Albert Blaine, Jr.

Albert was a Nakota Sioux man of the Middle Yankton Nakota Sioux, Yankton Sioux Tribe aka “Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate” ("Dwellers at the End")

The Yankton along with the Yanktonai make up the Western Dakota division of the Dakota People. Although the Yankton and Yanktonai sometimes considered themselves to be one people, their separate locations resulted in a unique history for each.

The Yanktons were present at the 1851 Treaty Council (See “Treaties and Wars” in Teton Sioux). However, the pivotal treaty for the nation came in 1858 in which Charles Picotte, signing as the people’s legal representative—a representation disputed by many members, ceded all lands in exchange for the Yankton Reservation in South Dakota and formalized their role as caretakers of the Pipestone Quarry. The latter would not be clarified, at least legally, until 1929. In 1859, the people would start campaigning for the annuities and school that was also promised in that treaty.

In 1878, some Yankton Sioux began moving to farms in anticipation of the coming severing of the reservations into private allotments. By 1980, 1,481 Yanktons took allotments, and four years later, the remaining allotments were sold to whites—about half of the reservation.

The Buffalo Plains (cropped). Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952), Photo © 2001 Northwestern University Library, Edward S. Curtis’s ‘The North American Indian’: the Photographic Images.
Source: Townsend, Kristopher K. “The Yankton Sioux.” Discover Lewis & Clark, 5 Apr. 2021, lewis-clark.org/native-nations/siouan-peoples/yanktons/. Accessed 24 July 2024.

1872 Plat of Yankton Sioux Pipestone Reservation held by the National Park Service.

Nicollet's 1843 Map of the upper Mississippi basin was used to draft the Treaty Traverse des Sioux as it identified tribal lands. Drafters of the treaty assumed the Big Sioux River was a geographical boundary for the Yankton when they could walk across it to their quarry at Pipestone.

Pipestone National Monument is sacred to many American Indian tribes, who quarry and carve its red pipestone for prayer ceremonies.

Further Reading:
1. Pipestone Indian Shrine Association in cooperation with the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. “Pipestone NM: History (Table of Contents).” Www.nps.gov, 5 Feb. 2005, www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/pipe2/contents.htm. Accessed 24 July 2024.

Biography:
Albert Blaine was born c. 1919 to Albert O. Blaine, an Indian who had just spent two years in Military Service, and an unknown mother. He had one sibling, a sister named Edith six (6) years his junior.

In her book Vanished in Hiawatha, Carla Joinson states that Ablert was a Sioux Indian, admitted to Canton by the Yankton Agency on May 1, 1928, and was diagnosed with imbecility, revised to mental deficiency, probably without psychosis (Psychosis refers to a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality. During an episode of psychosis, a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disrupted and they may have difficulty recognizing what is real and what is not.)

Albert Blaiine became the cause celeb when, in 1933, The Bureau of Indian Affairs attempted to close the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians. Due to his age, several arguments made by locals around not closing the institution cited Albert as, by the following example, referred to him:

• Regarding the age of Albert Blaine who was "Admitted as a child at age 9. "Guardianship"(?) under G.J.Moen, head of the Canton Chamber of Commerce, who in 1933 engineered, with Hummer's apparent participation, an injunction to prevent the transfer to St. Elizabeths, died from a fall in January 1942. Silk served with an injunction issued by the District Court Sioux Falls, SD. The order restrained Collier, Hummer, and Silk from proceeding further with the removal of Albert Blaine Jr., and any other patients at Canton..."all left Canton on the evening of September 26, arriving in Washington, D.C. on the morning of the 28th." In December, the District Court of the United States for the District of South Dakota, Southern Division, issued an order dismissing the complaint of G. J. Moen, guardian(?)."

When the Canton Asylum was closed, Albert Blaine was transferred to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington D.C. on December 22, 1933. He was shown to be a patient there in the 1940 census of St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

It appears that Albert died at St. Elizabeths due to a fall, his death was either confirmed or reported in the December 7, 1941 edition of the Washington Evening Star, the local newspaper.

His profile is part of the The Canton Asylum One Place Study.

Research Notes:
-The partners of Albert O. Blaine are listed as partners because there is no record found yet that identifies them as wives. I have not identified Ruth Bear as mother of Albert Jr. because there is no census that lists the relationship that way. The partners of Al;bert O. Blaine are speculative based on a single entry from FamilySearch for his purported sister Melissa without sources.
-The numerous entries on FS for Albert Blaine and his Military Service1917-1919 for Albert Blaine are for his father Albert O. Blaine
-The 1931 Yankton census is supplemental, no entries for Albert
-Albert O, father, was NOT in the 1919 Yankton census
-In September of 1933, Dr. Samuel Silk was sent to the Canton Asylum to close it on instructions from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Many attempts were made locally to intervene...on of which involved Albert Blaire and his young age. Following are extracts from two letters dated September 23-25, 1933, and October 3, 1933, by Dr. Silk...with reference to Albert Blaine

• All necessary details were completed and we were in readiness for the move, when on Saturday afternoon, September 23, at about 2:30 o'clock, I was served with an injunction issued by Justice James D. Elliott, of the U. S. District Court, Sioux Falls, S.D. The court order restrained John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the U. S., Harry R. Hummer, Superintendent of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians, and Samuel A. Silk, their agents and employees, and all persons acting for and on their behalf, from proceeding further with the removal of Albert Blaine, Jr., and any other patients at Canton, S. D...
• There is, of course, little doubt that Dr. Hummer knew all about the injunction. On Saturday morning Dr. Hummer gave the name of Albert Blaine, Jr. to someone over the outside wire, stating that Blaine was a Sioux Indian and that he came from Yankton, South Dakota, Agency. I then anticipated some legal action perhaps on the basis that this patient was committed to Canton and could not be moved, but examination of the patient's file failed to indicate that there had been any legal inquiry, that he had a guardian, or that anybody had complained against his removal from Canton. It may be added that very few patients are being visited by relatives at that institution; during my three weeks stay at Canton, only three patients were visited.
• he (Dr. Hummer) was in Sioux Falls all day yesterday & only this morning I heard him give the name of the patient Albert Blaine to someone over the phone.
• Among the 15 other allegations in Mr Moen’s petition the following points are stressed :
• That the asylum was established by Congress, that it is maintained by a specific appropriation, which is to last until June 30 – 1934, that the Commissioner is diverting such friends for transportation of Albert Blaine and others to St. Elizabeths; that St. Elizabeths has no right to receive such patients; that Albert Blaine and others are in helpless conditions and would be deprived of visits from friends or relatives the latter being poor and unable to meet the expense of a journey to Washington; that Albert Blaine & others are being moved against their wishes as well as against wishes of their relatives; that the Commissioner has no power or authority either by law or otherwise to arbitrarily without Congressional investigation ad without an act of Congress, close such institution, that no present emergency exists whereby the said institution should be abolished, etc. etc.

-Of the total number of patients over the years, only 9 had paperwork of file providing legal committment to the Canton Asylum, Albert Blaine was NOT one of those
__________
Sources:

1920 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W3YB-ZL6Z : Sat Mar 09 20:25:52 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, 1920, pg. 501/6058, line 147 (born 8.22.1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency

1921 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7ZMJ-JDN2 : Fri Mar 08 00:22:13 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blain, 1921, pg. 103/812, line 151 (b=8.22.1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, S.D.

1922 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGTR-3X47 : Wed Mar 06 08:14:28 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blain, 1922, pg. 284/812, line 153 (b=8.22.1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, SD

1923 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WQQC-LVZM : Sat Mar 09 16:50:35 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blain, 1923, pg. 416/812, line 157 (b=8.22.1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, SD

1924 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2W-GC6S : Sat Mar 09 00:06:39 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Jr Blaine, pg. 611/812, line 155 (b=8.22.1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, SD

1925 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGT8-1WCT : Wed Mar 06 02:11:41 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, 1925, pg. 15/651, line 165 (b=8.22.1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, SD

1926 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W7TX-P52M : Thu Mar 07 04:28:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, pg. 225/651, line 53 (born 1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, S.D.

1927 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WWW4-S4T2 : Sat Mar 09 06:27:18 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, pg. 444/651, line 161 (b=1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Indian Agency, S.D.

1928 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4JBW-F7PZ : Sun Mar 10 00:45:16 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, 1928, pg. 16/579, line 159 (b=1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, S.D.

1929 Jun 15 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4J13-T8W2 : Sun Mar 10 01:52:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, 1928, pg. 415/579, line 159 (b=1919), census of the Yankton Sioux Indians, Yankton Agency, S.D.

1930 Apr 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll688unit/page/n170/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 171/490, line 171 (age 11), census of the Yankton Reservation, Yankton jurisdiction

1934 Apr 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4JKP-HYMM : Thu Mar 07 11:49:01 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, 1934, pg. 588/785, line 186 (age 15, 5/8 blood), census of the Yankton Reservation, Rosebud jurisdiction

1937 Jan 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPJN-CG33 : Mon Jul 15 01:06:26 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Jr Blaine, 1937, pg. 658/925, line 187 (age 18 Head), census of the Yankton Reservation, Rosebud jurisdiction

1940 Apr 3 - "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K733-928 : Sun Mar 10 18:26:15 UTC 2024), Entry for Albert Blaine, 1940, pg. 89/987, line 11 (age 21 fm Rosebud, Todd County), census of District Enumerationn Number: 1-462 Police Precinct 11 (Tract 96), District of Columbia, St. Elizabeth's Hospital

1942 Jan 7 - Humanities, National Endowment for the. “Evening Star. [Volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, January 07, 1942, Page B-2, Image 25, "Deaths Reported".” Chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, 7 Jan. 1942, p. B, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1942-01-07/ed-1/seq-25/. Accessed 23 July 2024 @ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1942-01-07/ed-1/...

The Washington Evening Star, January 7, 1942 Page B-2