New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-06
CONDITION OF THE ALASKAN INDIANS.
A STORY OF oUTRAGEs ON THE SEAL IsLANDs
WITH THE NATIVES.

WITH HE NAii'Hp'
Washington Dec 5 (Specian.-A we'll known genue-
man. who has passed several travelling ana co-
lecting in Alaska, asked apropos OF senator
pawes's resolution adopted by the Senate this af'er'
noon providing for an investigation OF charges al
fecting the status of the Alaska Indians wha'
the real social condition OF these Indians ana Aleu-
fans was He said that the :" stories as pubiisheu
we're sadly confused-that the statements Oh MiS' y,
Il Voorhees, was made in reference to the condiuon Vi
tho Indian women and girls OF the Skan region alone
and no, Of the Aleuts whom she never saw or came
within seven hundred eight hundred miles OF seeing
Mrs voorhees, is right in saying that the lhiio anu
she specifies exists among the humans '"
the sitkan archipelago and the British Columbia coast
sic is wrong in thinking It worse than 1t has Deeh az
any time during the last twenty years at least sho
f. also wrong I'm saying that these Indians arc out
raged-undcr the present order of affairs up there
simply wrong because these natives have regularly
sold their wives and daughters to miners, traders,
and transient white travellers ever since
the opening OF the Stickeen and Frazer
River gold mines in 1S59'62. This has
been their habit and custom without specia soncr
tation AZ a rule, from the whites.
If an Indian mother father Offers to sell a
daughter to a miner and the bargain is made, these
parents together with the daughter never icei out
RACED Only when the white man fails TO make pay
ment Is IT that any Indignation Is exhibited or feit
Since this is the universal custom Of these natives
what can we do to stop It? These Indians have
always assaed the missionaries when ever they have
interfered except I'm the case OF very young gris'
They have no such idea Of chastity as we have they
have no word IN their tongue to express II. The
girl IS sold TO her husband as they eau her owner
or master she belongs 10 him body ana soul
and he c2n do what he pleascs with her and
she seldom objects; as rule she never
objects. l saw whole canoe loads OF stckeen
and Hydah Indians land at Victoria, in 1853
ol-
from the Alaskan regions and. at once and openly
barter their wives and daughters away to scores OF
miners and other whites who came down for the
purpose of picking out women 10 live with during inc
winter. They doing the same thing to-day up
there that IS all there is about IT, 1t IS shameful
and these white men. who generally known In
that region 'squaw men, are usually the meanest
type of low-down individuals; there arc good many
of them, however.
Tho story of the Aleutian slavery and debauching
as printed in The sun yesterday is simply untrue and
when the author of is compelled to come before the
committee row investigating kindred subject, he VIII
acknowledge HIS dishonesty. An Aleut Is as DIFF
fcrcnt from an Indian the latter is different from
a Chinaman These people not chasto to any
very great extent, but they have notable examples oil
and women in every settlement who VIII not ior
any consideration debauch themselves or their chill
dren. DissOlute women, however, cannot be very
we'll suppressed since the custom OF the vrlu0us ana
correct Aleut.an women up there Is 10 meet thenl on
fern, Terms s 0i 5s b SSy In the best of families at
church In their crowded tea parties where the en-
tire Village often assembled some house or hut.
was told that this the order of the Greek Church for
these natives all members in good standing and
have been for the last 100 years. . ,
II this story Of Aledan ourages on the Seal
Islands is true, then the sworn testimony of the
special agents Of the Government during the last ten
years is false and per1urcd. don't believe men like
Harrison T. Otis OF Los Angeles, California; H. A.
special Agent are liars and perurcrs, they must
be II this article in The sum is true. On the con
l..t, u hem IN he hnpf Of
roorbsck. Nothing OF the sort or family like It was
i'm operation while l was up there from 1872 to 1876