The statistics of the Dakota Mission, as thus defined, show 7 stations, 6 ordained missionaries, 26 assistant missionaries, 13 churches, 12 native pastors and preachers, 9 native teachers, and 847 church members, contributing during the past year $779.83 for their own missions among the heathen Indians, and $1,080.58 for pastoral support and church expenses.
Of this there now passes directly to the care of the American Missionary Association 5 stations, with also an interest in the Native Missionary field at Devil’s Lake, 4 ordained missionaries, 21 assistant missionaries, 2 churches, Pilgrim Church at Santee and Shiloh Church at the Sully Station, with 8 native preachers, 5 native teachers, and a church membership of 194.
As has been noticed, the organization of the work from the first has been on the Presbyterian model, and thus the fruits of the mission have mostly gone into the Presbyterian connection. The church at the Fort Sully Station was an exception. It was organized as a Congregational church. Nevertheless, this Presbyterian cast, this whole native force, is to be considered as one, and will be used by whichever denomination is ready to prosecute the work most vigorously, for the denominationalism of these churches is not of a radical type, as is instanced by the recent change of ecclesiastical relations on the part of the Pilgrim Church at Santee. This is the original mother church, but in order to come into closer and more sympathetic relations with the churches that support the Santee Training School, it voted cheerfully and almost unanimously to leave Presbytery and become Congregational. Indeed this is not hard for them to do, for Indians are naturally very democratic.
In the work that may now be done for this people, SANTEE NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL must be an important factor. It has vital relation to all these native churches, and it has a name among the heathen communities. Its growth has been slow, for it has taken time and work to instil the idea of a higher education into the minds of the people. Henceforth its growth might be rapid. It now has one hundred and one pupils in attendance, with seventeen instructors, including those in charge of the industrial and boarding departments. This winter a number of pupils have been turned away for lack of room. If accommodations could be provided, the number of pupils might soon be doubled.