The daily Alaskan., 1914-11-23
EFFORT BEING MADE
 TO GIVE INDIANS HEALTH

recent date plan of campaign for eradlcating the white plague from among the natives Of the yukon is being evolved by John Hawksley, the Indian superintendent for. the ter ritory. Mr. Hawksley says:
 We find good many of the ln- dians In the territory are afflicted with tuberculosis, and I plan a systematized campaign to overcome the scourge and to keep the disease fought back permanently. During the last few weeks we have had seY- eral Indians under the doctors care in Dawson, and have found it neces- sary to remove large tubercuiar glands. Most of the operations have been performed in time to give relief and possibly to save. the patients for many years of active life.
 But the removal of glands is only the getting at the disease in the individual after it is deep root ed, What I am aiming at is the cause of the disease. This will have to be combatted by improved con- ditions of life for the natives. Be fore C.. advent of the whites the Indians did not know what a caoiA alW or a building of any kind was. IheS lived in skin huts or tepees whicl admitted sufficient of the freSl ozone to insure health at all times But the Indians now ape the whites and get inc cabins. It is not the HI dian's nature to work too much, Re the majority of them, unieS: schooled, keep the windows anc doors tight and have no Ven1llatoF' in their places Of abode. l am un dertaking to teach them the neces sitv of having Ventilators and o aIways keeping them open. 4 cam paign nIso is to be instituted 1T favor of thorough cleanliness. It Il quite essential that the interior O their cabins and all their clothing he washed frequently. At each In dian village close inspection is nee essary, and deputies are being nam ed for various places.
 At the Carcross Indian schoo the girls and the young men ar being taught domestic science an' the elements of sanitation. The! also are given sufficient ordinar! school education to enable them t' read and write. They also are beint instructed in gardening and genera farming. and I hope that thes' younger Indians, on returning t' their respective homes, will prove decided aid in schooling and direct ing the others in the ways of healti and industry. There is no reasoI the Indians cannot keep themselves as clean and as healthy as anyone and prove useful citizens for man! years. They also can clear landI and farm, and raise a large per centage of their foodstuffs. AlreadI they are raising tons of potatoes and other vegetables at Carcroas and never saw crops better handled. The girls there are splen did cooks. One could not desire better meals than the Indian girl of Carcross prepare.
 Tt is regrettable that the Indians have been so soreiy stricken in thi' territory by tuberculosis, but be lieve that a better day is dawn ing for them. The Indian as a rul' does not need much education. Bu he will suffer no harm if giVer enough knowledge of reading ant arithmetic to konw what IS going or and how to trade to his own ad vantage and protection, and if h' has some practical knowledge ot how to raise a good portion Of the food he needs. All these reformf will help solve the costs Of keeping the Indians, and if they can be come industrious and energetic citi' zens with our aid they may before long become again almost if not quite entirely self-supporting, while at the same time enjoying the best