Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-25
$4,000 Native People in Arctic
Zone Need Everything but
RefrigeratorS.
10 VILLAGES KAYE SCHOOLS
Teaching Hygiene in High Attitudes,
Cooperative Stores, ard Raising
Rendeer-Each Teacher
Social Worker.

spoken of what education ought 10 du
and have propouudcd theories the bur
den of which has been that education
and life should be SYNONYMOUS. one
part Of the United States has been eX
. pcricncing such an ideal in actual
practice. In Alaska each SchuOlhUuse
Is ii social center TOR the accomplish
mcnt of practical ends. Many of the
buildings, in addition to the recitation
room, contain also kitchen, quarters
of the teacher, ana a laundry and
baths for the use of the native COM
munity.
Every teacher is a social worker.
Every district superintendent. in visit
ing his Widely separated schools, must
travel vast distances by sled over the
frozen. tracklesS wilderness. FIRE.
quently he must risk his life on treaclt-
erous tempcStuous waters ina native
canoe or small pow6f. boat. Stits.ausI
endure the violence of thesffofthern
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
suppryisjon of the bureau of education.
and the details Of current operation
are reported upon by William Hamil-
ton. He tells that there are in Alaska
approximately 2Je0O natives in vii
lagos ranging from 30 or 40 up to 300
or 900 persons, scattered along thou
sands of miles Of coast line and on the
great rivers. Some Of the villages on
remote islands or beside the frozen
ocean are brought into touch with the
outside world only once or twice a
wear. when visited hy n United States
coast guard steamer on its annual
cruise. or by the supply vessel sent
by the bureau of education.
MANY Of tho settlements have no roc
MAR mail service and can communi
cate with one another and with the
outside world only hv occasionally
Dass,np boats In summer and sleds in
winter During nioht months nf tho
wear all tho VILLAGES in AlaSko with
the eyrention of those On the southern
the snow-covered land or frozen riy rs
In snite of tho difficulties of the
nroblem n limited StutaS nnblic .chool
has been established IN each of sev-
enty Villages. In manv instances the
school is the only elevo+inp mower in
tha community
tuberculosis. nneur .onia. rbeuma.
tism and yenereol diseases nrevsiI to
nm alarming eytent in many of the
native Villages and IN IFS endaavor tn
safeguard the health of the natives of
Alaska the bureau of education main
fgins hospitals in five imnortant Gem
ters. II emnlovs musicians and mrs.
es. who devote Themselves to medical
and sanitary work and nrovides medi.
cal supnlies and texthool-s IN tha
teachers 70 enohle Them m traot minor
ailments and inteIIioantIv IA srnervjso
bvpienic measures Tbara ora evtan.
siyo rorions IN which tho services -,
q nbvsicion arc NOT oh+oinahIa Ac.
cordinclv il often becomes the dutv of
n teochar to render first aid to tha
ininrod or m cara for notian+
through fhe course of a serious Illness
sunervise co.onerative Store
Anotbar dptv of the teacher ie 70 en-.
nervisa rho co-onarotivo store which is
oyrnad and rar,oed nv tho no+ivas
who deaI in e,arvtbinp hrr rafrjoera-
tors Stranga to saw tho government
of the white man has IN nrotnct tho
notive from tho white man himself
To securn tho native from tho intru.
sions of tho rnecrur,,lo,s trodar tho
huraou If educo+ion bos odon+od tho
policv of establishing reservations ia
which 1arpo numbers of natives con he
attracted md ,rbera thev can obtain
fish md ,a,ne and conduct thair own
industrial and commercial an+arnrisas
Tho settlement ar Noorvik IN tho Ko.