The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-02
EXTINCTION AWAITS
THE ESKIMO TRIBES"
Judge Wickersham Sees No
Other Future.
THE FOOD SUPPLY CUT OFF
Other Nations of Alaska in Little Bet
ter Condition According to In
spectors Report.

A sad description Of the destitution
prevailing among the natives of Alaska
as a result of the invasion of the white
man is given by Special Inspector James
w. Witten in the annual report Of the
Secretary of the Interior.
According to Mr. Witten the white
man has not only killed off the game
upon which the natives depended. but
has taken from them their other meth
DDS of making a living. Destitution
prevails upon all sides, and total ex-
tinction ADf some tribes is threatened.
Mr.. Witten urges that some OF the
money now spent on Indians in the
States be spent on those in Alaska.
Honest and Law-Abiding.
Speaking of the natives he says:
The Indians in southeastern Alaska
kre superior I'm points of intelligence and
civilization to those of other sections of
the district, and Judge wickersham. of
the United States district court. whose
jurisdiction has extended over all the
natives except the southeastern Alaskan
natives. says. in a letter addressed to
me September p last:
. AS a class they are honest and have
a decided predisposition to respect and
favorably with the white residents of
Alaska in that respect The Eskimos
particularly are an innocent. inoffensive.
and honest race of people.
Tribe Distribution.
THE Tsymsheans have their perma-
nent home on Annette Island. which was
reserved for their use by section Is act
of March 3. 1891. The Hidahs occupy
the southern portion of Prince of Wales
Island, and the Thlingets occupy the
other southeastern islands and the coast
as far west as Yakutat The Tsym-
sheans are the most civilized of all the
Alaskan Indians. and are an entirely
self-supporting and well-disposed people
The Hidahs and the Thlfngets come
next in point of intelligence, and arc
also self-suppOrting. although their i'm
provident use Of money sometimes leaves
individual families in want at certain
seasons OF the year. The southeastern
Alaskan natives all live in comfortably
houses, mainly of modern construction
and are usually well and comfortably
dressed They hunt, fish, chop in the
woods, and work about mills, mines
canneries, and on steamboats,. They are
generally an Industrious, frugal, ano
wen-to-do people.
Aleuts Fare Badly.
The Aleuts do not fare so well. They
learned many years ago to use the fooc
of the white man, their section Of the
country having been largely occupied
by the Russians at an early day. Their
money supply originally came from
hunting the sea otter. which of late has
almost entirely disappeared from Alas
kan waters. Judge Wfckersham says:
:" The Aleutian Islands. too. have suf-
fered greatly by reason OF the laws re-
stricting the hunting OF seals and other
fur-breeding animals, and they are
nearly at the point of starvation for
that reason II the Government would
Judiciously place reindeer among these
people IL would help them in time and
possibly save some remnant OF them
from destruction: but they are unable
on. and especially his game and fish
laws, and are being rapidly extermi-
mated by such legislation
Lost Salmon Market.
Perhaps the most destitute of tn,
Aleuts are those who inhabit Afognal
Island. about $50 in number and theil
condition and the cause of their desti
tuition is told by Howard NJ Kutchin
special agent TO the Treasury Depart
ment, in his report for last year. as fol
lows:
The particular hardship to which
these people have been subjected is ex
pldAncu W AAlt ldGL NndL AIQkndk lSlanf
was some years ago made a Govern
ment reservation. and two salmon can
nerfes located there had 10 be suspend
ed. At these the natives found Worl
and also a market for the salmon the
caught The reservation order forbad
them taking salmon except for domesti
use. BY a liberal construction OF tn
law they were permitted to sell thei
surplus ukaia Cor dried salmon) TO tn
trading companies having stores on tn
island
" 'LatterIy their case has become evel
more hopeless by reason Of the fact tina
the stores have ceased TO buy ukala
The people have been educated 70 re
quire more than the bare necessaries o
life. and they now find themselves re
duced TO dried fish 1t is true that som
of them procure work at the neighbor
ing canneries, and SC earn a little none,
70 help themselves, but their situation
is hard one, and entities them to some
thing more than empty commiseration.
No Future for Eskimo.
THE condition Of the Eskimo is ever
worse than that Of the Aleuts. He occu
pies a colder and more inhospitable eli
mate. with no timber to furnish either
employment OF fuel, and with very few
exceptions there are no white settle
ments at which he can find either as
sistauce or employment. The condition
OF the Eskimo and its cause IS tersely
and fOrcibly told by Governor Brady ir
his annual report, In which ne says:
1--WE have invaded his country and
killed and driven of the whales. wal
ruses. seals. and caribou, and in places
have made fish scarce. We have gon,
along the shores of Beri1g Sea and
have burned up the trees and driftwooC
on the beach, set fire TO the tundra
have driven of the birds. and in oul
mad rush for gold have burrowed under
his rude bara-babara and allowed IL e
tumble, even when the inmates wer,
sick and dying. This has all been -
sudden that he has been fairly stunned.
Judge Wickersham says; ! see NJ
future for the Athabaskans except eX
tinction, and little better fate for tn
Eskimo. There is a strength Of virilitl
in the Eskimo. however. which the Yu
kon Indians do not possess, and II tn
Eskimo could be turned into a reindeer
people. they would be an advantageoul
population 10 Alaska F"