The Cordova daily times., 1916-06-17
ALASKA INDIANS |NTELL|GENT
 |S CLAIM

work of the bureau of education in the Copper river valley. is in Cordova in connection with his duties.
 | The work of the bureau of educa. tion is progressing satisfactorily. ac- cording to Miller, who insists that much good is resulting from its eff forts. The following article dealing with the Copper river natives was con tributed by him:
 The Copper river Indians, from Tar al northward to the headwaters of the Copper river. number slightly more than three hundred subdivisions of which tribe recognize in varying de gree by the leadership of Chief Good lataw at Chitina, Chief Billum at Ton sina, Chief Bib Jack at Copper Center, Chief Evan at Gulkana and Chief John at Mantasta, the latter having died during the year 1915.
 The exact origin of the Copper river Indians is still a mooted question, Some maintaining that his progenti- tor are Japanese. Others hold the opinion that he is a descendant of the Canadian-American Indian. Our ob- servations incline us to the opinion that the traces of Japanese blood show only among the younger members Of the tribe, and that the purest types found among the older Indians pos sess similar features, habits, traits and characteristics of the American 1 Indian. ....-
 One thing is certain, he has become purely an Alaskan Indian in one re- spect at least; he has acquired the { Alaska standards of value, the easy come, easy go, methods of spending his money when he has any, and has very little conception of economy. Most people inquire; "ls he suscep- tible Of higher development; apt to learn?" We answer without hesita- ton. yes, When we feel inclined to judge these people rather harshly, when they so often fall so far short of our expectations. we do well to remember the fact that they are scarcely fifty years from the bow and arrow stage of living, with no written form of language, and a vocabulary Of less than one thousand words, in their native tongue.
 Their brief period of contact with lthe white people from the earliest Russian occupation dswn to the pres ent time has been a succession of contradictions sufficient to produce a sort of chaotic bedlam in his hither- to unsuspicious and unlettered mind. He will tell you how the first white ,men he saw, the Russian traders, un- dertoOk tc ens!2ve him, beating him into submission, and compelling obed- Hence which he remembers with ab. horrence and dread. Then came the iprospectors, care-free, generous mind ed adventurers, shouting their enthu- siasm and singing their way to the gold fields, paying the Indians three dollars apiece for salmon, dollar a pound for packing, libsrally sharing his food with him when hungry, and leaving him many an outfit and grub stake after he had given up the strug gle and was hitting the trail hard back to home and mother.
 Abundance of fish and game ol which he could easily take ample : supply, with no thought for the nor row except the getting of an addition , al supply of such foods from the sum ; mer's growth of berries and roots al !. added variety to his simple menu fol
 the winter months. such life ha'
 i'll prepared him to readily realize th'
 serious situation which now confront' }. him, of taking thought for the future
 and providing for those dependen ', upon him by real work.
 r. None who have made close ant Il careful study of the Indian in his pri
 mitiye state of life will charge hin
 with being by nature more immora }. Continued on Page Three.
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