The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1920-08-12
NATIVE SCHOOL
WORK OUTLINED
BY SUPT. L0PP
Alaska Schools Doing Good
Work; Shortage Of Teach
ers and Money Noted

In statement givet out at Seat
tie recently, William T. Lopp, Ch1el
of the Alaska Division of the Gov
eminent Bureau of Education, de-
scribed the work being done by
schools for Natives in the Territory.
The most pressing need for these
schools in order that they may be
of greatest possible usefulness is
adequate funds, according to Mr..
Lopp.
"OwIng to the establishment OF
an orphanage made necessary by
the ravages of Influenza" said Mr..
Lopp, the government appropriation
of s25O,OOO last year was found in
adequate and the sum of $500, 900
was actually spent. This year the
appropriation has been increased to
s275,00O. Estimates of expenses
are exceedingly difficult to make
under present conditions with the
great stretch of territory for which
the division officers are responsible
during long months when additional
supplies cannot be shipped.
Teachers and workers are pecul-
iarly dependent on the adequacy
and promptness of service rendered
in the matter of supplies. and APP
propriations should be made avail
able as early as March or April in
stead of as late as July.
Regarding teacher shortage, Mr..
Lopp said it is felt to some extent
in the Native schools.
Salaries have been raised SAID
he, "and the fact that our teachers
are furnished teacherages with fuel,
light and all other supplies except
raw food and bedding, makes their
living problem much simpler than
that of the teachers in the white
schools of Alaska, who report the
cost of room and board last year
as from $40 to SIS month.
Service Counts
Moreover, our teachers are deep
ly impressed with Importance of thcl
service they are going. The teach
erage, usually in charge of man
and his wife, furnishes not only ii
center for school work, but for all
social, industrial and civic work. |
One visitor to Alaska aptly charac-
terized the work of the government
school teacher when he said: Hell
is the social and economic leader
of the Eskimos, their advisor ana
inspirer in the struggle toward civ
ilization, their counselor and physi-
clan in sanitation and health, ana
their friend who stands for all the
great American government means
to them
Mr. Lopp called attention to the
fact that every school has its medl- |
cine chest and the larger settlements
government physicians and nurses, |
while hospitals are maintained at
strategic points.
Although II schools are now in |
operation, Mr.. Lopp continued, |
more are needed, as good many |
settlements are still unreached. mi
those fully organized regular grade
school work with practical courses |
in cooking, carpentry, sewing and |
other branches especially adapted
to the needs of the local school
''The greatest work for the Ma |
tives, however, and the one least |
understood and appreciated by the
public, has been the introduction
and development of the reindeer in
dustry in the northern and western
part of Alaska giving the Natives
there not only a new means of live
libood, but developing among them
an economic power and responsible |
ity of incalculable value to the
race Just as the government ma
tive schools in Alaska pioneered in
the matter of making the school a |
community center so our work in
vocational and industrial training
antedated that of the States when
we gave to the Eskimos this new
means of livelihood and began their
training for it.
Between 1892 and 1902, rein
deer were imported from Siberia by
the Bureau Of Education. Thesel
have now increased to $50. 600 dis |
tributed all over Western Alaska.
Two-thirds of these belong to thel
Natives and represent basic in
dustry worth $2,50o,0,0 put into