, 1889-01-30
An Interesting Experiment.


To the publication of newspapers and
other periodicals there appears to be no
rud. New publications. are continually
appearing, and those too from the most
unlikely sources. There was handed to
us yesterday a neatly printed sheet bear
ing the title OF "The Metlakahtlan." 1t
was published in Metlakahtla. Alaska.
and it promises to appear occasionally it
not periodically. 1t is printed on good
paper in clear print, and its articles are
clearly and vigorously written. 1t gives
an account OF the progress OF the settle
ment, and an article headed :" A day ut
M~etlakahtla, by W.. Duncan" gives The
reader a fair idea of what is going on
there. We learn thar there is Il school lin
the village, in which 1872 Indian children
are taught the rudiments of a common
school education. Besides these there,
are So of the native youths ut the
Industrial Training School at Sitka.
This makes those receiving school train.
ing connected with the settlements
1877. We read that in Metlakahtla
there is a sawmill worked by natives
under a native foreman. An order for
10000 eases for a salmon cannpiY had
just been completed. All the work
saving, planning and StcnciIling- had
been done by the natives, 'and done
so satisfactorily that the order given us
for another year is nearly dOubled.7 Then
two PnterpriSing natives have Opened a
sash and furniture workshop, in which
work described as we'll finished is turned
out. This factory has received an order
from Portland, Oregon. Two school
bouSes are in course Of erection and
another projected. There. is a band in
this village and the villagers 60 to bed
when the bugle sounds. Mr.. Duncan
seems to be the guide, philosopher and
friend of all in the village, besides
the magistrate and director of it's
industries. Whatever opinion may have
been formed of Mr.. Duncan personally.
all must admit that he is carrying on
a very important and most interest
ing experiment. He is trying to find
an answer to the question, Can the
indian be civilized? Is it possible to
form Indians into a community whose
members will be steadily engaged in the
various occupations OF civilized life
Can they be induced to adopt the habits
of civilized people and become not only
s~elf-suppOrting, but prosperous Is is
possible to train these simple, children of
nature to practice the virtues of civilized
people while they avoid their errors and
their wees? 1t would appear that Mr..
Duncan has met with much success hith.
ertO. He has great influence over the
natives with whom he comes in contact.
1t will be interesting to observe whether
the Improvement which has been made
among the Indians of Metlakahtla is due
to his personal influence rather than to
any radical change that has been brought
about in the native mind, and whether,
Than that iDAuau0a 10 nm IOOrnc ovo,o:aoI
they will not relapse into their old
habits of thought and ways of living.
The conditions under which the expert
memt is being tried appear to he favorable.
1t is greatly to be HOPED that il will be
successful. Every humane person. must
wish to see the progress of Indian decay
arrested and the aboriginal inhabitants ,of
the country transformed into an indus
%trious, a prosperous and a %virtuOus people.
The Victoria Weekly COIOnist % Dec.