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Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives
Newspaper Page Text
grown the seating capacity of any ordinary sized church was com pelled, years ago, to invest in a large sssembly tent for its own accommodation. Around this as a center, the tents are set up in a large circle, which forms a very picturesque scene when they are all lighted in the evening. The developement of extensive agriculture interests in the late years on the eastern reservations, with large harvests to be taken care of in August, has recently added the new feature of a "Spe cial train" to conference contin gencies. Many of the delegates now cannot afford to take the time they used to spend in driv ing overland to attend the con ference. Not to be wearisome with a long list of the minor details let us sum up what all this means! Where can one find a hundred men on the Pine Ridge who will go over to Oelricks, the railroad depot, with their teams, to afford transportation for those arriving by rail? The majority of them have neither tents nor blankets what about tent hospitalities for five days? But greatest of all problems to solve is the provid ing of sufficient food- There is but one answer to all these questions and many others that space will not permit us to THE OGLALA LIGHT. suggest it is, 'See the Committee' For months they have been hold* ing stated and regular meetings. All these matters and difficulties have been exhaustively discussed and organization into numerous sub-committees has been pushed out in many directions, The un initiated can have little idea how successfully these Dakotas can carry on a large encampment. It is really remarkable to note how little confusion takes place, and how many camp comforts and little conveniences are enjoyed by the guests. Here then is a skeleton outline of a few of the details that are to be considered in preparing for a Sioux Conference. It is a large gathering of Dakota people, is ar ranged by them, for their own in* dividual benefit as a nation, and is entirely carried on in their own language, the main address es being delivered by their own leaders. We occassionally have the op portunity of hearing severe criti cisms in regard to the advisabili ty of holding such gatherings. But upon investigation we usual ly discover that these remarks originate from sources where there has been no effort made to learn what the conference really is, and the conditions that de mand its continuance. Not even