Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-03

ness mctliuds arc taught -, The .i-huul
I'll" village has town meetings q,
Winch all matters "f public interest are
d'acuSs"d ana th" popular vote dc
t"rinin'u what shall H., done.
The ltn'dnA a"c not rh,ingits. Tho,
"'ion:- to - different indiuu family and
Tor - long iimo their "nl, homo sccn,.
:" hIT" hccn on Queen Charlotte Is
'um". In British Columbia i.aicvs,,n,
of them moved to The west rU?st ,u,!
ABOUT 2"o years ago. according Ia their
tral!tions. they drove the TnIiuvit.
ont az part II Prince OF Wales IL.
hthd nhd settled there. They have al
ways hc"n conSider,I a superior IN
dHt'i. aud have had the reputation OF
bein. tho bcS; painters. carycrs IN.
90 noc-bu'ldcrs % Southeastern hlaska
In the past thcy followed their canoe F.,
out al SinGi' logs or cedar. aud they
built houses With cedar bcams and
pianks which we're worked out with
AIDES "f stone. Al ono tim. there
were something like 5000 of them. bu;
during our possession Of Alaska IN.
nUnhc" III tho United states territory
has never bccn more than Gno or sou.
ItI.INWiN SAID no
III: 400 YEARS OLD
rue lhiinSlts arc scattered every
"h"fc throughout tho Alexander nrrhi-
PciaSo ana 'h"rc arc tribes that live
on the mainland Nlukwan is viii
iaSc OF tho chilkais. on the Chilkat
River. not far from Skasway. Tho
town is said 10 be 200 years old and to
have once had population OF 900
souls Its people were traders. OK
changing dried fish and oil for furs
with The Athapascnns Of the interior.
Inc 'hilkhts are Srea: trappcrs They
have divided their hunting grounds
among the various families. and those
rights extend from generation TO rcn-
Grafton. They have been notod for
their skill in the various Industries.
They wove blankets century ago.
They also forged copper and did beau
tiful carving Much Of this skill has
departed with the advent or cIyiliza
ton. but they now make moccasins
ana cut out totem poles and other
things for the tourists
The Chilkats are not as advanced as
the 1ia:das. but tho settlement OF Kluk
wan has n cooperative store. which
has just paid dividend Of s5 per cont
The store is 80 good that il gets much
trade from the whites. and it is said
that the Indians come distance OF
100 miles to buy there. KIukwan has
its mems club. which holds meetings
every week, at which matters of town
interest arc discussed. Now the bows
arc talking OF forming a clubhouse,
with reading room, toilet and bath.
The reading-room will be large enough
to hold meetings in. Magazines will
ha SlIh had 20
from time to time.
The government is trying to induce
these Indians TO so into canning, and
some canning machinery has been sent
there. The school-teachers advise that
sawmill be installed. They say that
the boys are quick to learn carpentry.
and they are now making chairs, tables
and sleds in the school shops Last
year they began to work In sheet metal.
and made alright stoves which sold
from $3.50 to So each. Their sleds
bring from 81 to $40. and cost about
half that to make
Among the other movements to bet
ter the Indians of Southeastern Alaska
is that OF school farming. Both chill
dren and adults are shown how to
make gardens, and some Of the villages
are growing vegetables and berries of
various kinds. At. Klukwan they arc
raising turnips. potatoes and carrots,
and also cabbages. peas and lettuce.
One of the teachers reports that lie has
supervised the making OF seventeen
native gardens inside the Arctic Circle
and that he has four large school gar
dens doing we'll. There arc Indian gar
dens at Eagle. Fort Yukon and Kla-
wock. and one has been started at
Cnalaska, in the Aleutian Islands
The government is doing all il can
to improve the sanitary conditions
the Indians. The teachers are
cleaning up the towns, and the doctors