The following story was contributed by Arlo Stray Calf Dawes, a friend whom I met through the Internet. It gives us a Native American's view of the 'final solution' imposed on our predecessors in this land.
Arlo's great-great grandfather, Chee lup Ish dush (The One With the Buffalo Bull's Vision) was assigned the name Robert Dawes by a teacher at an Indian school. It's most likely that he was not named after the heroic William Dawes who rode with Paul Revere; more likely, it was after Senator Henry Dawes. The Senator is definitely NOT regarded as a hero by Native Americans. He was author of the Dawes Act, which they saw as a naked land grab or worse. They are constantly reminded of the Senator, as their ancestry is often traced back through the "Dawes Rolls" that were a consequence of registering their population.
I wish I could share a peace pipe with Arlo. I'm honored that he has chosen to share this story in our pages.
For my children Marci, Shanna and Terrance
My name is Arlo Dawes, Gives Frequent Feasts, an enrolled tribal member, Crow Tribe, of the Crow Nation in Montana.
I thought I would share an interesting account from which my family was labeled with the last name of Dawes.
In 1887, circa, when the federal government made an effort to civilize the Indian, the government took Indian children from their homes and separated them from their families by force and against their will. About 18 miles north of now Hardin, Montana, there was an established boarding school called the Montana Industrial School Board Mission, AKA Bond's School. Within the Crow Indian reservation, at the time, there were six districts of which were at one time called "bands." The northern portion of the reservation was and is still known as the Blacklodge District. Children were taken to the established schools near their respective districts, and in this case, the children that lived within the Blacklodge District were taken to Bond's School.
According to my grandfather, there were nearly 20 Crow Indian students that were taken to that school, and needless to say, and there they cut off their braids; took their buckskins and moccasins off and had them put on the non-Indian clothing, with the hard leather shoes.
During the class session, the instructor asked the students what their names were (mind you, the children hardly spoke any English, much less understood the language, but they knew just enough to get by). I am told of the story my great-grandfathers (three of them) told:
(In the Crow) We knew what the teacher asked, in a sense, but we were not able to respond so fluently. I told the teacher that my name was Daw xup chiash. The teacher got mad at me and asked what my Christian name was, shook my head because I didn't have one. The teacher then turned to the other and asked what his name was, he told the teacher Bihli Shkoobay. The teacher turned to another and asked his name and he told the teacher Chee lup Ish dush. The teacher asked the others as well. (Note here that the names were all spoken in the Crow language) At first, the teacher got us to say our names in Crow again, so that the teacher might try to spell it in the English words. The teacher got so frustrated from our names that the teacher threw the writing utensil down and told us that we would have white man names for the head count.
Daw xup chiash, White Calf That Strays, was given the name Austin Wells. Bihli Shkoobay, Whirlpool, was given the name Charlie Smith. Chee lup Ish dush, The One With the Buffalo Bull's Vision, was given Robert Dawes.
The other students were also given first names, but last names you will see, just in the Blacklodge District, even today, are Jefferson, Lincoln, Adams, Laforge, Stewart, Anderson. Sound familiar?
Just because the teacher was not able to pronounce nor write their names as it sounded in the Crow, with the English language, the teacher gave them their names. These names were also recorded at the Indian Bureau as well.
Later Austin Wells would change his name to accommodate the non-Indian to Austin Stray Calf. Charlie Smith changed his name to Charlie Ten Bear. Robert Dawes left his name as was. I am a descendant of Robert Dawes, my father's great grandfather, my great-great grandfather.
I have a Crow name and I am in the process of changing my last name today, and I have three choices:
Arlo Stray Calf, Arlo Ten Bear, or Arlo Buffalo Bull's Vision.
Regardless, and I mean no offense to anyone, I am a believer of my race and tribe. If I were to carry on the name Dawes, which was the name from Senator Henry Dawes, it would be like a Jew bearing the last name of Hitler. Among Indian country, Senator Henry Dawes wanted to exterminate the Indians, and nearly succeeded, with smallpox infected blankets. My grandfather said that if the clans and bands of the Crow were brought together for a complete head count, at one time, would have totaled nearly 65,000. In 1914, the head count, when they were finally gathered like cattle and herded like sheep to the now area of the Crow Indian reservation, was 1,696 listed Crows.
I am sure that all of you are truly proud of your grassroots; me, I cannot bear the name of the one who nearly exterminated my blood.
Just a bit of history as was told from my grandfathers.
Gives Frequent Feasts
Arlo Stray Calf Dawes
A
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Arlo's great-great grandfather, Chee lup Ish dush (The One With the Buffalo Bull's Vision) was assigned the name Robert Dawes by a teacher at an Indian school. It's most likely that he was not named after the heroic William Dawes who rode with Paul Revere; more likely, it was after Senator Henry Dawes. The Senator is definitely NOT regarded as a hero by Native Americans. He was author of the Dawes Act, which they saw as a naked land grab or worse. They are constantly reminded of the Senator, as their ancestry is often traced back through the "Dawes Rolls" that were a consequence of registering their population.