The Cordova daily times., 1920-07-31
NATIVES ADOPT
 MANY CUSTOMS
 OF THE WHITES

territory are rapidly changing tnelr customs and adopting their white brothers standards is shown more convincingly in the change in regard to the estates of deceased persons than in any other one thing. An arti- cle in the Verstovian, the monthly pub lication of the Sheldon Jackson school at Sitka, says:
 In the old days it was the custom when a native died to divide his prop erty among the members of the tribe without regard to the Restitution and want caused immediate relatives by such division. The family of the dead person would have lost face" if the property had not been divided in this way. This made it very hard for the surviving members of the family, many cases being known where native families were reduced from great wealth from a native standpoint to absolute poverty, following the demise of the head of the family.
 The organization of town govern ment has changed this custom and the people of these towns have begun to adopt the custom of the whites and divide the property among surviving relatives. So many families, who were dependent on the fathers relatives for care, are now receiving their shares of estates.
 The funeral feast was also another custom which the native people used in memory of a dead person. This was given by the relatives. In order to give feast to perpetuate the mem ory of his uncle, man would save both food and money, and at the time of the feast would spend the money for more food After he had collected all the things needed he would tell his have a feast in his dead uncle's house, then his relatives helped him by get ting more food. All the different tribes around then gathered for the feast. When the people were gathered the man would announce that the feast was in memory of his uncle.
 After the feast, in order to thank the man, those who had attended gave a dance This dance was learned from the interior Indians and it would be interesting nowadays. The audience sat on one side of the house and the dancers, who wore different kinds of embroidered coats, came in from the outside.
 But funeral feasts did not do the dead man any good and only impov- erished the party giving it, leaving him with almost nothing after the guests were gone.
 Another custom that has passed away quite recently was that of mar riage sales. When a girl was old enough to get married her parents decided for her whom she should wed. Her father must first know the char acter of the man before he was al lowed to marry the daughter. When a man wanted to take a girl for his wife he always told his mother that he wanted the girl. If he wanted to marry right away the women of his tribe contributed a certain amount of money, then went to the girls parents and had a meeting with kind words. After this the parents of the man and girl talked to each other, then the man took the girl for his wife.
 Another custom that would seem strange to white boys and girls is that the native men and boys did not talk to their sisters, nor was married man allowed to talk to his mother-in- law. A brother and sister used to be ashamed to look at each other. The natives used to think it one of the most impolite things if a man talked to his sister or mother-in-law.
 One of the greatest reasons for the rapid changes among the native folk is the schools, where the youngsters are taught civilized ways. These they impart to their parents, who are quick to see the advantage of such changes.
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