Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-04-30
ALASKA INDIANS.


was stationed in that country for several
years, "but from all can hear the oc-
cupation Of the land by increasing num-
bers Of white people has not had the eff
feet OF changing the customs of the
country, in some portions of it at least,
to any great extent. The Indians still
believe in evil spirits that inhabit the
water, hold their slaves secretly, prac-
tice polygamy, and retain all their social
and religious forms and ceremonies.
They have their sorcerers. repudiate all
relationship on the fathers side, and live
generally as they did under the rule Of
the Russian. There are mussels and
species Of fish in Alaska waters which
have strong and sometimes faral toxic
| qualities if eaten, which they frequently
are, Sickness always follows such indul-
gence, and it was no uncommon thing,
when l lived in Alaska, to see an entire
Kolosk village suffering from its effects.
It is this tradition upon which the belief
in evil spirits who live in the water and
spread sickness and disease among the
people is founded. They profess to hold
communication with these spirits through
their sorcerers, but they offer them no
sacrifices and use no means to propitiate
| them.
Marriage among these Indians is a
| peculiar institution; in fact, there is no
marriage-simply the taking of wives.
When young Indian wants wife he
goes to his mother and tells her SO. If
she gives her consent he goes to where
the lady of his heart is cooped up in her
fathers house, taking his next best
friend with him. Through the latter he
sends word to his inamorata that he is
near and would wed If she has a lean
4 ing toward the suitor she returns word
10 him by the friend that she is inclined
to join her interests with his. He then
takes presents to her and her parents,
and having delivered them enters at
once into the possession of his bride.
There are are no further ceremonies, ex-
cept that a day later the couple must
visit her relatives, and if she then has no
complaint to make to them about her
husband, they are given presents and the
wedding is over This may be repeated
Indefinitely, until an Indian may become
as well-to-do in wives as Mormon
elder. Polygamy was practiced even by
the so-callcd Christian tribes when ]
lived in the Territory, and their evolu-
tion must have been rapid, from what
remember Of them, if they have aban-
doned the practice.
ssDried salmon is the luxury Of the Al
askan Indians, and the children begin to
nibble it before they think of walking.
The way they bring up children out there
would hardly suit in this region. The
mother carries her child about from the
time it is born until it is able to creep,
| no matter where she goes. Until that
time she keeps it wrapped in a sort Of
fur sack. The moment the young one
shows disposition to crawl she yanks
the fur off Of it, and then begins the
building up Of its constitution. This is
done by giving it souse in the sea OF
river every morning, and the chorus Of
| yells that greets every village during the
interesting ceremony is something terrific.
The cries of the young ones are piteous,
and, for fear that their maternal breasts
might not be proof against these appeals
for mercy, and thus fail to do their duty
by their offspring, the mothers do moi
perform this bathing rite themselves, but
/ delegate some brother or sister to do the
dousing. These conscientious aunts and
uncles vary the switch with the bath, in
vain attempts to make the one overawe
the noisy results Of the other.
''There is one thing that is noticeable
among these half-civilized tribes, and is
creditable withal. Their old and dis,
abled members are carefully attended
! to, and orphans become common charge
and fare the same as the most favored
children with living parents. These Indi-
ans are original cremationists. Theirdead
4 are burned as soon as death ensues; theiI
ashes are inferred on the spot and a rude
monument erected over them. They
have crude ideas Of immortality, believ
ing that a man has spirit that lives for.
ever, but they know nothing Of future
rewards or punishments. Their HEAVIER
is a place where the spirits Of chiefs con
gregate in one place, the common people
by themselves, and slaves, if there are
any, have still another dwelling place,
unless chiefs slave should die with him,
and then his spirit will be in eternal at
tendance on his master. It was formerly
the universal custom to kill the slave
when the master died to insure the lat.
ter's spirit proper attendance. That
custom was abolished BY the Russian
government, but it was still kept up ii
isolated places, and cases where it has
been followed were well known as late al
| 1876.
"Some Of the Indian tribes, notably
the Kanaitze, travelling from place te
place hunting or fishing, have the yer,
excellent habit of leaving behind them
when they break camp quantity Of
kindlng material at each fireplace fol
the use Of the next travellers who come
along and who may possibly not be over
supplied with this very necessary item in
their outfit. This kindling consists d
some pine pitch and some dry moss and