Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-17
YUKON INDIANS DYING OUT
Like other Tribes. Having the
Color and Beard of q
L Jan.

The Yukon Indians are fast passing away.
The squaws are living, the children in
creasing apparently, but among the men,
old and young. you hear the hollow cough
OF lung trouble.
The Pelly river band, had in 1899 twenty
children, twenty squaws and fourteen men.
That winter ten. of the men died Of pneu-
monia. You see the Hudson Bay brand
among them. too. a great scar across the
neck and throat, where the old s~crofula
has healed up.
More than one-half OF the adult Indians
on the coastshaves this brand. called by
this name because of the ~frightful disease
brought on this coast 100 years ago by
the sailors from Boston under Captain Gray
and from Liverpool by Captain Vancouver,
from Spain, in fact ali over the world, and
spread by the employees Of the Hudson Bay
company's etnplpyfsF among the natives
when after fdfi The Russians did more
than their share.
The Yukon Indian Is not like other North
American red meng he is different in build,
habit AMI certainly inferior to the average
Sioux or Chippewa, or other tribes of the
Northwest. He sis more like the Jap; has
the same COMPLEXION. beard and hair, is a
little taller and not so clean. The people
are light built, urdersizs y and great beg
gars. A few work at boating and wood
cutting. but generally they are lazy and
ipdolent.
There are less than 1000, big and little,
in the Yukon country. and about 1000 dogs.
The dog sleds and toboggans are the only
thing they have to move with; never n
horse or OK. .r-
They never have vegetables unless eating
with a white man. Every tribe could raise
vegetables at their summer camps II they
/, would. They have good soil and every
chance 70 raise radishes, lettuce, cabbage,
turnips, and spuds. as white men are rails
ing all of these here for market and their
pwn use,
Vfhe tribes are small, from twelve to fif-
teen families; they are found in places
from 1O0ito 200 miles apart. They i've near
a stream or lake when at home; but when
winter comes they go for. fur and meat.
They travel sll winter with the whole fam
lily outfit OF Kids, dogs. squaws and some
old people. going from 200 to 500 miles on
these wlnter trips. generally in a great
circle.
They stay a few days in a place, build
new camps and make new trails and find
new game. They live on meat they kill
and fish they catch with nets. When good
luck comes with meat or fish In plenty
they dry and smoke a large quantity and
put a. In log pens which nothing can get
TO It.. The pen is called a cache.
These Indians kill fur at all lines OF the
year except directly after selling their
winter catch in March; after that they have
plenty to eat. so what is the use of trap
ping? They just lie around camp and
smoke.
one lad about 20 years Of age shot a
black. fox and sold it for $500. 1t was worth
1900 or $780, He bought $500 worth Of
calico. tobacco by the caddy and two
blankets at $50 each. This young man, a
full blooded Indian, could talk a little
English. wore hat, coat and vest, short
breaches with knee stockings, had a watch
and chain and a new model Winchester
rifle. They are inveterate gamblers and
viii lose their last cent at cards and don't
care but keep coming to the limit.-Yukon
Sur News.