Evening journal., 1897-11-02

kan native is distinctly anti-progres-
sive. Thlihgit and Eskimo are equally
satisfied with their respective modes of
life. and passively resent any attempts
at amelloration OF their conditions. A
Thlingit who has not, with his immedi-
ate ancestors, been subjected TO strong
civilizing influences for many years.
would rather sleep on the ground, with
the rain pouring upon his bare skin,
his head alone sheltered under his in
verted kayak or canoe. than repose on
a new folding-bed in the best room Of
the Occidental Hotel. The Eskimo much
prefers his stuffy igloo. or hemispher-
ical snow hut, to the most commodious
Of modern dwellings. Both races have
less regard for personal comfort than
any other people that has ever inhab-
tied the North American continent, A
steam-heated fiat would drive any Es-
lxiino or Thlingit TO suicide.
Trrancy is Encouraged.
So when their children. after much
persuasion by missionaries or Govern
ment teachers. are finally persuaded to
go to school, the parents are miserable,
and prophesy darlSly the unhappy end
Of their iconoclastic offspring Despite
the most positive promises. they do
their best to keep the little ones at
home as much as possible. Truancy
Is encouraged more or less actively by
the parents of nearly every native
child. while the creoles and other mixed
breeds prefer to send their children to
the numerous parochial schools estab-
lished by the Russian Church.
The Russian clergy are just as tnim-
ical to the missionaries Of the Roman
Catholic Church as they are TO those OF
all Protestant denominations, and
they regard even the lay teachers di-
rectly in the employ of the United
States Government with extreme sus-
picion. They violently oppose the in
PRODUCTION of American educational
methods, and tell the creoles. Indians
and EslSimos that the missionaries and
Government teachers are designing
persons, whose ultimate aim is to alien
ate the children from their parents.
Unfortunately, this accusation is no
without foundation. The stern neces
stiles of civilization require that tn,
pupils be separated from their adul
relatives in order that the good results
accomplished by the teachers shall no
be counteracted by barbarous infu
ences. After ten months of seclusioi
in a seminary, or twice as many of con
slant attendance at a day school. al
that Thnngit. or Eskimo, student ha
learned may be swept out of his min'
by a brief return to primitive ways o
life It is not conducive to a high plan
of thought to live in a six-foot iglo
with a half dozen other persons. VIII
keep themselves smeared with ill-smell
ing grease and share the general couc
with pack of sledge dogs. Even tn
seml-civilized Indians are intolerabl
to Caucasian nostrils.
Average of Attendance Low.
Most of the Alaskan schools. publ
and parochial, are open about 175 day
In the year The average attendant
is extremely low. 40 per cent. bein
considered good All that the mission
aries and Government teachers can d
does not persuade the Thlingits an
Eskimos to make their children atten
school regularly. The fact that II
, parents are still forced to wander man
! miles in search of new hunting an
/ fishing grounds frequently causes II
loss of the brightest pupil just whe
5 the little ones are becoming creditab
1 to the school, Once lost, a pupil is Sc