Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-05-28
A QUEER PRINCIPALITY.
ANNETTE ISLAND, ITS ABoR1Gl-
MES, AND ITS RULER.
The United States Decided the Island
to the Rev William Duncan
building Up the Place.


HHE Rev. William Duncan,
ruler of Annette Island, a
> i queer principality in the
@ Pacific south of Sitka, has ar
rived here after long absence from
civilization. He has for thirty seven
years been missionary among the
Metlakahtla Indians, who, as long as
they have been known, had practised
cannibalism, and among whom one had
to take his life i'll his hand. He first
settled among the Metlekahtlas just
across from his island in British Colum-
bin, in sight of Mount St. Elias and
the great Fairmeath range, and there
remained until five years ago, when,
owing to too tight rein by the Church
Of England and the British Colum bia
Government, he removed to Annette
Island. He first received assurances
from the Government at Washington,
however, that this island should decided
to him and the Indians in fee simple,
if he removed there, and this has since
been done.
The Metlaknhtlas, to the number of
about 700, followed him there and he
has since built up n town called
Metlakahtla, after the former town in
British Columbia. The strange island
of Annette is about fifty miles long
and twenty five miles wide, and covered
in the centre by snowy mountain
range. All around the shores are
valley and rolling lands, on which are
great forests of pine, cedar and other
m,
open glades, and there are many
pretty coves. All things considered,
however, the island is unfit for occu-
: pancy, except by natives of the far
q North, accustomed to the changing
climate incident to the raging ocean
about. The island was unpeopled be-
fore, and the Government, thinking
it would never be valuable for any
other purpose, gave 1T to the mis-
sionary and his wards.
D The missionary, who is the absolute
ruler and king of the island, has built
on Annette Island practical repro
duction of the first Metlakahtla, though
with some new features. He has built
II saw mill, and the Metlakahtlas have
erected n large number of buildings,
modelled somewhat on the plan OF
Am ~rican huts, yet having distinct
Indian characteristics. Father Dun
can has also caused n cannery to be
built, and have given the Indians
shares in it, when they SO desired, in
return for their labor. They have
caught great many salmon, halibut
and other fish this year, he says, and
have made considerable money. He
thinks his queer colony will be as
great a success In Alaska as it was in
British Columbia.
81 have about 800 Indians with me
now," said the white haired old mis-
sionary, "and they are increasing
slowly all the time. The Alaska In
dians are coming over and joining us.
They are not rs good Indians as the
Metlakahtlas, since they have for a
long time been able to get whisky
from the traders along the coast. This
has debased them, and since they have
acquired the taste for spirits it is hard
for them to desist. There is no drink
ing in the island of Annette, for l
have prohibited liquors of all kinds
from coming there. l do not allow
any cards either, or any other kind of
gambling. This is thought to be a
very strict rule, for if there is any
thing an Indian likes to do it is to
gamble. Gradually, however, l have
cured them of all this.
"When | first went among the In
dians on the mainland, the Hudson
Bay Company, which had just estab-
lished a post there, cautioned me that
my life was in imminent danger every
time | went among them. | speedily
learned that this was true. The build
ings of the company were within n
stout stockade, formed of great logs
and reaching very high. The houses,
too, were what are known ms block
houses. There were two high and
stout gates, or moro properly great
doors, to the formidable stockade, and
at the side of each was an outpost
manned with cannon which could be
turned to sweep the Indians right and
lett should they attack the fort.
81 went among the Indians every
day, and returned to the fort each
night to sleep. In this way | picked
up their language and began to think
OF getting some books published in
their native tongue. But my prog
ress was slow / had oftentimes to go
into the fort in daytime when an at
tack was imminent. Once [ had to
take my position on the outpost in
charge of one of the guns and on
numberless occasions l had to, in one
way and another. help defcnd the
place. The Indians were the worst
when the different clans were at war.
At such times they particularly
wanted to wreck vengeance on us.
| have seen them kill Indians with
whom they were Mt war, and cut off
their arms and bite out pieces. They
would also, when infurIated, bite
pieces out of the arms of their allies,
or even out of their own. They did
not practice cannIbalism in the sense
pf cOokinU tba HaSh but +bo,r H.