionaries. While the United
States Government wanted to rid the country of American Indians through its policies, and
wanted to rid the Dakota people of their own language. It never occurred to them that one
could learn many languages that builds the intellect. One example of this is a former
student of the Santee Normal School, Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman who started school not
knowing the English language and was able to learn English and compete successfully at
Dartmouth College and later at the Boston University, where he received a medical degree.
This demonstrates that one can be grounded in the Dakota language and still succeed
academically. Therefore, the Dakota language does not have to be eradicated in order to
educate the Dakota child. The United States government policy to erase the Dakota language
in schools has been proven wrong long ago. Santee Normal Training School
Education Policies by Bernice Blakney Graduates--IHUNIPE KIN. CLASS OF 1894 Arthur T. Tibbs........Pastor.......Cannon
Ball, N.D. CLASS OF 1895 Frank H. Peterson.....Died..........Union
City, Wash. CLASS OF 1897 Lucy L.
Johnson-Wright....Died.........Yankton, S.D. CLASS OF 1898 Samuel O. La Pointe......Real
Estate.......Dixon, S.D. class OF 1899 Stephen M. Jones......Y.M.C.A.
Sec'y......Mitchell, S.D. CLASS OF 1900 Etta R.
Crawford.....Housekeeping......Good Will, S.D. CLASS OF 1902 David P.
Flyinghawk.....Farming.......Greenwood, S.D. CLASS OF 1903 Henry Roe Cloud......Student.........New
Haven, Conn. CLASS OF 1904 George T.
Firecloud.......Missionary.......Harlem, Mont. CLASS OF 1905 George Cole........Farming........Pierre,
S.D. CLASS OF 1907 Bear,
Samson.......Hotelkeeper......Santee, Neb. CLASS OF 1908 Mitchell, Albert
C.........Farming.......Elbowoods, N.D. CLASS OF 1909 Baker,
Louis.......Farming.......Elbowoods, N.D. PUPILS EXPENSES In the early years of this school we paid all of the
expenses of the pupils traveling and clothing and board because there was no other way to
do. The Indians had not come to understand the value of the best schooling. But now the
Indian people have come to be citizens and Christians they value education and especially
the knowledge of the Bible. So they are anxious to do as far as they are able what other
free and independent citizens do, and contribute more every year towards the support of
their children in this school. Each pupil now pays his own traveling expenses and
clothing. The older pupils are expected to work ten hours each week in part payment of
their board. For the rest of their work time they receive wages according to the value of
their work. At the beginning of the school year the parents
should deposit with the Principal some money for purchasing new clothing. A deposit is
also made by new pupils for use of school uniform. Pupils who have a long way to come and
who are exceptionally poor may receive some aid through kindness of Christian friends. Santee Normal Training School woonspe tipi en tona
yakonpi kin tobanyan okihipi hehanyan heyake on iye oieiyapi. Wayawa hipi kin otoiyohi
mazaska onge yuha hipi, qa A.L. Riggs itancan kin awanyakekiyapi kinhan, tohan heyake
einpi kinhan takudan ieagi sniyan yuhapi kta. Qa nakun den wayawa unpi hin tohanyan tanyan htanipi
kin on wieunkieajujupi. Oape wanji mazasa wanji qa salidogan hehanyan. Tuwe tanyan htani
kin wokajuju wankanwapa icu ecee, qa tuwe tanyan econ sni kinhan hukuya eyaku. Koska wanji
wi wanji en wokanjuju tonana ikiciyawapi kin he tokata wi kin en saupa tanyan skan kinhan
wokajuju wankanwapa ieu kta. Token tanyan skan qais sicaya skan kinhan hena owasin
unkieiya wapi. Wayawa unpi mazaska kamnapi hena on heyake qais wowapi ou opetonpi kta ou
awanwicunkiciyakapi. Nakun wayawa unpi kin anpetu wakan waji htanipi
etanhan oape wikeemna taku kamuapi hena wotapi kin on hdajujupi. Tu we anpetu wakan wanji
en oape wikcemna nom htani kinhan he etanhan hanke, eape wikcemna, wote kin on hdajuju. Qa
oape wikeemna iyaye ein heua mazaska on wicunkicajujupi. De eciyatanhan wayawa unpi kin
wsakayedan wotapi kin hdajujupi. Koska wanji oape wanji mazasa zaptan ieu kinhan he anpetu
wakan wanji wote kin on kaspapi zaptan hdajuju. Tuka koska wtapi kin anpetu wakan wanji
mazaska wanji sam okise, $1.50,yusota ece. Hecen tonana hdajuju esta he nakun waste.
Dakota oyate en taku hdajujupi kte ein he woonspe tanka wanji ee. Qa de hecen econpi kta
onspewwieukiyapi kta iyecetu. Tohan ikeewiesta taku sanpa hdajujupi kinhan sanpa woonspe
wastete yuhapi kte. SANTEE SIOUX AGENCY 1918 "The whites were always trying to
make the Indians give up their way of life and live like white men--go to farming, work
hard and do as they did and if the Indians had tried to make the whites live like them,
the whites would have resisted, and it was the same way with many Indians."
INDIAN TRAINING SCHOOL
OF THE
AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION
Alice C. Conger-Keeler......Teacher......Greenwood, S.D.
Susan H. Wanmdisun-Bahr, Housekeeping........Santee, Neb.
Lily M. Williams-Traversie...Teacher.....Whitehorse, S.D.
Mamie D. Elder......Died...............Elbowoods, N.D.
Kate H. Fruh-Tibbets.....Housekeeping.....Cannon Ball, N.D.
Fred Frazier.........Farming........Santee, Neb.
Jennie I. Conger......Died........Andrus, S.D.
Howard E. Frazier......Carpenter.........Santee, Neb.
Mary L. Cote.......Died.........Andrus, S.D.
Grace O. Eastman.......Teacher......Okmulgee, Okla.
Alice T. Frazier........Teacher.........Pine Ridge, S.D.
Jessie H. Frazier.......Housekeeping........Santee, Neb.
Lucy H. Kitto-Campbell.....Housekeeping...Santee, Neb.
Lonedog, Charles......Farming......Pine Ridge, S.D.
Frazier, Harriet......Housekeeping.....Naper, Neb.
Frazier, Margaret H..........Housekeeping......Santee,Neb.
Rouillard, Levi M........Missionary Assis't.....Rosebud, S.D.
Eagle, James......Interpreter.......Bismark, N.D.
Williams, Luther A.....Ranching..........Whitehorse, S.D.
Rouillard, Harriet.......Housekeeping.....Rosebud, S.D.