The Nome nugget., 1927-01-01
ESKIMO LIFE IN NORTHERN ALASKA BEFORE AND AFTER THE COMING OF THE MISSIONARIES

The work of the Bureau of Edu- cation and the churches of Northern Alaska has been so closely related that credit for the present day re- suits is due to both.
 Before the white people came to Barrow the natives there did not know of the other people. They thought they were the only people on this earth. They lived mostly by hunting. The houses in winter were made from driftwOod covered with grass of moss and a window in the center of the roof was made by stretching sealgut over the wood len frame.
 There were no dogs until they be- gan 10 train the little wolves. Be- fore this. boys and girls as soon as they were old enough were taught to pull the sleds. Boys were taught to hunt, while the women stayed home and did the heavy work. They had to chop wood, get ice and do the cooking. When the men got home from hunting they were greet ed with drink before they enter ed the house. After entering they sat around the fire while their wiv- es waited on them with food. The cooking was done out in the hall way. The pot they had was made out of clay and little rocks. They 1t their fire by rubbing little rocks together with moss.
 The natives kept their time from
 he sun and by the moon and stars. They could read the moon. There were many stories about the moon. From 1t they could tell when 1t was going to be bad or good weather And they could tell if they were going to have a good year hunting. And they said there was a big bird In the middle sea that made the bad weather and every time this big bird made move a big storm came.
 When n family had too many children they would throw some aw ay alive. This was done when they travelled in winter. A story Is told of Il man who was travelling In win ter who had son aged eight or nine kIt cling and he wanted to sit on the sled and have ride. His father got tired of him: he made a hole in the ice and put his little boy in and drowned him. This old man is still living but he has changed now and has become a christian.
 While this hard life was going on among the young people, white peep le came to them. The natives were so scared they ran to hide. Later m thau- -,,naa-s.. a -.l,- ...L,.~-----, wouldn't hurt them, but wanted to be friendly. The could not under stand where they came from and about the wonderful things they had.
 Later more white people came. Among them there was a certain man who was so interested in the natives and began to live with them. He had hook he used every day The natives would laugh at him be- cause he always talked to himself. It was not long before he learned how to talk Eskimo and began to tell them about God. Many came to listen and spread the news to others. They turned from their beliefs and wanted to learn more about the white mans books. The white people gave them food and other things. Before they learned to use flour, beans and rice, they would throw them away for they did not know how to use them Later on they discovered that they were good Q eat When the little girls played house they used them for make believe cooking. From that they discovered how to use these foods.
 In 1890 Dr. Sheldon Jackson started mission work in Barrow and also brough reindeer from Siberia in the year 1892. The reindeer of today are said to be descended from the wild caribou that were domes- ticated in northern Europe and Asia centuries ago. Over one thousand reindeer were brought across Ber- ing Straits. This saved many peoples lives. Now every man owns reindeer. even the women and child ren own them. They use them i.; many different ways. Their skins are used for coats ano boots. They trade the meat for anything they want in the stores.
 MT. Stevenson was placed in ntH NDA