Willmar tribune., 1909-10-27

nouncement that the north
pole has been discovered.
with acclaim. New space has
Il been added to the worlds
mapped areas. Civilization
will march on. All nations Join In re-
Ioicing-all except one. the most vi.
tally interested.
The Eskimo. native Of the land OF
snow and ice, does not welcome the
white mans coming. Beside his igloo
he sits and listens to the tribal ru-
mors Of the coming events. He hears
the weird. garbled tale Of how CIV
llized man." "kabhena," has reached
the north pole. He hears that other
white men will come after him. And
he sits and grieves for his people: for
the advance Of the white man means
to hi monty what 1t has meant to all
the primitive people who thus have
been "discovered"-exterm
"Civilization Of your kind we do not
want" says the Eskimo to the explor-
er or missionary. 1T is good. per-
haps. for you and for your countries.
It Is not good here in the north. We
cannot live under 1t. AS we live now
80 must we live II we are to exist.
It Is our life: and life is good here
among these ice cliffs when it is lived
In our own way. We are content. So
have our forefathers lived from time
lmmemorial. And so will we live as
long as we remain on earth. Force
US to live as you live, make us accept
your civilization, and we perish. We
have seen it. We know what 1t does
to US. It kills the Eskimo. Leave us
to our ways, leave us to our country,
or the Eskimo will be wiped of the
face of the earth"
Such is the Eskimo's reception Of
the great news. It is something like
shock to our self-satisfaction and
opinion that our civilization is best
for all people. whether they like it or
not. How can those poor people up
there in the frozen north spurn the
benefits that civilization holds forth
to them? How can they fail to realize
that civilization will make their harsh
life easier, more pleasant, more hap.
py? The questions come naturally at
the idea. It seems preposterous. But
when one comes to examine the mode
Of living of the winter bound Eskimo
along with the conditions under which
he is forced to exist, it seems not 50
astonishing that the Eskimos should
say: 1--WE were happy people until
the explorers came. The explorers
brought their civilization, and that is
not WE'LL"
Living in a land so barren and
harsh that nowhere else on earth is
dts duplicate to be found Inhabited
the Eskimo through centuries OF
struggle has adopted the only mode OF
living that makes his existence pos
sible. The land which other people
despise. the conditions under which
no other people could live. he has
learned to love. They are his world
and without them he could not live.
Resources such as the world looks
upon as necessary to the maintenance
Of life the country has none. It is 9
NoAAS VI ASSSA NAdA6Au6 AC0 auC
snow. Stones. pieces Of driftwood
reindeer, birds, dogs. fishes, and most
Of all, seals-these are the things tha,
are given the Eskimo to live on. The
stones. sticks and bones furnish hin
with weapons. The weapons furnish
him with meat. For his house there
Is the stone, the ice, and snow, moth
ing more. For six months Of the veal
his world is in darkness. Yet he live.
and is happy until the explorers come
In the winter hut so excessive Il
! the heat that the thick fur garments
Of outdoor use are discarded upon en-
trance. Among some tribes men. wo
men and children dwell together in 9
complete state Of nudity, in others 8
small loin cloth Is used for indoo,
wear. Night and day the stone lamps
filled with train oil burn In the huts
The Eskimo is superstitious Of al
things. TheAong arctic night has driv
en the fear Of darkness into his soul
and he will not even sleep without 6
light burning before his eyes.
The lamps are so constructed as tt
burn brightly all night When they