Iditarod pioneer., 1916-03-11
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
 FOR RELIEF OF NATIVES
To the Editor of The Iditarod Pioneer:

to amelorate their condition. But Tn heli1- inc them we must realize that so long as the cause of their sad plight exists we can never abolish poverty from among them. Owing to their precarous means o1 prNcur, ing food the same condition Will prevail again and again unless we do something more substantial than giving them tenn p0rary aud.
 Of course in considering Mir Lees mar ratiye some allowances may be permitted for the impressions which the scenes de scribed would have on one who probably is a stranger to the character and mode of living of the natives. 1 have visited very few Indian camps in which filth and hunger did not reign supreme
 The Indian lives with as little eXertion as possible. There may be d dearth of white mans food, occasoned by the smell run of salmon la~t summer; but surely the lakes and rivers are not de rleed of their hordes of fish, and Ii the Indian had the energy to beStlr himselt there would not be the dire poverty which Mir. Lee so graphically depicts.
 It is superficial for us to condemn the Indian because he lacks the initiative to get away from the villages and rustic for himself Starvation represses initiative, as we may see among those of our own race, victims of our unjust system, who plne m OUT great cities when they might strike out for themselves and secure place m the sun To imputc the Indians condition to unwillingnesS to work for others IS to confess lack of knowledge of the condl- tons under which they live. Men among ourselves gre sometimes at loss to earn a living through want of work,
 Perhaps. unfortunately for the lnch&n, he has acquired an appetite for 'white mans food"; and now he has the appetite without the means of satisfying 1t. The srarle articles have become with him almost a necessity a necessity which, through the growing scarcity of fur. he procures insuttl- ciently to sustain himself and family. True, he has not yet learned the arts of economy, and his rrodigohty at potlatch IS pro verbial He lives for today, with no thought of tomorrow In buying or trading he exercises little prudence, But when we take into consideration the small oppor- tunities he has had to learn our domestic policy, we may in some measure overlook these shortcomings. Civilization, with Its attendant blessings and evils. has been thrust too suddenly upon the Indian and, ke Is asked to conform, in one generator, to conditions to which even we are not vet accustomed We burst upon his prlmeTal simplicitv with our flour calico, candy, pho nographs things useful ornamental and otherwise childlike. he reaches out fir the things that rlease the eye and the palate while discarding that which Is more essential to his comfort and well-being.
 The Indian should be taught to support himself independently of the precariouS hunt and trap line His income from his catch of salmon. even ln tue best oi sea sons, is ineligible. With the introduction of reindeer into the country, and the!r DOS session restricted to the native there was some hope that this dream of independence might be realized; but since the Whl1e man has been granted the privilege of raising deer that dream has been shattered, aS 1t is cnlv a question of time when the native will have no herds.
 Agriculture is the only salvation left for the native With the vast areas of fertile land bordering the rivers, with proper ln- structors to show him how to cultivate the soil, with a government ready to assist hlm with seed and implements in the initial stage of his venture. think it would not be difficult to convert the native into t;ler of the soil They are not vagabonds, but stay close by their native villages; which is characteristic which should make easy the conversion.
 What Is needed is resident instructors to live close to the native villages in order to impart information and oversee the natives =. .I ,F ro;riDu and UnrHpD produce. To instruct them verbally, with out actual demonstration, is wasted effort. The Indians powers of reflection are not great, and he anprehends only that which his senses perceive.
 True, the various missions throughout the country, to some extent, instruct them Tn these things; but when the pupils depart from the influence of the mission they in yariablv revert to their tribal customs. We may bear with them in this respect when we remember that we too, often lapse into ignorance when we leave the school room behind Like our Sabbath day religion, in structicn serves no purpose unless It IS practiced; and, in the case of the Indian, the only effective instruction IS to have the object lesson of industry continually be- side him The reward of a bountlful har- vest will be incentive enough to spur hlm to emulation; and habits of industry will be inculcated that no temporary soJourn Tn mission can effect. Man is an initiative animal; and the Indian is no exception.
 We have been taught that industry is a virtue; and the white toiler has been left to solace himself with virtue as his sole re ward, while his masters appropriated the tangible profits. Let Us encourage industry in the Indian for the Indians sake, and the greatest of all virtues -charity-wil be credited to us, and may yet atone for the many sins committed against him. Let us help him to better his physical well-belng, and his spiritual and intellectual welfare will follow as day follows night. By teach ing him to be independent we will help him to build character; and 1t is only by virtue