 | Naming the Indians |  |
OVERNAMED RED-FACES.
Furthermore, faulty as the names of the old Indians are, the bad matter is rendered much worse when the off-reservation schools take it into their hands to rename the children that come in with names entirely different from those of the parents. In 1893 seven girls went from the Crow reservation to the industrial training school at Fort Shaw, Montana. In the first column below are the names of the girls when on the reservation; in the second column are the names recognized at Fort Shaw school:
- Clara Bull-knows. Clara Harrison.
- Beatrice Beads-on-ankle. Beatrice B. Hail.
- Katie Dreamer. (No change.)
- Lilian Bull-all-the-time. Lilian Bomfort (intended for Bompard).
- Susie Bear-lays-down-plenty (alias Crow). Susie Folsom.
- Minnie Reed. (No change.)
- Blanche Little-star. Blanche Brown.
I think no one will question that the names given the girls by the able and successful superintendent of Fort Shaw are better than the reservation names. It is also a satisfaction to know there are men in the Indian service who have correct tastes in this matter. But it should be borne in mind continually that tampering with their names will yet cause these children endless litigation, perhaps loss, when the question of inheritance of property comes up. When old Bull-all-the-time dies Lilian Bomfort must convince the court that she is his daughter and entitled to his land. The fact that she does not bear his name takes away the strongest evidence in her favor. The fact that at any time previous to marriage she bore any other name than his will at least complicate the case. Changes of names should originate on the reservations. The parents' names should be revised first.
| Naming the Indians | |