The daily progressive-miner., 1915-12-10
ALASKA NATIVE
 BROTHERHOOD
 CONVENTION
Mctlakathla Nouember
 . to 2l 1915
Sixth and Seventh Sessions

tised and again large crowd of th' Metlakahtla people were present as were also some of the Govern ment teachers.
 Tn general subject on the pro gram was the Alaska native citizen ship, and this was treated acordins i to its desirability for the natives how the same could be secured ant when, and also the requirements O { the new law or the subject.
 The chair: "The subject that en l gages our earnest attention her, tonight is one that is new to u today, and one that was utterly un known to our fathers of few year. ago. Like any of the other de mands of this present life the cal of our country for the exercise or our part of the ordinary duties oi good citizens is pressing, and wt cannot shirk it whatever. Let us be humble and wise, and at once fanliliarize ourselves with this, anC then under the guidance of oul American friends let US try to full fill its requirements for the good of our northern country and oul native people. If we commit bad mistakes let us be very willing to have them corrected, and then trv again."
 "The law books tell us," contin- ued the presiding officer, that :n the olden- times, a citizen in the Roman law and government seems to have designated person who had sthe freedom of any Roman city, and the right to exercise all political and civil privileges of the govern ment. There was also at Rome a partial citizenship including civil put not political rights.
 "The citizen under our flag and government today is one who owes to government allegiance, service and support, and to whom the gov ernment in turn grants and guar antees liberty of person, of con- science, of human society, the right of acquiring and possessing prop erty, of suit and defense, and sa- eurity in person, estate and repu- tation This is but plain and simple definition of the American citizen. and I trust that it will help us to- night to understand the important subject before us."
 The deliberations that followed were led by Messrs, Price, Walton, Warrington and Mercer. In the course of the proceedings the new law was read and examined, and it's requirements noted and explain ed. At the end of which the brethren concluded that the ordin- ary rights and privileges of the American were desirable to such of the natives as were qualified; that there should be no favoritisms al lowed in the matter; that no party politics should mar the struggles of the natives, and that as fast as the natives who were able to do so to comply themselves to the new law.
 Ynen at the next morning ses- sion, Nov. 24, the president, MT. Peter Simpson, asked the question from the program, what business caLlings did the natives actually engage in? the answers were many, interesting, instructive and anus ing.
 There was a long list made out from actual practice. It is sur prising to find out that in spite Of the competition of the intelli- gent American business men, quite q number of the natives in Alas ka are today engaged in many hon. orable business callings other than mere hunting and fishing, year in and year out. Many failures and their causes were noted and these were much regretted.
 Mr. Charles Jones, an elderly delegate from Wrangell, concluded one of the series of discussions with the following: Young gentle men and friends. I cannot help my self. l must conform myself to the conditions of the day in which l live now. So many white people have come to our country, and some of them have brought us the clear light of a better life. Why should 1 hold back? It is not right for me to do this. There was a time when the wild seal used tc plunge into the waters at the slightest disturbance in the air Now he has become used to ths bright flashes of the government light on his native rookery, and he does not flee so easily any more If he can do that surely I can al So conform myself and life to the