The Cordova daily times., 1922-07-17
MISSIONARIES
 EXPERIENCE
 IN ALASKA

CHICAGO, July 18.-Completing six thousand mile journey from Point Hope, Alaska, which consumed three months and six days-two months and eight days of which were spent in "mushing" thousand miles behind a dog sled through the snow, Rev. William A. Thomas, Episcopal Missionary at Point Hope, three hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, brings a remarkable story of a governing Esquimaux community which has been successful Iy carried on at Point Hope for the past six years.
 Under the tutelage of the mis- sionaries equal suffrage has been established among the Tigaras, who annually in town meeting elect from among themselves the Omalik, or council of Leading Men, who, in turn enact the local laws and see to their enforcement among the thou sand natives who inhabit the re- zion. This democracy of the frozen north even has it's own prohibition lay, which was adopted three years before the prohibition amendment was adopted in the United States, says Rev. Thomas.
 This unique venture in Home Rule was inaugurated six years ago, after the breakdown of the autocratic' rule of a tribal chief, and following the instruction in which has been given the younger generation of Es quimaux through 31 years at the Episcopal School at Point Hope, Rev. Thomas reports.
 "Originally the Omalik was con- posed of seven men," says MT. Thom- as. But it was found later that five was better number from the be- ginning of the experiment the right of suffrage was given to men and women alike, in the selection of the council. Christmas was fixed as the day of the election because on that day all of the tribesmen come into the settlement for feasting and mer- ry making, and we are able thereby to get the fullest expression of the sentiment of the people. The names are written on a blackboard, and the five securing the greatest num- Der of votes are declared elected, while that one of the five who re- ceives the greatest number of votes becomes the chief councilman"
 Rev. Thomas points out that the EsquimauX are singularly orderly and law-abding people so that the work of the Omalik is largely, con- fined to the enactment of routing municipal regulations. He says: There are no police and no courts. The missionary gives some quaint il- lustrations of the manner in which Esquimaux self-government works. For example, the Omalik has a regu- lation against gossips. Any person, male of female, found guilty of gos- siping, is called before the entire community and publicly rebuked by the chief Omalik. All forms of ly- ing are drowned upon, but particu- larly among the young. A young man caught lying to his parents is to carry a certain amount of water for the public use; or, as an alter native, to give days time to as sist some aged couple in cleaning up their igloo or hut. A lad who stole some tobacco was sentenced to clean out his victims doghouse. Another native who was guilty of trifIing theft, was sentenced to accompany one of the officials on a jaunt of 419 miles to Point Barrow, walking all the way behind a dog sled. He was furnished his meals on the journey, and, of course, had his rest periods, but the penalty lay in being compelled to give his services during the trip in the management of the dogteam."