The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-06

AetlskshtIss SoIlcltoss AlUvt
4 Congress. 1|'
Tue TRIBE has BEEN civ!LiS | 4 !
Left lSritish ceIuMblA u ~ Ua1&
More liberal I.aws.- Rulss Apbule1 4
Members VI rhelr Cor shGattyn 81


| New York, February 5. rhe MetlakA1(
Indians in Alaska have recently been 90
sidcrably excited as well a. apprenticeship
BY a bill offered In the house o. rc6fo
sentatlScs BY Mr.. poscnor Of west VIII
sinlA and referred 10 the committee q
Indian nfiairs. II Is 4 bill 10 sciyret41
and return 10 the unreseryed public ~
main mineral lands, Included III tho NM
lakahtla reservation, which sonsista Of n
island about forty miles long w lnrco nAile
Wide. Soatheastcrn AlaskA. says the wts1
ington correspondent OF the Tribune,
Tho recent history VI these islands
Interesting and somewhat romantic. IN ~,
William Duucan was sent thore Nv -
Smith Missionary society ci London. SINE
then these Indians have, through his Eel
forts. been raised from = state " sava&<xz
| 10 civilizations. Az NJ
Iioubcs having arisen In 1880 botwceU
Mr. Durcan's colony and the coiontal &cvX
! ernment OF british Columbia, MAINLY wlt
| regard 10 the ownership OF tho suii, In u
waiter OF lss6sSi they sent their leader Il
Wisningtsn. While there lie conferred VIII
the president. the secretary of the intuilu
aud other officers Of the government anI}
received such encouragement that III t,&
spring OF 1887 tho Indians concluded q
leave British Columbia and move In n
body to tho contiguous Territory cf Atask73
In order TO como under tho ilora libars42
laws OF the United States. In the irteH1
yiows with the president and tho sseratatl3
OF the interior, no positive promises WefJ5
| msuc, but Nh. Duncan was given 10 UNA
derstanu that II his people removed 10 thu
United States congress would take aattVl2
IN scouting them suitable land Cor IL honi9z
This was subsequently enacted, enti.l4z
AN act to repeal timber culture laws ANS
for other purposes" and approved MARCH,
J, 1881, which reid as follows; III
until otherwise provided by law, thf8
body OF laiid known MS Annette islanSSE
, sitnntcd III the Alexander archipeago. lf3
southeastern Alaska on thu north slide eIX
DiXons entrance. be anu the same III
hereby set apart as a reservation for thu
use OF the Metlnkahta lndians and thos$f
people known as Meilakahtians. who einSf
grated from British Columbia to Alask}l;
and such other Alaskan hattves as maf5{
Join them to be held and used by tba4H
In common under such rules and reEuls5B
tions and subject to such restrictions Hin
may Represented from time to time by tfizN
secretary OF the Interior. EE
In British Columbia they had formed kk|
local government which they transferrq8|
with themselves TO their settlement NE!
Annette ISLAND fK'
This government IN known as Town au&I
Associated community of Meilakahatlat11 3
an annual mcoting is held of tho rcpr9N]
acnintiyes az the lnSians. The counc$363
makes their laws and il tho governing H}
power or the people. Every person desiYSS!
ing To unite with the community liz r6F5
CURED 10 mNke application to the counq "a
for membership, M$
II the new niomber Is accepted he alta
cepts tile following fifteen rules; f}
T. To give mp sorrcfy- ETz
g To rcase ceiling on sorccrers wh@ RI
sick. tF
a 10 cease gambling. f
a TO coaso giving away their propsrfSj
for display NH
g. 10 cease painting their faccn 5EH
g. 10 ,easc drinking intoxcante t3
z 10 uheerte the Sabbath. E&a
s. To attend religious instruntIon. H.
. 70 sond their children to school. fY
10. To be cieanly In
II. To he industrious. H38
r. To be peaceful t&
49, TO he liberal and honest In trade. fSH
~ no build neat houses, INA
IS 10 nay the village TAX, ~
The colony on Annette island has clcare$
off the timber from the Village site, ereete$S
from i5n 10 goo good frame houses estaks
lsled a cooperative store. salmon en- s
merry u steam sawmli and built lnrf a.
church. but so far rs known nothing htsS
beon actually done In mining, although Sa T
Is known that projects In this directi f4
h,,.. k.,a,, tintipr con.ddarut inn. f8z}X