Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-08-10

"Why are you trying to educate the Eskimoss
Why don't you let them alone? They were happy
and were able to exist before you began to change
their mode of life"
These are the questions that asked and an
swered In The Eskimo a monthly magazine pub
lished at Nome Alaska In the interests of Eskimos
of the northwest district Of Alaska. Walter Z.
Shields, superintendent Of the work of the bureau
of education department of the interior, in north
western Alaska who writes the leading article in
this new magazine of the North, says:
''The people who ask these questions, II they are
really sincere enough to warrant any consideration,
be divided into two classes. First, those who
display their scientific knowledge by quoting the
law of the survival Of the fttest' with the assump
ton that the Eskimo is not fit to survive. The
second class claim peculiar insight into the frame
Of mind Of the ancient Eskimo, who, they assert,
was an especially contented Individual and further
more they insist that the Eskimo of today is not
contented.
Eskimo Fit and Able.
rhis set of critics insists on taking the position,
indefensibe in this day and generation that educa-
ton is bad thing for people. The claim of our
service is that the Eskimo by reason Of his inner
ent qualities and because of his geographical posi-
ton is fit and able to survive and claim that by
our system Of education for him making
him not only more fit to survive, but that he will
be vital factor in the development of northern
Alaska
"The Eskimo is not dependent. On the contrary,
he is even in the present condition, real and vital
factor in the wealth Of the country. He has never
received ration from the government he sup
port himself, not always according to our stand
ards it is true but 1t is better for him eat strict
ly native food than for him to learn to expect the
government to support him. The wall SO often
heard from ignorant but presumably charitable
people, why don't you give the poor people some
food? if needed would make paupers of self-sup-
porting and noble race. We are proud Of the fact
that we have not fed the Eskimo. We are proud
of him as a man because he feeds himself.
zone reason why primitive have often
been pushed to the wall by the white race has
been that the white race has coveted and needed
the land AS far as see, for years to come
the white man will not make any attempt to push
the Eskimo off his part of the map. While there
will undoubtedly be developments in mining, yet
for a long time to come the Eskimo will have
plenty of room in northern Alaska. Therefore,
even If this northern part of Alaska, through some
unexpected development should become desirable
for large population, we believe that with what
development the Eskimo has already received and
the additional development that even five years
more of undisturbed possession of his northern
Businesses will give him, he will be well fitted to
meet advanced economic conditions.
"The keynote Of our school system for the Eski-
mo is its direct relation to the village life. Thus
the school republic becomes the village council
the school garden soon becomes the village garden
tha cooking class becomes the breadbaking class
for the village the cleanup Of the school grounds
becomes the village cleanup, the bench work for
the hovs' class becomes the boat and sled building
center for the village. And, most striking of ALL
the schoolboy who is sent to the reindeer herd as
an apprentice in four years becomes the trained