New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-30
WOULD BAR WHITE MEN
Even Missionaries Bad for
Esquimaus, Says Stefansson.
WILL APPEAL TO CANADA
Explorer Wishes to Keep Blond
Tribe Forever Away from
Civilization.

Nilhialmar StefanSSOn, VINO dlscONertu
| the blond Esquimaus of Coronation CUR,
announced yesterday that he would go 10
Ottawa to make an appeal to the cana
dian government to protect the tribe
against the encroachments OF clviliZa-
ton.
1T makes no difference whether the
visitor is a whaler, fur trader or mis-
slonary, he Is equally bad for the ESqui-
maus," said Mr.. Stefansson Il would
like to bar out everybody, including my
self, If it were practical. but, unfortu-
nately, that is no longer feasible. In ad-
dition to myself. Father Robiere, a Ro-
man Catholic missionary, has visited the
territory. and undoubtedly other mission
aries will follow.
When you discover new people com
mercial folk want to know the possiblli-
ties of trade OF mining and of furs. Inc
church people ask about the Souls. NO
body cares II the people is exterminated.
Nobody cares about the bodies
In reply to a query as to whether there
We're not beneficial things which the mis-
sionaries and civilization would bring to
the natives. the explorer replied: Il should
DltltT 10 Keep lltIl 10 N4iNs ''~' -
are healthy, contented and prosperous
what more can you ask for them
"Civilzation Means Determination
Mr.. Stefansson does not base his desire
to keep out the missionaries, the traders
and the rest OF the advance guard OF CIV
uizatlon on the ground that the Esqui-
maus' present standards OF life are, from
.f,4 Of oil mn desirable
than those OF the rest OF the world. but
simply on the ground that the coming oil
civilization means determination Tor the
natives. He pointed out that in Alaska
and throughout the Arctic regions the
Esquimaus had always dwiadled WIN
amazing rapdity when they came INTO
contact with white men. The explanation
ne found chiefly in their susceptibility 10
the diseases which the white man carries
with him.
Hut disease is not the only evil which
the explorer regards az an attendant in
the train OF civilization. The coming OF
missionaries" he said, means charlt!'
and charity means the pauperizauon OF
the Esduimaus Then. too, with ciFliza-
ton they change their nomadic mode oil
life and I'm emulation OF the white man
settle down I'm houses and live IN one
place. This IL fatal 10 them. As nofnaHS
they never stay more than a few weeks
I'm one place. and there Is some limit there
fore on the unsanitary conditions Of their
dwellings. When. however. they settle
down permanently conditions become I'M
spcakablc and tuberculosis Is the ineV-
table result"
As Mr. Stefansson believes complete
isolation BE- no longer feasible, he VIII
urge upon the Canadian government n
very rigid quarantine upon the region. lie
pointed out that only I'm Greenland, where
the Danish government has adopted re-
strictiye measures against the coming OF
strangers. have the Esquimaus Increased.
This Increase. he said. was also partly du"
10 the fact that through the admiXture OF
Danish blood the Esquiraus OF Green
land had more capacity 70 resist disease.
Another matter which he will urge upon
the Canadian government is that pro-
vision be- taken to keep firearms out ot
the hands Of the natives
Would Kill All the Reindeer.
The I u4t"4 rldl'N E'f'A 'iiiA'4''r ''
said. has been compelled To- spend enor-
nous sums OF money In stocking Alaska
with reindeer This was made necessary
because the government had allowed the
complete determination OF the caribou,
which formerly existed I'm that country hy
the million. The Esquimaus can never eN-
terminate the caribou IN the Coronation
Gulf region II they are compelled 10 us"
their present arms-bows and arrows
but the earre IS doomed II firearms come.
and the determination OF the caribou
would mean the determination OF the
Esquimaus'
Within eighteen months the explorer
homes To lead another expedition into the
territory OF the blond. or. as he laugh
lngly refers 10 them. the newspaper
Esguimaus, I'm order TO collect additional
data In regard 10 the chronological prob
lem which they present. His haste IL
due To his fear that pestilence may de-
stroy the tribe or large part OF IT,
Mr.. Stefansson said yesterday that he
had never asserted positively that the
variation OF blondness was due 10 mixed
blood. lie said that he would be unwill-
ing to make any such statement until he
had made census OF the entire tribe and
had made an accurate count OF the ex-
act extent OF the variation. IN his next
expedition he will be equipped with