Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-04
GOOD INDIANS OF ALASKA.
A Race of Red Men that Furnishes a
Contrast to the Sioux and Cheyennes.

From the 50. Paul Pioneer Press
The cOld-blOoded maxim that the "only
good Indians are dead Indians" does not
apply to the natives OF Alaska. What
ever NAV be truly or enormously stated
Of the tribes east OF the Rocky mountains
mas small significance with respect to the
jewellers on the west side. The great
continental divide seems to have segre-
gated traits and characteristics as effect
ually as 1t has separated climates and in
diVenous products. AS a whole the
Indians Of Alaska. both of the coast and
OF the interior, as far as known, are
normally, peaceable, tractabe, intelli-
gent, cleanly, eager to learn, useful. and
| Industrious to a degree unknown else
where among the abOrIginies Of America
| The general statement. however. is sub
! ject to some qualification, inasmuch as
| here are a good many different tribes
| ten at least on the coast, and perhaps as
many more In the interior-whOa are mani
testify of divers origins, and of course
differ variOusly in respect to the merito-
rlOuS attributes accorded to them. Some
are very sOyenly ana semi-barbarous.
while others have attained a degree of
civilization which compares favOrablv
with the status OF Caucasian cOmmuni-
ties. The great majority Of all the people
dress wholly or Partially in the costume
of the whites. and in the towns where
there are shops and stores the women
affect even the latest fashions in frOcks
and headgear. In complexion they are
olive rather than red, not unlike a sea-
faring man or a worker on a farm: and
manv of the men wear boards. HOn. Jas
q. Swan, correspondent of the smith
soniau Institution at Port Townsend,
Wash, who has made a special study Of
Pacific coast ethnolOgy, thinks the whole
population up to the Arctic belt have a
com mon origin among the Aztecs, aud at
tempts to establish this position by de-
mOnstrating an identity of many generic
words common to both languages, and by
similarity of features, implements, handi-
work, carvings, and religious emblems
and ceremonies. One strong cOrrObora-
tive coincidence rests on some old-time
silver idols, which are quite identical in
size, feature and figure with the Chiriqui
idols Of the lsthmus of Panama. Can't
Beardslee. u. ;. N, who has likewise care
fully investigated the subject, sustains
MIR. Swan so far as respects the
tribe of Hydahs, who are exclusive occu-
pants OF Queen Charlotte's island, in lati-
tude 81 deg, but regards all other coast
tribes as of Asiatic origin. He thinks the
Hydahs were driven north by COrteZ dur
ing the Spanish invasion.
Dramatically opposite is Mr.. Newton
II. Crittenden, Of tue Vest Shire Mdqa-
CINE, published at Portland, Ore, VINO
Infers from incidental evidences that the
Hydahs are castaways from Eastern ASIA,
who. first reaching the islands of southern
Alaska, soon took aud held possession OF
the Queen Charlotte group.
one thing is certain, namely, that this
remarkable tribe have physical and intel
lasHT sal anfp all =
north coast Indians, while marked con-
trasts in the structure OF heir language
denote different origin. They are OF fine
stature, with exceptionally well developed
chests and arms, high fOreheads, ana
lighter complexion than any other North
American Indians. These people are en-.
gaged in the manufacture oil FISH oil on
large and scientific scale, aud they have
Protestant mission and trading post.
II is proper TO state that this tribe
10 attached 10 British Columbia and
NOS 10 Alaska, being situated
short distance south of the Alaskan
boundary; and It is equally proper TO
credit their enVlRble condition 10 the wise
policy pursued by the British government
IN cultiyatlng friendly relations with them
aud providing them with employments
suited 20 their inclinations aud tastes.
TIE United States has not always been
tQuhlly fortunate IN lts dealings with the
abOrigines, although there are signal in
stances Of industrial development among
our Eastern reservations which have
reached high state OF civilization.
In writing Of the Indians Of the Pacific
coast 1t Is not easy 10 segregate the tribes
Of Alaska as distinct from tue others, for
all OF them have many traits, customs,
peculiarities aud occupations Ia common,
and some are intermiXed by marriage. II
is true, however, that tue inhabitants OF
our new possession are much more de-
graded and generally demoralized than
those OF British Columbia, whatever they
may have been under the Muscovite oc-
cupaton. Dawsnn's book, entitled.
"lndian Tribes OF British COlumhia.r
giyes very correct idea Of The present
status OF the British Indians. While
the Russians held possession Of ALASKA
they also exercised a conservative and
fostering care over their wards under "a
similar policy and system; but since the
American succession the Indians have
been LETT without visible control or guild
auce, ana their course has been miserably
downward. For seventeen years their
women have been the special prey Of a
large floating population, aud bOtn sexes
suffer q great deal from resulting maln-
dies and consumption aud manY are blind.
Oid axe is rare. and ell look old al 90.
The Russians built everything In a most