Louis Garcia P.O. Box 232 Tokio- 1 -, ND 58379 (701-294-3351)
A Message from Garcia
The History and Culture of the Spirit Lake Nation
By Louis Garcia © 5/10/2006
Message Number 20
Bdecan Presbyterian Church
A few of the Sisitun – Waĥpetun Dakota who settled here at Spirit Lake (Miniwakan
Oyanke) were originally members of ‘Farmer Bands’ at their old Upper Agency, what is
now Granite Falls, Minnesota. When war broke out in 1862, they fled mostly to Canada.
In 1867 word finally reached them of the establishment of a new agency here at Spirit
Lake. Upon arrival they discovered that other members of their bands resided at Lake
Traverse (Bdehdakinyan), in present-day north-eastern South Dakota, so they applied for
permission to settle there. The U.S.Government refused their request because of the great
disruption that would have been caused at Lake Traverse, a reservation with an
established population. With great remorse they settled down here at Spirit Lake and
busied themselves in building homes, farming, cutting wood, freighting supplies, hunting,
and trapping.
In December 1874, a man by the name of John Abraham or Oyesnamani (Walking
Rattling Track) wrote a letter printed in the Iapi Oaye (Word Carrier), a Dakota language
newspaper published at Santee, Nebraska. Abraham’s short letter relates a rather
favorable account of the conditions at the Devils Lake Agency. The next year Henry
Alberts or Ipageyamani (Walking Against) wrote a similar letter. In the summer of 1877
Abraham visited Rev. Charles Lemon Hall or Howaŝte (Good Voice), at Fort Berthold,
and asked for a Protestant missionary to come to Spirit Lake.
According to local tradition, in June 1878, a Sun Dance was being held in the area of
Mission Township section 31, and Woodlake Township section 6 just west of Heart Butte
(Miniwakan Cante Paha). The Rev. Louis Mazawakinyanna (Iron Thunder 1836 - ?), on
his way north to what is now the Birdtail Reserve in Manitoba visited this Sun Dance
camp and preached the word of God. For many it was the first time they heard one of
their fellow Dakota express his faith in Jesus Christ. The Sun Dance was being held to
ask for rain, as the area was in a drought. The camp was so destitute they had only six
crows to offer their guest for food during his stay.
In the early fall of 1879 Rev. John Eastman (Maĥpiyawakankidan = Sacred Cloud
Worshipper, 1849 - 1921) brother of the famous doctor and author Charles Eastman
(Ohiyes’a = Winner), came and baptized Tunkanpahmihma (Rolling a Holy Stone). With
the encouragement received from this visit, the Native Missionary Society appointed
Rev. Daniel Renville (Zitkannatawa = His own Bird 1840 - ?) to set up a station here. He
consented to go only if his congregation at Brownearth would agree to his release. This
they did and he arrived at Devils Lake (Spirit Lake) in December 1879 with his family.
He preceded to the home of Daniel Paul (DLS # 1168 1844-1911), the son of the famous
Little Paul or Mazakutemani (Walking Shooting a Gun). Rev. Renville assembled within
a short time 28 people at Mr. Paul’s home for services. With the help of two other local
residents – John Abraham, and Tunkanpahmihma, he set up a mission church in the hills
Louis Garcia P.O. Box 232 Tokio- 2 -, ND 58379 (701-294-3351)
west of Woodlake. Rev. Renville soon realizes his little flock is diminishing one by one.
Investigating he learned that a man by the name of Wakanhdimaza (Iron Lighting DLS#
122 1817-1895) reported to Indian Agent that a Protestant missionary was among the
people.
The winter of 1879-1880 was a very hard one, the cold and snow killed many horses and
cows, inducing the Agent to relieve the suffering with a small ration of food. As the
families lined up to receive their rations they were told that anyone who was a member of
Mr. Renville’s flock would not receive rations. Rev. Renville was asked to leave the
reservation by Indian Agent James McLaughlin (Iyohahinŝma = Snarled Hair about the
Mouth), on the grounds that the Ft. Totten Reservation had been assigned to the
Catholics. President Grant set up his Peace Policy with the tribes by assigning a single
Christian denomination to each reservation. Renville refused Agent McLaughlin’s
request because he was asked to come by the local people; also a severe winter was
setting in, making travel impossible. Rev. Renville was invited by Jacob Abraham to use
is summer home located in the hills west of Woodlake. Rev. Renville writes in the March
1880 edition of the Word Carrier “A big crowd reads the Bible, these people are brave.
They cannot receive their rations because they read the Bible”. Charlie Ironheart an exscout lives by Renville, along with four or five others attend church in the Abraham’s log
home.
In the spring of 1880, Rev. Renville returned to his church south of present Wilmont or
Milbank, South Dakota, named Brownearth (Makaģiyuzapi), to minister to his own
people. The famous Rev. Charles Hall (Howaŝte = Good Voice) traveled from his
Congregational mission at Fort Berthold to Devils Lake in the fall of 1880, and arranged
a meeting between Rev. Renville and Agent McLaughlin. As the wheels were moving in
Washington D.C. to change the policy of one religion to a reservation, Agent McLaughlin
agreed to help Rev. Daniel Renville in “anyway he could so long as he confined his
activities to teaching and preaching”. Rev. Renville was well liked by the local people
because he preached in the Dakota language and also taught them to read the Bible in
Dakota. Again he stayed over the winter, returning to Brownearth in the spring of 1881.
In mid-July 1881, Rev. Hall returned to the reservation and held services at the home of
Makannahunhunze (Making Sounds on the Ground) a former Soldier of Chief Waanatan
(Charger). In his sermon Rev. Hall asked them to build a church, Thomas Renville
interpreted this to the gathering. They began the next day to haul oak logs with oxen from
ten miles away, completing the task in three days. The following day they had a feast and
erected the walls of a small log chapel. The following week Rev. Hall accompanied by
Red Star and his wife Hill Woman traveled 80 miles to Jamestown (Itaziobaksa =Where
they cut wood for bows) and purchased lumber for the roof, windows and door. The
return trip was most arduous; the old oxen began to lag before the first day. Compounded
by no water along the trail except a puddle found the next day from which they made
coffee. Travel was so slow. With the chapel completed, Rev. C. L. Hall organized the
Bdecan (Woodlake) Church; installing Simon ShortLighting (WakanhdiPtecena) as elder.
Other members included Martha Yuhuzewin (Shake hands Woman – Mrs. Shortlighting),
Cannunpeŝa (Red Pipe), Lydia Kampeska (White Shell – Mrs. Red Pipe), Daniel Paul
Louis Garcia P.O. Box 232 Tokio- 3 -, ND 58379 (701-294-3351)
(Ŝunkawanzina = Lone Dog), Stephen Hepana (Second Born Boy), Josephine Pahawin
(Hill Woman), Henok Ticaģeŝni (Forbids Use of his House), Amos Howard
Dowannaĥonpi (They Hear His Song), Amos Wakankoyake (Sacred Garments), Frank
Catan (Fourth Born Boy), and George Maĥpiyawicaŝta (Skyman – paternal grandfather to
the Ironheart family). These twelve, and their families, are the founding members of the
Bdecan Church.
Rev. Hall returned to his mission at Fort Berthold. Rev. David Greycloud
(Tamaĥpiyaĥota, B. 1840 –D. 1890) next served as pastor until the fall, when Rev.
Renville returned. In the spring of 1883 William O. Rogers (Owancamaza = Metal All
Over) from Flandreau, South Dakota became the permanent pastor, serving until 1890.
Up until this time the Bdecan Church was of the Congregational faith. In 1883 a vote was
taken in which they were asked to chose between the Congregational and Presbyterian
faiths. They chose the later, and became Bdecan Ohdeptecena Wakan Okodakiciye or
Woodlake Presbyterian Church and received into Dakota Presbytery.
The congregation soon was more than the log church could hold. 1884 saw 19 members
of the church. 1885 the Indian agent reported two Presbyterian day schools, one at
Woodlake (Abrahams place) with Owancamaza (Rev. Rogers), and one at Raven Hill
with Wahinsa (Rev. John Flute 1851 - 1933), as teachers. Both day schools continued to
operate until 1897, with Rev. Samuel W. Hopkins (1854 - ?) and Rev. Coe (1867-1932)
as teachers.
In August 1886, the Rev. John P. Williamson began the erection of a wood-frame church
costing one thousand dollars, half of which was raised by the congregation. During
construction of the new church Chief Matocatka (Left Handed Bear), whose land
affronted the church donated five acres for a church cemetery. This frame church stood
until 1960 when it was dismantled and the lumber used to build a smaller church by the
Archie Redfox family and others.
1886 was a busy year for the Bdecan congregation, as their first Ptaya Owohdake
(Mission Meeting) was held on September 23-26. The Woodlake delegates were Rev.
W.O. Rogers, Amos Wakankoyake, Adam Cantemaza, Charles Dowannaĥonpi, Edward
Wicanĥpiduta, Joseph Hdinajin, Solomon Sunģi, Julia Winona, Isabel Pahawin, Jane
Tateyuhewin, Jane Nawaginapewin, and Julia Tapetawaŝtewin. It was decided at this
meeting to start a mission church on the western side of the Fort Totten Reservation to be
called Kanģipaha (Raven Hill) supplied by Rev. Samuel Hopkins.
In 1888, a special brass bell was cast in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, weighing 415 pounds
bearing the inscription “Ikcewicaŝta Owasin En Upo” (All the Common people Come
Here) on one side, and “Iyoyanpa Nihiyohipi”(Light has shined upon you all) on the
other.
In 1890 Rev. Rogers retired and was succeeded by Rev. Alfred Coe (1867 – 1932), from
the Yankton Dakota Reservation, a graduate of the Omaha Theological School. Rev. Coe
was stated supply to Woodlake and Raven Hill churches. He remained until 1898.
Louis Garcia P.O. Box 232 Tokio- 4 -, ND 58379 (701-294-3351)
This next 100 years is not finished yet.
The New Church
In 1999 Betty Linton an Elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Fargo, North Dakota
called Mrs. Albin (Sharon Redfox) Georgeson, Bdecan’s Christian education director to
inquire how the church and its members were doing. Mrs. Linton was given the Indian
name of Wakanmaniwin (Walking Sacredly Woman) by the Spirit Lake Tribe for her
previous work to improve relations between Indians and Non-Indians in the Fargo –
Moorhead area. Betty Linton learned of the struggles of the church, especially a desire for
a new building. First Presbyterian of Fargo discovered the needs of Bdecan right in their
backyard and immediately set to work. In May of 1999, Sharon, Albin, Louis and Hilda
Garcia traveled to Fargo for a planning meeting with representatives from Dakota
Presbytery (Rev. Enright Bighorn), Pastor Rick Raum, Associate Pastor Mary Holtey,
and Architect David Shultz. David as a youth worked at Bdecan in a summer program.
Fundraising for the Two Hundred Thousand Dollar project was begun immediately.
$150,000 was raised by First Presbyterian of Fargo for the new church, and the balance
obtained from the Presbytery of the Northern Plains and other churches in the Presbytery.
The new building was under construction by Alan Gleason Construction of Tolna, North
Dakota and completed by January 2002. The new church was dedicated on April 6th with
a service attended by about 100 people who represented Dakota and Northern Plains
Presbyteries, Synod of Lakes and Prairies and from the national office in Louisville,
Kentucky. Unfortunately Betty Linton was ill and couldn’t attend the dedication; she died
two months later at age 87. Without her efforts the church would not have been built.