The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-27
MISSIONS GOT tHg REINDEER
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llaaHa
ssms nppntha aao ascfstafy ~ no lnteeior
Hltehcook bacante sailsfed that N" frin-
t~er sHfvice Sas M, b~lnn prupsriv opn-
dIetst. and NJ oraafrd an Investigation by
9 ageetal aasat ~ The Interior f~epRftmehti
The fetoft of thia sasnt has nsver hssn
gubliehsd, but 10 10 known that Tho cons
dltion ~ affeifa waa criticised and the new
Governor Of Alaska. " n Hoaeatt, whO
has Iust entered upon the discharge ~ his
duties, ha4 been directed 10 bring q o
thorough fuor gAniaatlon NJ the service
II has been found that although the Gov
eminent has expended about . qnaFter 81 o
million of dollars for reindeer for the benefit
Of the n~ativea. the desT are really being
used BY white men more than by Esqul.
maux. Comparatively few Of the native
Inhabitants ~ deer, and the Government
owns only e small number. The greater
number have been lent TO white mission.
aries. and others have been given outright
10 mission stations by the officials Of the
Federal Bureau Of Education who are In
charge Of the reindeer.
The ilegality Of assisting sectarian bodies
through the use Of Government funds has
been brought to the attention Of the Secre-
tary Of the Interior and he has ordered
that the practice must stop. The Secretary
has been amazed by reading the report Of
his special agent and the reports Of the
Bureau Of Education to find that the REIN
deer which hAv cost the Government a
sum Of money are being frankly used
for the benefit Of mission stations and not
for the direct benefit Of the native inhabi-
tants a. was intended by Congress.
In on Q Of the reports Of the Bureau OF
Education this paragraph has been found
Reindeer and Missions "A good rein
deer herd at q mission station in Arctic or
sub-Arctio Alaska means: First. the per-
manence OF the mission II affords the
missionary the opportunity OF rewarding
anu OuCOuIuBlub tuObc idIihhcp tHdt BiNo
evidence Of being ~teaohable, advancing 10
civilization, attentive to the instruction OF
the mission and exemplary In their lives
by establishing them in the reindeer indus
try, and thus greatly promoting their ma
terial interests. With the numerical in
crease Of the herd at q mission station il
becomes a source of revenue through the
sale at remunerative prices to the miners
and butchers Of superfuous males. In a few
this revenue would be sufficient to
support the mission and thereby
treasury Of the central missionary
The officers of the Interior Department
from this frank statement, as we'll
as from the facts brought to light by the
investi cation, that the affairs OF the
service are not being administered
by the Government 30 much as by the sec
tartan missionary societies; that where the
are permitted to benefit at all 1t Is
as a reward FOR embracing reli gion or prov
Ing teachable, and that an important Gov.
enterprise Is being misused and
diverted from the purpose for which 1t wal
intended by Congress.
1t has been decided to take the reindeer
administration away from the Bureau OF
Education and to place It in the hands of
the Governor Of the Territory. The rein
deer are said to have proved q great boon to
the Esquimaux wherever the natives had
opportunity to benefit from the presence
Of the animals along the northwestern
coast. Many Esquimau boys have hown
as adept as L~aplanders In the
care and training OF the reindeer. !