The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-24
SUFFRAGE
AMONG ESKIM0S
Tribe Of Far North Gets
Democratic Rule in
Land of Ice
MISSIONARY WORKINGS
Government Managed by a
Regularly Elected Council
Called "Omalik"

CHICAGO. july 23.--Comploting
u G0OO-mllo journey from Point
Hope Alaska. which consumed
thrcr months and six days. two
months and eight DAYS of which
were spent iu 'mushing' n thou-
sand miles behind a dog slcd
through the SNOW. Rev william
A. Thomas. Episcopal missionary NJ
Point Hope. 800 miles north of the
Arctic circle, brings q remarkable
story Of a olf.govcrniug Esquimau
community which has hoou sucCcs8-
fully carried on M Point Hope for
the past siN years.
Under the utol1gc ~ tho mis-
siouaiips equal suffrage has been
established among the Tignrls, who
annually I'm town meeting elect
from among themselves tho omalik
or council ~ lending mon, who In
turn enact the local laws and soc
TO their CnfoIypu out among th"
thousand natiycs who iuhahit IN"
region. This democracy uf the
frozen north even has It's own pro-
hibitiuu law, which was adopted
three years before the prohibit
tiou amendment was adopted In
tho United states. says Reverend
Thomas
This unique venture in home rule
was inaugurntcd six years ago. after
the breakdown OF the Rutocratic
rule OF tribal chlct, and follow
ing the instruction which has been
given the younger generation OF
Esqulmaux through 81 years nt the
Episcopal school az Point Hope,
Reverend Thomas reports.
Christmas Election Day.
"OriRinally the omalik was COM
posed Of seven men" SAYS ReveT-
end Thomas nut II was found
later that five was better mum
ber From tho beginning OF the
experiment tho right OF suffrage
was given 10 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 trihesmcn come Into the set
tlement for foasting and merry
making, and we are able thereby 20
get the fullest expression OF the
sentiment Of the people. The names
are written on "A blackboard and
the five securing the greatest num-
her OF votes are declared elected,
while that one OF the five who re-
ceives the greatest number of votos
becomes the chief councilman
Reverend Thomas points out that
tho EsquimauX are a singularly, Or
derby and law-Hbiding people 50
that the work Of the omalik IL
largely confined TO the enactment
of routine municipal regulations.
He SAYS; There arc no police
and no courts. The missionary
gives some quaint Illustrations OF
the manner In which Esquimau
self government works. For cN-
ample, the omalik has regulation
or female. found guilty OF gossip
ing L. called before the entire COM
munity and publicly robuked by the
chief omnlik. All forms OF lying
are fruwned upon, but particularly
among the young. A young man
caught lying to his parents Is aen-
fenced to carry a certain amount OF
water for the public use. or, ms an
alternative, To give a days time to
assisting some aged couple in clean
ing up their igloo or hut. \ lad
who stole some tobacco was sem
fenced to clean out his victim s
dog house Another native who was
guilty of q tr!c!!Hs theft vas sem
fenced to accompany one OF tho OF
flcials on jaunt of 40 miles to
Point Barrow, walking all the way
behind dog sled. He was fur
nishcd his meals on the Journey,
and. OF course, had his rest periods,
but the penalty lay In being COM
PEELED to give his services during
the trip in the management Of the
dog team"