The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-10-10
Hon. Richard Hanna, Seattle, Washington

Dear Sir:
 At regular meeting of Igloo No. 6, Pioneers of Alaska, held at Juneau, Alaska, on September 29, 1944, there was a very earnest discussion of the Petitions filed by the Indians of Southeastern Alaska to be given exclusive rights of occupancy of large sec tions of land and the exclusive right to fish in the bays, inlets and waters. By unanimous vote, the President and Secretary were instructed to address to you as the presiding officer at the hearings to be held in Seat tie on or about November Is, 1914, the following representa- tions and protests with the re- quest that this communication be read into the record at the hearings:
 ''The lodge of Pioneers of Alaska is composed of the first settlers of the Territory and their descendants who were born here. Many have been in Alaska from 40 to 50 years, and many other members were born, reared and educated here.
 "The early pioneers came to Alaska on the express or inn piled invitation of the Govern ment of the United States, which bought Alaska from Russia with public funds, taking title free and unencumbered by any res ervations, privileges, franchises, grants or possessions by any as- sociated companies, whet h CT corporate or incorporate, Rus sian or any other, or by any par ties, except merely private in- dividual property holders. (Ar- ticle VI, Treaty of Cession.)
 "The Territory was opened up to settlement; the land laws of the United States were extended to the Territory, the townsite laws, mineral laws, homestead laws, and it was represented to settlers from the States and foreign countries that those who were sufficiently enterprising and willing to endure the nat ural hardships of the long jour ney to the Territory, the perils of exploration and the many other natural obstacles to settle ment and development which existed could obtain title to lands, the right to explore and develop the mineral resources, the right to fish in the waters and such rights as under the |. circumstances are the reward of hard labor, endurance and sac rifice. Alaska has been settled on that basis.
 Tt is matter of general and universal knowledge that the lot of the pioneers of Alaska was a hard one. They came here, settled, took up lands, develop ed mines. fished in the waters, and, with the assistance of large amounts of capital which they attracted here by their efforts, they developed the fisheries to their present state.
 Nov. these pioneers and their descendants find vast sections of the country being set aside in reservations, including millions of acres of the Territory which are still mostly undeveloped, but in which the pioneering has al- ready been done, and it is now proposed to set aside further reservations, including reserva- tion of the waters, and to give the exclusive right of fishing therein to the Indians on the pretext that since their ances- tors fished in the streams flow ing into the waters where the fisheries are now developed, and roamed about on the land from place to place hunting game and fur-bearing animals, that they are now entitled to the exclusive use and right of occupancy of those lands and waters regard less of the claims of the white settlers which have been estab- lished and maintained through the past seventy-five years with