The Wrangell sentinel., 1927-06-16
Indian Agent
 Faces Big Job
 This Summer

Scott Simpson. Agent of the De- partment of Indian Affairs for northern British Columbia. is visit- ing his many friends in WrangelI while waiting for the departure Of the Hazel B No. ? for Telegraph Creek
 Mr Simpson is well known to the people Of Wrangell as the Indian Agent who has for a number Of years been in charge of the office at Telegraph. For the past two years he has been making his win ter headquarters at Atlin. in the eXz treme northern part of British Co., lumbia. this point being more ae= cessible and convenient for his work with the Indians
 Some time in July. as soon as the high waters have abated. Mir. Simp= son will start on his annual tour of inspection through the Gassiar dis trict. visiting the Indians at Dease Lake, McDames Creek and Liard Post.
 There is a little surprise in store for the aborigines this season, Scott informs Us. According to the new game and fur regulations which are to become effective this summer, al of the natives are required to regis ter their trapping grounds with the Police or the Indian Agent
 Tt sounds very simple Simp son was heard to remark but wher one considers the fact that most of the Indians who visit L1ard Pos are nomads-little bands of hunters and trappers who are continuall5 on the move=the task is not an easy one to perform. .
 Those who are at all familiar with the Liard and it's people will readily understand the difficulty 0 enforcing these regulations among the primitive tribes who claim this remote district as their hunting grounds
 Vast areas of this country are still unexplored. From time to time some wandering prospector has ven tured across to the Dease country from the Mackenzie Those who have succeeded in reaching tho Dease have remarkable tales to tel of great mountain ranges and un- charted rivers and lakes, the eX- istence of which were heretofore [ matter for conjecture.
 The only inhabitants of this vast hfnterland east of Lfard Post ar nomad Indians whose lives and GUS toms are so far removed from ciyili- zation that they have never formal ly accepted treaty with the Cana dian government.
 These Indians visit the Hudson's Bay Trading Post at Liard twice 2 year-late in December, after the fall beaver hunt and again in mid summer, as soon as the spring floods are past. They travel afoot every man. woman. child and doF with a pack on his back-mostly furs. for they live on the country and carry but little camp equip ment.
 When a wide and dangerous river is encountered the hunters kill sev eral moose and use the skins in the construction of a boat. These boats are strongly made. They will carry from four to eight persons, togethe1 with their baggage and firearms.
 Because of their Vagabond mode of life an accurate census of thes people is out of the question. Many of them disappear for several years When they finally turn up at Liare again one learns that they hay been visiting friends or relatives over near Fort Good Hope, som five Or six hundred miles to the east or some other place equally dis tant.
 In the winter they travel by dog team Tobaggans are used eXclu- sivolv for there are no beaten trails A few of the natives who live in the immediate vicinity of Liard Post claim certain domain for their trap ping ground but by far the great ma iority are continually on the ge pitching camp where fresh signs O fur are seen but always in coun- try where moose or caribou is plen tiful for their diet is straight meat ten months of the year.
 The task of segregating thess folks and a1lotting certain sections as trapping concessions will m doubtedly prove to be a man-size job. ! We wish Scott Simpson sue : cess in compiling this Who's Who in the Liard."