THE
CHEM AW A
AM ERICAN
5
W IL D W EST S H O W S
B Y C IIA U N C Y Y E L L O W R O B E , /« the Quarterly Journal o f Z'he So
ciety o f Am erican Indians
E A R S ago some Indian chiefs w ent to see the “ G reat
F a th e r,” and w hile they were in the city, an old arm y
officer who used to fight these w arriors on th e plains
in the west invited them to d in n er and told of his e x
periences on the old frontier. O ne of the chiefs, who
had no experience in table m anners, im itated the old
officer by eating w hatever he saw the general eating.
T he general took some horse radish and spread it over his m eat. T he
chief did likewise and, after testin g a spoonful of it, h u n g his head and
shed tears. T h e general saw his m isery and asked, “ Mv friend, why are
you crying?” T h e chief replied, “ My friend, I am th in k in g of how
you and I used to fight each other on th e plains and when I rem em ber
how my brother was nearly killed on the battle field it makes my
tears com e.”
I feel like the Indian chiefs in th is case when I see th e old h u n tin g
and battle grounds of our forefathers, in which now civilization has taken
place; b u t I do not come before you to -night w ith th e intention of declar
ing a Sioux outbreak on the frontier settlem ent or to stir up a strife, but
wish to call your attention to the evil and d eg rad in g influence of com
m ercializing the Indian before the w orld. T h e solution of th is question
is now in the hanus of the G overnm ent.
It is now m ore than four centuries ago since C olum bus came to our
shores and claimed the country and gave us the nam e of Indians, and at
the same tim e inau g u rated the first In d ian show bv im p o rtin g some of
the Ind ian s across th e w ater for exhibition before the Spanish throne,
and to-day the practice continues to exist in the w ild-w est shows.
Some tim e ago, Ju d g e Sells, the U nited States Com m issioner of Indian
Affairs, said: “ Let us save the A m erican In d ian from the curse of w his
k e y .” I believe these w ords hold th e key to the Indian problem of to
day.
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In some of the celebrations, conventions, and county fairs in Rapid
C ity and other reservation border tow ns, in order to m ake the attraction
a success, they th in k they cannot do w ithout w ild-w est In d ian show s,
consequently certain citizens have th e Indian show craze. In fact, the
South D akota S tate F airs always have largely consisted of these shows.
W e can see from th is state of affairs th a t the w hite m an is persistently
p erp etu atin g th e tribal habits and custom s, W e see the show m an is
m an u factu rin g th e Indian plays intended to am use and in stru ct young