Iditarod pioneer., 1917-02-17
ESKIMOS' POLITICAL STATUS
 DEFINED BY NOME MAN
Nome Nugget

kNOme IHuEEctJ
 Carl J. Lomen has contributed to the cur rent issue of The Eskimo, published by the bureau of education in the interests of the Eskimos of Northern Alaska an instructive article on "The Political Status of the Alas kan Eskimo" which is herewith reprinted
 Much argument has been raised since the .ccent election, held November 7, 1916, as O the political status of the Eskimo, and lis righ- to vote, occasioned by the fact that he contest for political honors at said cleo, ton vas close and that the vote contained number of ballots cast by Esklmos.
 Inasmuch as the Second judicial division Alaska contains greater Eskimo than yhte population, the right of the Eskimo 70 vote becomes a very important question: nace will not permit any elaborate arSu- ment of this question, but simply refer encc to the various steps taken by the fed raj government in regard thereto.
 Under the Treaty of Cesson" the United States agreed Article 3 that "the unclvll-
 cd tribes be subject to such laws and .rlaions as the United States may from lime to time adopt in regard to aboriginal .Ues of that country" lAla>kal.
 In 1884 congress provided civil govern .ent for Alaska (23 Stat. 24), since which
 sue this territory has been an organized arritCry of the United States, and by Vlr-
 c of Section 1891 of the Revised Statutes
 1ch provides that "the constitution and I laws of the United States which are not
 aaIy inaprlicablc shall have the same
 rec and effect within alt the organized ter
 tories. and in every territory Hereafter or ganized, as elsewhere within the United tates," the general laws passed by congress n relation to the Indian tribes were eX- ended to Alaska, and the urciviIzed tribes ere are entitled to the same rights priVl-
 a5 and immunities under such laws as re the aboriginal tribes within the United States
 In 1887 congress passed law ("1ndian ,averalty b.u,' Act Feb. 8, 1857, 24 Stat. 3SS) under which "Indians' or half breeds" who have taken up their residence separate end apart from any tribe of ln- dians, and have adopted the habits of civil zed life. become thereby citizens of the United States As to the applicability of his law to Alaska the circuit court of ap- peaIs for the Ninth circuit, in inc case of Naglc vs the United States ll91 Fed. l4l) avs:
 "The act is so specific and far-raaahing III its scope that ]. must be held to be gen oraI in its purposes and mtendment and to
 jly to every Indian within the territorial limits Of the United States
 The meaning cf thc word Indian ls de fined under ~re lU22 of the Compiled Lays of Alaska, which read as fellows:
 "Tbat the term Indian i'll this act shat. be construed to include the aboriginal races inhabiting Alaska when annexed to tie United States. and their descendants of the WLoia or holf blood who have not become citizens of the United States"
 Since the passage of the act of March 3. 1871 (16 Stat. 544) it has been the policy i congress not to treat further with tho indians as tribes, and to govern them by lew and not by treaty, and this policy al lords ample reason why general laws shou q apply to individual Indians in Alaska as we'll as elsewhere.
 The fourteenth amendment to the con ttution designateS as citizens of the United States, and of the s.ate wherein they re
 Q. all persons born or naturallzed in the United States, and subject to the Jurlsdlc- ton thereof.
 The reason that the Indian of the United States did not come under the fourteenth amendment has been given by the court III the case of Elk vs. Wilkins (112 U. $ 94, , Sup. G. All, in which it says:
 uTl,o r., +riboy l,.ipr, ,t,,t hin hp ritorial limits of the United States, were not, strictly speaking, foreign states, but hey were alien nations, distinct political communities, with whom the United States might and habtualIy did deal, as they fought fit, either through treaties made by the President and senate, or through act Ut congress in the ordinary forms of legls tation The members of those several tribes owed immediate allegiance to their tribes, and were not part of tie people of the United States,
 The Eskimos of Alaska are divided into ] considerable number of geographic dlvl ions, based chiefly on locality and dalectic differences. Politically they differ from the indian of the United States proper, in that hey are not organized into tribes and owe allegiance to no power other than that of ~a federal government.
 The organic act creating legislative as .embly in the territory of Alaska, and con ierring legislative power thereon, extended he constitution and laws of the United tates to Alaska but limited the power of .e legislature in the matter of amending ltering, modifying or repeating the gen ral laws of the United States"
 The Second territorial legislature 1915l aalizing the value of citizenship to the de scendants of the aboriginal tribes of Alaska anacted law Chapter 24, Session Laws of Alaska, 1915), under the provisions of which native Indians born within the limits of the territory of Alaska may have the fact of heir citizenship definitely established by complying with the terms of said act Con- ress could pass such law, without ques- .on, but the right of the territorial legis- -f