The Wrangell sentinel., 1940-04-05
WRANGELL ANSWERS
 OPPORTUNITIES KNOCK

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 The Sentinel is proud to report this week in behalf of the citizens of this community that Wrangell is taking the leadership in developing what promises to become one of AL aska's major industries-the tourist business.
 On June and 4, Wrangell will hold it's first big Potlatch in an at tempt to offer to travellers some of the things for which they pay mon ey and travel thousands of miles to see. Wrangell is going to try and give them their moneys worth, an ticipating that they will return again, that they will tell their friends, and their friends will come north to the greatest summer re- creation land in the world. h short, the citizens of Wrangell, ever alert, are answering opportunity's knock. They are doing something definite to further the tourist business in the Territory and at the same time bol- stering their own community.
 The transportation companies for years have endeaVored to promote the tourist business to Alaska. The cooperation from Alaska communi- ties has been nothing to brag about. No community has made any con- crete effort to say bring your travellers here and we'll give them something to sec" The attitude has been friendly, but broad; rather, sort of a general invitation to come up and kill bear. catch a trout, see a glacier and go home. Trans portation companies can't arrange schedules on that sort of plan and make prolonged stays in any partic- ular port They have to have some thing definite to hook on to.
 Wrangell is attempting to give them just that. The citizens of this community are preparing to say to the transportation companies, you bring your travellers here; we'll make it worth their while"
 It is fitting and proper that Wrangell, one of the oldest and most colorful towns in the entire Terri tory, should be the one to take this leadership in the promotion of the tourist business in Alaska. We are ideally situated on the major travel route. We are in the heart of Southeast Alaska's great recreation area. We can catch a salmon off the dock and wild life of every kind is accessible a few minutes from the main street. We are historically cor rect. Our native people can point with pride to their lineage, cen turies old; their picturesque tOtems modestly proclaiming for the world to know. We are naturally endowed with the very things in which the travelling public is interested. We are among the elders of the com munities of the north. It is but na- tural that we should point the way.
 Wrangell is basing it's Potlatch on a firm foundation. It has something definite to offer. On June and 4 it is having a coronation, a cere- mony which rarely, if ever, has been witnessed by white man. Ku- danake, leader of approximately 700 Wrangell Indians for the last 24 years, since the death of the last Chief Shakes, is being elevated to full chieftainship. A colorful regen- cy is ending; Chief is being made and taking over his leadership. There is no blare of hurdy-gurdy and merry-go-round about Wran- gell's Potlatch. It is the real thing. It is, as we said before, historically correct.
 So we'll see you at the Potlatch; you, MT. President; you, MT Secre- tary; you, MT. Congressman; you, Mir. Official of all rank; you, hon. orable Chiefs and your people; you, Mr Traveller, and especially you, John and Jane General Public. The latch strings out. Don't knock; walk in.