of the white man without knowing his God; for invariably he
learns the vices and the crimes; and is in reality more of a heathen
than before.

Many are the villages of Indians in which the white man's _dance_ has
been introduced and is enjoyed much more than the native dance; it is
working much evil which is hard to uproot, for they say, "Is it not the
white man's way?--it must needs be all right."

The work among the older people is of course more limited than that done
in the schools. The age of study is with them past. The most
intellectual work of which they are capable is learning to read the
Bible; even this they cannot do in any other than the Dakota language.
It is impossible to teach an old man English that will ever mean much to
him. Our word "holy" could never mean what his own word "wakan" means;
our word "God" could never take the place of his "Wakantanka." His brain
would be so disturbed in his effort to learn and to comprehend our
difficult language, that when he had mastered the words, were it
possible, the sweet truth and the comfort would be all gone from him.
Any but a scholar must read the _Bible_ in his own language.

Thousands of Indians are learning Bible truths and are getting a little
light in the few years left them. They are learning a little of the way
of life, and receive the message with gladness. Spotted Bear, a
Christian Indian, said at the recent convention at Santee: "All we know
we have learned out of the Dakota Bible. Teach our children English, but
don't take from them and us the means of reading our own Bible."

James Garvey, another Indian, said: "Many can soon learn to read the
Dakota Bible; then they have a standard of morals and of interpretation;
for to get the real meaning of the English Bible, we go to the Dakota.
To make the best citizens you must Christianize the people, and to make
them Christians you must give them the Bible in their own tongue. All of
us have become white people through the gospel."

The little native churches of Dakota are most interesting illustrations
of the work going on among the Indians. It would be impossible to find
more attentive audiences. There is always an air of devotion, or of
serious attention to all that pertains to the service, which we are not
apt to find in our own churches. Men, women and children go; even the
babies are always taken. There is a quiet freedom there which allows the
Indian mothers to take the babies out and in agai