East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-12-29
AFFAIRS IN ALASKA
COMING OF WHITE MAN
DESTROYS TRIBAL LIFE.
iicindcv Introduced Ia Furnish Food,
Occupation and Wealth for the Ma
hyc-Number OF HeindcCr Import
c1 Into Alaska in 10 Years Was
i26O--IOtal Number Now In the
Territory Estimated at 1924.


Concerning the food supply and in
dustrial condition among Alaskan In
dians, the secretary of the interior In
his annual report says
The coming of tho white man, to
Alaska. The commission states, has
destroyed the natives occupation of
hunting and fishing. and makes the
continuance OF tribal life impossible.
In addition. therefore. to instructing
them in the rudiments of the English
language 1t IS necessary to teach them
some occupation that will provide
food. clothing, etc.
The native If left to himself with
out education will soon perish by con-
tact with the white man. who. while
teaching him all his vices, at the same
time robs him of his natural means
of support-the game being driven
away and fish caught by nets on n
large scale at the mouths of the rivers
deprives the inland tribes of their an
nual supply Of fish.
To supply the native, therefore, with
means of providing subsistence and
gaining a livelihood the plan of in
structing him in the training and man
agement of the reindeer has been
adopted. In discussing this subject
the commissioner states:
"If we wish to make the native self
supporting and helpful to the miners
and other immigrants from the states,
we are forced to resort to reindeer
herdlng and transportation as a school
occupation for the natives of all parts
of Alaska. leaving out the southern
coast region and the Sitkan (Alexau-
der) archipelago, because of the fact
that reindeer moss Is the only agri-
cultural product worth naming, and
because it is to be found in supply
sufficient for a native population at
least so times the number at present
in Alaska.
The reindeer Is the equivalent OF
the sheep in respect to food and
clothing and is the equivalent of the
horse in those northern regions for
transportation. The reindeer furnish
es from three to four times as much
meat as the sheep, and his hide makes
the best of arctic clotmng. He can
travel from so to 100 miles a day over
a smooth snow track, drawing a man
on a sledge. A train of eight or 10
reindeer, with a good leader, each
drawing one sledge and arranged
tandem" will draw a ton of freight
30 or 80 miles a day.
There are no roads and no bridges
in summer in Alaska, but in winter
the streams are bridged with thick
ice. and all the level region is one
vast snow field with a hard surface,
furnishing roads in any direction for
the reindeer sledge.
EVERY herd in charge Of appren-
tices under the direction of q skilled
ovcrscer is an educational institution,
giving Industrial instruction to the ma
tives. who learn to do by doing. AS
the English language will be used for
interCommunication there will be a
progress. more or less from year to
year In n knowledge of the language
which is needed for communication
with immiprants from the states who
visit that country for mining purposes
or for salmon fisheries
In prior wears reindeer were pur-
chased in Siberia under various com
gressional appropriations, brought
into the district Of Alaska, and dis
tributed t. points where mission
ecI,Or,te yt,ara maintained by in1eueDd-