The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-10-01
TEACH IN FAR NORTB
"oTHeR ANo DAUGHTER ON, y
WHITE RESIDENTS.
'"ey u'or IN Old Russian Settlement,
I" Afoenak' AIasks-Are Well
Treated by Natives Of ur,,,,.
Little Island.


MIS- Z. w. Hammond and No,
uaughter are teaching in what is nor
laps the most interesting school unde,
.he stars and stripes. They are IN. |
teachers appointed by the government
10 conduct the native school at Afog
max, Alaska. -'0e
Aiognak, Alaska, is but little known
10 the people of the United States
yet IL was the third town started NV
,ne russians in the early part of the
last century on the Pacific. II Womb
nave little reason to demand even tho
attention of the government today
were 1t not for the fact that one of
the best Indian schools conducted in
Tue territory of Alaska Is maintained
ulere' Afognak is on an island of the
same name in southwestern Alaska
Mrs. c. w. Hammond and he,
daughter are registered at the Dillel
motel. They have the task of teaching
the sl pupils who are enrolled at the
Alognak school, and it is not likely
mat in all the possessions of the
united States is there such variety
OF color or Intelligence among the ma
yves who are being educated. On one
thlng the natives, from the Aleuts to
the Russian octoroons. are a unit
Every one is the most devout of Greek
Catholics on Sunday. On other days
they are simply natives.
1t was last year that Mrs. Hammond
who formerly lived at San Juan island
In Washington state, was appointed
teacher at Afognak When she ar
rived there she found a school which
had been established 30 years. 1t was
rearranged to conform to modern
ideas, and in a few weeks Mrs. Ham.
mond will, with her daughter, begir
the fall term.
Il enjoy the work" said Mrs. Ham.
mond, for | find great study in the
natives. 1t would surprise people tc
know that of the 81 pupils in the
school there is hardly one who does
not take naturally to drawing. Why,
II is astonishing to find that little tots
NAiO ulC just dDlt W NOuult W tllt
schoolhouse when furnished with a
PENCIL and paper begin drawing.
have fostered and encouraged this
trait, and there are several of the old
er children who are really clever:
Music, however. is the one thing
that wins them, from the old, gray.
haired men and women to the little
boys and girls. They love music.
They can sing far better than an equal
number Of country children in the
states. They have their favorite in.
struments, too, mandolins and ac.
cordions.
do they have monographs? Why
there is not a popular air that has
been sung in the United States in the
last ten years that is not common in
Afognak within three months after the
record is made. ! am taking a trunk
full of records up with me. And among
the records | had demand for some
real classical music.
so far as the studies go, cannot
say that the natives are anxious &c
learn English in its higher branches
There are some who are quite well
advanced, but there are also many
who attend school only by compulsion,
although they are very proud of what
education they possess after reaching
maturity.
"Afognak shows that the white
blood must predominant. There are
two villages. One is the real native
Aleuts town; the other the half'castes'
] have noticed that any native VINO
has a drop of white blood in his or her
veins looks down on the full blooded
native"
There are no white men stationed al
Afognak. A few prospectors and nun
ters call there occasionally, so Mrs.
Hammond and her daughter are alone
among the natives. They say they
get along splendidly with them.