Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-09-13
ABOUT ALASKA.

The Inhabitants of the Icy Land Are
Proud to Be Called Americans.
Christianity and civilization, as we under
stand these terms, are not making much
Roadway in our icy possessions in Alaska. A
six months trip over this meagerly known
part of the world has convinced Mr.. Herbert
Aldrich. now a resident of Baltimore, that
our brother, the Alaskan Esquimau, has a
great deal to learn from his American COM
patriots to whom Russia sold this costly
province for a big lump Of gold nearly a
score of years ago. The Alaskans from what
Mr. Aldrich saw of them, are decidedly inter-
esting race. In social peculiarities, modes
and habits of life, they differ in no material
respect from their next door neighbor, the
Siberian, who inhabits the northeastern part
of Asia. Except in language-and in this
the difference is not great-they may be
looked upon as almost one people. :
Though living under different governments,
the Alaskan owing allegiance to the United
States and the Siberian to the autocrat of
all Russias, both have the highest admira-
ton for the Americans, and the most lively
detestation of the Russians This aversion
may be traced in great measure to business
reasons The American merchant deals lib
orally with the Esquimaux, while the russian
trader, who seldom comes among them,
squeezes them hard whenever opportunity
offers On board the trading vessels where
the Alaskans and Siberians frequently meet,
the captains are often appealed to to settle
quarrels between them as to their claims OF
nationality. Both are anxious to be consid-
cred Americans, and often the commanders
of the ships have hard time to convince the
inhabitant of the other side of the strait that
he is a subject of the car and not under the
protection of the Stars and Stripes. The de-
cision is invariably received with sorrow by
the hoored contestant, who, to the last, claims
to be an American.
The Alaskans, as well as their brethren on
the Siberian borders, are indeed a peculiar
people Their religious institutions, if such
they may be called, have no resemblance to
those of any other semi-civilized race. Their
whole deology is comprised in good and an
evil spirit. The good spirit they do not wor-
ship. Being good, they know he will not
trouble them, and invocations to him are
considered a vanity of vanities. To appease
the evil spirit, however, is their constant
care, and to him their alterations are ad-
dressed. They do not worship in temples
made by human hands, and it is in the open
air that their few incantations are offered to
propitiate the evil deity. The name by
which the good spirit is known is the same
as that of the mastodon, remains of which
are found in abundance in the northwestern
part of Alaska as well as on the borders of
Siberia. Why this is thus, the Esquimaux
of the present day knoweth not But this
coincidence of names suggests that per-
haps, away back in the ages, the race wor-
SHIPPED the mastodon as the personiffca-
ton of strength and power and as the source
of all good in the physical world.
In the mythology of other nations some
thing akin to this may be found. Though
the worship of the mastodon has ceased, the
similarity of names remains. What lends
color to this supposition is strange practice
which prevails almost universally in the
remote sections of the country. Every Es-
ouimau ito the manner born" considers it his
religious duty to wear near each end of his
mouth button or piece of ivory, which, as
they protrude from the lips, are supposed to
be limitations of the tusks of the mastodon.
Why this custom is observed or how it origi-
mated none of the Esquimaux could tell Mr..
Aldrich. All they knew was that 'stheir
fathers did it before them" and taught them
to follow their example. Some of the old
people are disseminating the habit among
their children. They want their children
they say, to be like Americans.
The Alaskan has no day of rest-no holy
day He works from year in to year out
Of the future all he believes is that after
death he will go to some place where it is
not so cold as in Alaska or Siberia. He has
no tradition-no history. The more intelli
gent of the race keep diary, written on
pieces of ivory in hieroglyphics. They pre-
serve these while on their travels along the
coast, and by means of them relate TIER ex-
periences of the voyage.
Their language differs from that of the
Russians, as it does from the English. No
Slavonic or Latin roots are found in it, In
only one word is there a resemblance to
either That is the word mamma" for
mother The Firms have the same word,
which they write "maemae," for mother
earth.-Baltimore American.