Douglas Island news., 1910-09-14
Alaska Workers Conference


 convened under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions which has conducted mission work among the natives of s. E. Alaska for over thirty years. A secretary of the board, Rev J. E. McAfee, of New York, who had been spending several weeks in the district, brought breadth and candor, as we'll as sympathy and keen insight, to bear ou the questions dis cussed. The conference included all the Presbyterian ministers engaged in white or native work in $. E. Alaska, the teachers of the Sitka Training school, also several government school teachers and the pastor of the Congre. gatlonal church in Douglas, who was courteously invited to take part in the discussions The meeting place at the Sitka Training school gave the visitors Echance to see many of the beneAcent results of teaching in the person and homes of the natives present.
 The discussions covered nearly every, thing from potlaches to politics, so far as it concerned the cbristiaDization of of the Indians and the development of Alaska. One of the striking things made evident was that not only are old customs passing away and the clan divisions becoming less regarded, but that new lines of organization are be- ginning to appear which will be both inter- clan and inter tribal. Nothing brought out more enthusiasm than talk for "League of Native Sons" to unite Indian men for the uplift of their race all along the line.
 The native speakers present made it very evident that the industrial prob. lem was very acute. The recently in- vented floating traps used by cannery- men often take all the fish the cannery needs. The Indians, for instance, hay ing caught 20,C00 pink salmon at one time were able to dispose of but 800 of their whole catch because the traps had taken all required. The eannery men consider the natives better fisher men than any other nationality they can employ, but the traps are cheaper than men. The question was raised whether the scientific fish" delivered from the hascberies really replsnished She supply. It was considered that the native needed new industry, perhaps pulp-making from the native woods, to sake the place of his diminished oppor- tunity for fishing and sealing.
 It was made very plain that natives Bant education, not merely enough to make them "smart Aces" as one of them said, but enough to make them useful citizens" A little education makes them restless and useless, more would give them trade to live by and knowledge to uplift their people. The present interest of the government schools in raising the standard of the whole community by teachings that apply to the health, morals and general enlightenment of old as we'll as young in each village was very favorably com. mented upon.
 It was interesting to see the emerg- ence of native leaders. The natives are being trained at Sitka and sent to the Ghemawa school in Oregon and also to Eastern schools, and have come back with energy and intelligence to work among their own people for their in dustrial, moral and religious improve ment. They spoke in halting English in most cases, yet did not fail to make it clear that they had ideas, native humor and native eloquence.
 The conference was very decidedly committed to religious comity, believ- ing that there should be no waste of missionary effort by maintaining diff ferent denominatioual agencies in the same fields to do the work better done by one. Secretary McAfee was in pos. session of correspondence from other boards showing like disposition on their part.
 At the conclusion of the conference the suggestion was made by Secretary McAfee that an advisory committee of business and professional men in s. E. Alaska be secured to stand for the up- lift of the native and to further that end by correspondence or conference with the missionary boards and with workers in the field. Such committee from practical experience with natives