The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19
Gold Is nt th6 0nIu
Account In KI0nduk6

Besides the gold to be found in Alas
ka there are other things of absorbing
interest in that territory. Plenty of
them. There is the native Alaskan,
who has been sadly neglected by those
who have written concerning the North
west region. An authority on the sub
ject is the Rev. Edward Marsden, who
has lived in Alaska since 1882 and has
made a close study of native manners
and customs. Mr.. Marsden was born in
British Columbia on May 10, 1866. and
has pledged himself to work as long
as he lives for the betterment of the
natives of Alaska Here is his inter-
esting account of his experiences among
them, written especially for this paper:
Alaska is inhabited principally by six
native tribes, such as the Eskimo, with
in and a little below the Arctic circle,
the Tinneh or Athabaskan, in the Yu-
kon region. the Aleutian, in the south
western, and the Thlngit, Hydah and
Tsimpshean, in the southeastern parts.
These speak as many different Ian
guages. The first two would be in
Guided in the Eskimo family, while the
rest would come under the term IN
dams. From time immemorial they
have always lived in the sections have
named and when and how they came
, u lll6Se S6CIlDiS i CduuOl say, 6ACepL
from the theories of our own histor-
ians and scientists.
The native AlaSkanS, especially those
of the southern part, are a hardy, self
reliant, industrious and bold race. They
have great powers of physical endur-
ance, and delight in athletics and music.
Before this present century, when the
Russians came among them, they We're
very fierce people and frequently col
lided with the cars soldiers. The well
organized governments and the systems
of customs and religious beliefs that
they had, made 1t difficult for foreign
ers to deal with them. But to-day
things are different. There are no more
we'll organized governments among the
AlaskanS. What customs and beliefs
they have are relics of the past. Chris
tianity and civilization have eXerted a
wonderful influence upon them. They
are at present in a transitional period.
The country of Alaska and the north
western territory of Canada are attract
ing the earnest attention of the COM
mercial world. Since the excitement
of last July, many thousands of miners
and commercial men have made their
way into that part of the American
continent. These newcomers are strang-
ers to the country and it's peoples. They
are ignorant of the inhabitants and the
habitants of them. In some cases,
because of this ignorance, misunder-
standings arise and they lead to trouble
and ill-feeling. What then is the re-
lation between the Klondyke miners
and the native Alaskans?
Alaska is part of the United States,
and although this is SO. it gives evil
dences of being country separate by
itself. The native peoples there, es-
pecially those who are not Christians.
are therefore not very closely allied
with the people of the United States.
l mean by this that they are not very
well acquainted with the inner life and
thought OF the republic. While they are
patriotic and think much of Old Glory
and the American people, yet they are
in some sense foreigners.
With this understanding, we need not
be surprised to find that large part
of the native population is either in
different or alarmed at the invasion of
their country by the miners. The prev
alent idea among them is that the gold
seekers will do them both good and bad
good, because of the development of
the resources of the country and the
many blessings that civilization gives
them: and bad, because of the evil in
fluenee brought in by unprincipled men.
The miners are there already and thus
far there has been no clash of any kind
between them and the natives. But If
the excitement holds on and stu more
thousands of people come, and II some
OF these newcomers are careless, there
must be some friction between them
and the natives which will result in
the appeal TO the protection of the law
or to a breach of the peace.
To avoid any unnecessary trouble, ana
i'm order that the KIondyke miners
should not collide with the native in
habitants of Alaska and Northwestern
Territory of Canada the former should
recognize and respect the rights of the
latter
This is an old and well known prin-
ciplc. But how often has it been vio-
lated in new countries where the strong
has an advantage over the weak, sup
pose there is a native Alaskan settle
ment, and gold is found near and I'M