Naming the Child

The following account of the proceedings and ceremonies of the Rosebud Sioux in naming a son born in 1915 to Hon. John H. Scriven, superintendent of the agency, is worthy of preservation not only because of the prominence of the Scriven family in South Dakota affairs but as well for its revelation of an ancient custom fast passing away among the Dakotas:*

During an Indian Fair held at Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota in 1915, a number of the Indian chiefs had gathered in one of the council tents to talk over times and smoke the pipe of peace. Each chief related some instance in which the Rosebud Sioux had taken a prominent part in the early days, and especially the manner in which the Rosebud Sioux had demonstrated their superiority, as a band, over other tribes. After many hours of listening to old-time stories and the passing and repassing of the pipe of peace, High Pipe, one of the most noted living Sioux Indians and a leading chief, arose and wrapping his fine colored blanket about his magnificent form walked to the center of the council tent, and by his proud and dignified manner at once showed that he had something important to say. Standing erect as a young pine, Chief High Pipe began:

"My brothers, we have gathered here today to enjoy ourselves and to meet our old-time friends, and talk over old time pleasures. We have spent many pleasant hours. Each of you has told of some great past event of the Rosebud Sioux. I now have something to say about an event of the present day and of which you are all aware.

"For a great many years the Good Father at Washington has placed a white man at the head of our tribe, to be our leader and to have charge of our land and other property, and to teach us the ways of the white brother so that we might become self-supporting and good citizens of the State of South Dakota. Different leaders have taken charge of our affairs and some were good leaders and some were not. Some leaders would come here and take us back many years into the old trails, with the idea of starting from the roughest and hardest part of the trail, and then taking a new and different trail, in the endeavor to lead us to the best path to success. Many leaders took us the wrong road and would soon be replaced in charge. Some leaders were bad men and as soon as our brothers found a bad leader they lost faith in him and refused to follow his orders.

"Two years ago our Father at Washington sent us a leader which made our leaders glad at heart, because they had known this man many years and had seen him walking over our land with a large stick measuring, our land and putting posts in the ground so that each of our brothers would know where to build his house and put up a fence. "I say this made the heart of our brothers glad, and when the new leader picked out a trail for us to follow he did not take us back to the old rough trails, but took up the trail where the last man had left us. We have not traveled a very long distance under our new leader, but the trail has become much easier and all our brothers seem to feel that we are now nearer to the easy and smooth road of living than ever before, and I say our hearts are glad.

"You all know that when a baby boy is born to a great chief of the Sioux the other chiefs gather together as we did today, and talk over the old-times and smoke the great pipe of peace. And then the best friend of the chief who has the new baby, will make a talk and name the baby. Our leader today has a new baby, three days old, and I am a great friend of our leading chief. I feel that I should make a name for this new baby, and I hope my brothers will help me and be pleased with the name I think best.

"We had one great chief named Spotted Tail (at the mention of the name of Spotted Tail the pipe of peace was passed to High Pipe and he with great ceremony lighted the pipe, blew a few puffs of smoke, and passed the pipe to the next chief the pipe being passed to each chief in turn. This next chief who also blew a few puffs and passed the pipe to the next chief the pipe being passed to each chief in turn. This is the manner in which the Indians pay homage to a great name spoken) and in trying to decide a name for this new baby my heart would be near many of our dead chiefs. But Spotted Tail (again the pipe was lighted and passed around) was a great fighter and while it was right to fight in the old days, our good Father at Washington now wants us to do all our business in a peaceable manner, and for that reason the name of our great chief would not do. Another one of our great chiefs was not a friend of the white people you all know him (the name was not spoken) and that name would not do. I thought of another great name, but one time the Good Father punished him, and I do not think that name would do. But here is what my tongue tells when in the old days one of our brothers did a great thing, we would name his first baby boy so that all our children would remember what the father of the boy did, and now I say that the father- of this new baby has made us a good leader and I call this baby, "Good Leader."

"At once the chiefs in council answered, "How, How, How" and the pipe was again passed to High Pipe, who, after lighting, blew three puffs of smoke and passed the pipe to the next chief, and in this manner the pipe went the rounds. "After the pipe had again been placed on the council hide, Goes To War arose, and with the same dignity assumed by all leading chiefs, walked to the middle of the council tent and began:

"My brothers, you have listened to a long story told by Chief Pipe and what he said we know to be true and our hearts are glad today, and when our hearts are glad we feel like, doing something good. This pipe which makes us brothers and which is our promise to help and stick to each other, was given me by one of the greatest chiefs of the Sioux and before he died he told me that this pipe was the best friend the Rosebud Sioux ever had and it should be given to someone who would always be a good friend and be always kept by a friend because it has been such a friend to our brothers.

"Now brothers, we have named this new baby boy Good Leader and for him to be a good leader he must have many friends, and as I promised that this pipe should always be in the hands of a friend to our brothers, my heart tells me to give this pipe to Good Leader to help him to be our friend.' "The chiefs again responded with that greeting "How, How, How." The pipe was passed to Goes to War, and with the same solemnity as shown by High Pipe, Goes to War lighted the pipe, blew three puffs of promise, and again the pipe went from one chief to the other.

"Spotted Owl, who was recognized as the chief in charge, he being the oldest chief, spoke and said that as the council had done some wise things the people should be informed; and appointed Goes to War to ride to each camp and proclaim the name of the new baby and tell the people that Good Leader would be the keeper of the pipe of peace, to keep and protect it until passed along to the next great leader. Spotted Owl also said that the chiefs should go to the Agent's home and see Good Leader and present him with the pipe of peace. "Goes To War mounted his horse, (the horse being decorated with fine beaded and quill work, while Goes To War wore his most gorgeous costume of buckskin and headdress of feathers.) 'Riding from camp to camp, Goes to War, with all the dignity of a great orator, spoke from his horse:

"My brothers, I come to tell you what great things the council of chiefs did today. Our Agent has a new baby boy three days old and because our Agent has been a good leader, your chiefs have named the new baby Good Leader, and we will give to Good Leader the greatest friend of the Rosebud Sioux, the pipe of peace, to help him to be our friend. You must tell all your brothers about what great things the council did today."

"The day after the Indian fair closed, eight of the leading chiefs appeared at the Agent's house to present the pips of peace to Good Leader, and the pipe was placed near the baby, while each chief passed by, and each chief touched the left hand of the baby to indicate that their wish was, that as the left hand would hold the pipe of peace so should the left hand ever be raised to keep peace.

"This pipe of peace belonged to Iron Shell, an Indian Chief, who secured it in 1825 in a fight with another Indian, the victor to become the leading chief and to have the pipe of peace. At the death of Iron Shell the pipe was presented to Spotted Tail; and after Spotted Tail was killed the pipe came to Two Strike, who after becoming too old and feeble to carry on the work of chief, presented the pipe to Hollow Horn Bear, who until his death in Washington about one year ago, was recognized as the leading chief of the Sioux. This pipe has figured in all the great Sioux treaties since 1825 and has been smoked by General Harney, General Crook and General Miles, and was the pipe used in the treaty after the Custer Massacre, also during the Council of the Black Hills treaty.

"Mr. John H. Scriven, superintendent of the Rosebud Indian Agency was a prominent citizen of Mitchell up to the time of his appointment as allotting agent at Rosebud, and having finished the allotment work, and having become so well acquainted with every quarter-section of land on the reservation and the ways of the Indians, he was appointed Superintendent when the allotment work was finished. "Mr. Scriven is justly proud of the good feeling of the Indians in naming his new son, and especially the great distinction of making the baby keeper of the pipe of peace."

Footnote:

*Mr. Scriven says: "I am sending- the articles as printed in the Mitchell Daily Republican about the whole affair. You may have seen this write up for it was first published in a Valentine paper after which I saw it in more than a dozen Indian papers besides also seeing- it in papers published as far east as Illinois. I never did learn who wrote the article but always suspected Clement Whirlwind Soldier, who graduated at Carlisle, Penn."