The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-04-12
NATIVES OF ALASKA.
Fac.s About The People o. tae
Big Territory.
No. Handsome, But Possessed
O: Good Qualities.

"Ta!I," s.!s Lie-:e.z-: Cza:re.l il
rs notes ob:z:.ei willie exploring re
Ko~ak River, ''g.vss TIE fare 4 W.!
t:.a-g-.s, app@4-a-ce, vs-r d;E@-eu;
from The -c-.d tscs Of the Esqu.u4r
Tae.r a4:r !. black, ard tie L..r q WON
long, ercep: = :r2n-, vLe:e !: =
trimmed ac:oss lie forehead q q line
With The eye5r3ws. They a:e o-ick i
thei- movements. active and s:-oag IL
youth, b.: grow agcd-look!ag rapidly.
very few nea Q: middle age we've
observed. Tie faces ot y. women a.e
more oral than ne meas, sni their
color IS Lighter. TIER hal, IS parted
n tbs middle aad w1.a Il tvo b..:ds
hanging il from: Of The ears. TIE il
te:.or aa,ives a,e referred % - better
m1a.ly aad Il points Of honesty and
sobFie,y than the people Of the coast.
They have 10 laws eIcep: to do b.
others IS they would have others do to
them. They were universally kid 70
the aged and helpless, very hospi,able,
curious TO degree 10: never intrusive.
In the interior the people did 10. FOL-
low methods Of the E.quimau coast
tribes n choosing al omai.ik, or chic.
trade. aud genera. business agent. II
al discussions reyariing the welfare 0:
the community, the women aad. the
older ones il particular, j2.ael. and the
nea received thee opinions with re-
spec:. They were generally guided BIZ
a kini 0; moral cole, as Lieutenant
Caatwe.l SAYS. u al matters regard .nr
one another welfare. No punishment
was 'cco gn.zed :or The commission Of
cFme, but On tie other hand there was
seldom sny comm!t.ci.
A to diseases, the Lieutenan. found
pulmonary Complaints aad rheumatism
very common among the natives. a.
well as weak and iafamed eycs. Ep.-
demic diseases very sare.y occur, though
smallpox sometimes reaches these peo-
PIE through the natives living on the
hoyukuH r.vs-. Be?ond the simple
herbs known and used By the "shaman,"
OF rnedic.ae-mia. IN his caa:a,.oas, but
little IS known Of The AIT OF healing.
No formal funcra. ce.emou.es are per-
formed By tie inland tribes over their
dead. TIC body IS generally taken 70
some secluded spot, usually o. a bluff
overlookin; Z river, and laid on the
ground. A conica. shaped structure Of
spruce log, is built over the remains
and a tree near By is stripped of
branches and a small piece Of cloth
tied to it marks the SPOT, near which
are left the sic1, household utensils
aad some Of the weapons Of the de-
ceased. No one ever visits the spot
thereafter. 1t is tabooed.
The natives partake eagerly of such
articles as -four, tea, rice, condensed
milk and other dishes, but they dcs pise
salt pork and would rather starve than
touch 1t. In addition to the reindeer
meat, they ca. the flesh of the bear, fox,
wolf, muskrat. beaver and mountain
sheep. In the summer salmon is al.
most the sole food. The flesh of the
seal and white whale is eaten BY the
summer sojourners at the coast. Wild
currants are found in abundance and
the onion, celery and parsnip grows
wild in abundance, as well as species
Of wild rhubarb. The tender roots of
the willow were also cooked in oil
when the natives were much in nee1 of
food. The upper waters of the Kowak
abound in wild duck, geese and swans,
and cranes also could be found. The
birds are boiled after being skin ned,
and astonishing to note. the head, feet
and lntestiaes were considered the
choice morsels. The Lieutenant saws
these tidbts were laid before him on
one occasion.
All the tribes dress very much alike.
Their attire consist. of an outer and
inner coat or 'parka" Of deerskin.
tight fitting trousers Of hair sealskin
and boots supplied with deerskin leg
ginS, the soIes being of walrus or
white whale skin. The inner garments