Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-12-03

throughout the Alexander archipelago and
there are tribes that live on the mainland
NlukWan is village of the Chilkats, on the
Shiikat river not far from Skagway. The
town IS said to be 800 years old and to have
once had a population of thousand souls
us people were traders, exchanging dried
hsll and oil for furs with the Athapascans Of
the interior. The Chilkats are great trap
pers. They have divided their hunting
grounds among the various families and
these rights extend from generation to GEN
GRAFTON. They have been noted for their
skill IN the various industries They wove
blankets century ago. They also forged
copper and did beautiful carving Much Of
this skill has departed with the advent Of civ
llization, but they now make moccasins and
cut out totem poles and other things for the
tourists
The Chilkats are not as advanced as the
Haldas, but the settlement of Klukwan has
a cooperative store, which has lust paid a
dividend of IS per cent The store is so good
that it gets much trade from the whites and
1t is SAID that the Indians come distance of
hundred miles to buy there kukwan has
Its mems club, which holds meetings everv
week, at which matters of town interest are
discussed. Now the boys are talking Of
forming a clubhouse with reading room.
toilet and bath. The reading room will be
large enough to hold meetings in. Maya
zines will be subscribed for and books added
from time to time.
The government Is trying to induce these
Indians to go 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 80
to S. each. Their sleds bring from 81 to $40
and cost about half that to make.
Among the other movements to better the
Indians of southeastern Alaska is that os
school farming Both children and adults
are shown how to make gardens, and some
OF the villages are growing vegetables and
berries OF various kinds At Klukwan they
are raising turnips potatoes and carrots, and
also cabbages, peas and lettuce. One of the
teachers reports that he has supervised the
making of II native gardens inside the Arc
tic circle, and that he has four large school
gardens at Eagle, Fort Yukon and Klawock,
and one has been started at Unalaska in the
Aleutian islands.
The government is doing all it can to i'm
prove the sanitary conditions among the In
dams. The teachers are cleaning up the
towns and the doctors and nurses of the
bureau OF education go from village to vii
lage and give directions for the care of the
sick and how to keep the we'll healthy. 1t is
estimated that 80 per cent Of the natives
have more or less consumption and that 8
per cent OF the deaths are due to tuberculo-
sis. Sanitary camps should be provided and
means OF preventing the spread of the dis
ease inaugurated The doctors have recon-
mended tuberculosis camp in the panhan-
die They want one established in the Chill
kat valley between Haines and Klukwan
OF late the Indians have taken tip the fad
OF feeding their infants from the bottle
Many of them are doing that now The
squaws know nothing about the preparation
of artificial food, and many of the children
come out OF the nursing stage feeble and
scrawny The school children are being ex-
amined for trachoma, adenoids and other
diseases. They are taught to take care of
their teeth and are warned against the using
of tobacco and alcohol
Alcohol is the great curse of the Indians
OF Alaska. Its sale is forbidden by law. but
nevertheless whisky is sold TO the Indians.
The carrying of prohibition at the last cleo
ton will do great good for these people
Congress is now appropriating small
amount per year to suppress the liquor traf-