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the American Board.of Missions, ad the remaiuder by -our Indian 
young men and a few white persons in the country. 
No Dacota school has been kept up at this station. About a year 
since our female boarding school went intd operation. In conuexion 
with this, an English school has been kept up during the entire year. 
We have been fortunate in securing the services of Mrs. Annie Ackley, 
a good female teacher from Granville, Ohio, who reached this place 
in May last. This school, not intended to be large, has ranged from 
eight to ten during the year. As yet they have been chiefly half- 
breeds. There is more difficulty in obtaining full-blood Dacota girls 
than we anticipated. I have no doubt, however, we shall finally,suc- 
ceed. 
.Similar schools started on the part of the government would tend 
to popularize the effort. The small fields in this neighborhood, 
broken up last season by the teams of the department, have this year 
all been cultivated, and yielded good crops. 
Potatoes and corn have paid well for the labor here, which has not 
been the case in. some other parts of the reserve. 
There are other families here who have been exceedingly anxious to 
have prairie broken for them this season, and it is to be regretted that
the promises made them have not been fulfilled. In building houses 
they have made a, little progress, but not so much as I hoped. They 
heve, however, labored against many difficulties with but hittle help 
from -any source. It is very desirable that in this respect the govern- 
ment should give them encouragement and assistance in future. 
We congratulate ourselves and our Dacota friends on the formation 
of a new Dacota band, on the principle of education, labor and the 
adoption of the dress and hahit of white men. This we regard as the 
gatering up of our missionary efforts for the last twenty years. The 
present movement, resulting in the formation of a constitutional gov- 
ernment and an elected executive, has embodied -our teaching. We 
canot but rejoice in it. And we rejoice, moreover, that the new gov- 
ernment met with so much encouragement and co-operation on the 
part of the agent. It is a small beginning, but I regard it as the 
nucleus of an extensive movement in the right direction among the 
Dacotas. This band needs assistance/fr-6m government in various re-, 
spects, but especially in regard to education. 
Trusting that this help will be cordially and liberally extended to 
them in future, I remain yours, very truly, 
S. R. RIGGS. 
Dacota Indian Agent. 
No. 21. 
OFFICE SUPERINTFEN~T INDiAN ArFAIns, 
St. Louis, &pmber 25, 1856. 
im: In accordance with the requirements of the regulations and 
the usages of the department, I have the honor to submit the lfollow- 
ing as my annual report for the present year. 
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