The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-01-22
MANY new WAYS
70 AID ]. ALASKAAS
IS Qa Native People in Arctic
Zone Need Everything but
Refrigerators.
10 VILLAGES HAVE SCHOOLS
Teaching Hygiene In High Attitudes,
Cooperative Stores, and Raising
Rsindser--Each Teacher
Social Worker.

Warrington while EDUCATORS have
spoken OF what education ought to do,
and have propounded theories the bur-
den Of which has been that education
and life should be synonymous, one
part Of the. United States has been ex-
periencing such an ideal in actual
practice. In Alaska each schoOlhouse
n 4. social center for the accomplish
ment Of practical ends. Many Of the
buildings, in addition to the recitation
room, contain also kitchen, quarters
Of the teacher, and a laundry and
baths for the: use Of the native COM
n,upity.. -. ..s...&.1
Every; teacher is social worker.
Every district superintendent, In visit
Ing bis widely separated schools, must
travel vast distances by sled over the
frozen, trackless wilderness. FIRE.
Qpently be must risk his life on treach-
er0ns, tempestuous waters In native
canoe or small power boat. He must
endure the violence of the northern
storms, the rigors Of the arctic winter,
and the foulness Of the native huts in
which he must often find shelter.
DIRECTED by Bureau Of Education.
This work is carried on under the
Supervision Of the bureau Of education,
and the details Of current operation
aEs reported upon by William Hamil-
tons He tells that there are In Alaska
approximately 25,000 natives In vii
Agss ranging from 30 or 40, up to 300
srt40O persons. scattered along thou
sandssof miles of coast line and on the
great rivers. Some Of the villages on
remote islands or beside the frozen
oaeanrara brought Into touch with the
eutside world only once or twice q
year, when visited by a United States
ocAst guard steamer on it's annual
ssaise sor by the supply vessel sent
b. the bureau OF education.
fsMihy Oh the settlements have no reg.
Ihal mail service and can commune
cats.with one another and with the
eAtstds world only by occasionally
passing boats ia summer and sleds in
winter. During eight months Of the
year MI the villages in Alaska, with
ths exception Of those on the southern
coast, are reached only by trails over
the snOw-c0vered land or frozen rivers.
ss'In spite OF the difficulties Of the
problem q United States public school
Aas been established In each of sew
enty villages. In many instances the
school Is the only elevating power in
the community. .,'
= Tuberculosis, pneumonia, rheuma-
t3sm, and venereal diseases prevail to
an alarming extent in many Of the
native villages, and In It's endeavor to
safeguard the health Of the natives Of
Alaska the bureau Of education main
taina hospitals in Ave important CEN
tag1qIt employs physicians and nurs-
sssswhU devotet themselves to medical
md sanitary work, and provides medi-
<A supplies and textbooks to the
teachers to enable them to treat minor
ailments and intelligently to supervise
h3EenEs measures. There are extern
ave regions in which the services of
s,sphysician are not obtainable. Ac-
eordingly. It often becomes the duty of
Aateaeher to- render first aid to the
injured or to care for a patient
through the course Of a serious illness.
Supervise Cooperative Store.
another duty Of the teacher is to SUI
pervise the cooperative store which is
owned and managed by the natives,
who deal in everything but refrigera-
tors. Strange to say, the government
pf the. white man has to protect the
native: from the white man himself.
To- secure the native from the intru-
sions. Of the INSCRIPTIONS trader, the
bureau OF education has adopted the
policy Of establishing reservations to
which large numbers of natives can be
attracted and where they can obtain
6sh and game and conduct their own
Industrial and commercial enterprises.
The settlement at Noorvtk. on the Ko-