The Wrangell sentinel., 1948-11-26
A-.B CONVENTION
 ENDS AT SITKA

.4.I.a - Ninety members of the a-a.aa Native Brotherhood and the AlasKa Native Sisterhood were nomeWard bound this week after NtsIuug the Mt. Edgecumbe school of the Alaska Native Service, see ing its b00-studet pnlant of 200 buildings on what formerly was the Sitka naval air station, and handling the usual convention bus mess that marks the annual fall meeting.
 Klawock was awarded the 1949 convention. A 5-member committee headed by Representative Andrew Hope of Sitka was selected to car ry forward the fight to abolish fish traps through the U. $. congress and the Alaska legislature. Cyrus Peck of Sitka, graduate student at Sheldon Jackson mission school, was elected president of the ANB to replace Cyril zuboff of Juneau, two-times leader of the ANB. Amp | Hollingshead was reelected presi- | dent of the Sisterhood.
 Joe Williams, popular fisherman and businessman of Saxman, near Ketchikan, retained his post of i Sergeant-at-Arms in a close battle with George Carteeti of Hoonah ] who introduced "non-Republican affidavit" he said had been sent him by President Truman with the recommendation that he be elected to the post Williams has held for some time. Both were roundly cheered after making humorous bids for the office.
 A parade of officials of Alaska and Federal agencies appeared on the platform at the ANB hall. A number of the delegates visited their sons and daughters at the imposing. Edgecumbe school which boasts five courses in shop work, ranging up to diesel engineering plus 6-weeks course aboard ship in navigation and ship mainten- anee.
 Delegate E. L. (Bob) Bartlett was made an honorary member of OuIlluS needs of the Alaska Native and his hopes for the future He criticized the forest service for holding back development of industries and roads in Alaska, and the Fish and Wildlife Service for kow-toWing to the industry ill the past rather than to the fisherman. The list oi honorary membrs of the ANB is short totaling about six. Governor Ernest Gruen4ng shares the Aon5...
 Delegates were tod by Genel.a. Superintendent Don C. Foster uf I the ANS that over use of liquor l Is the greatest social problem or the Alaska Native today and that | most of the children at Wrangell institute now housing only or | phans of native extraction, most 1f | those at Minnie Field home near Jueaun and large portion of pa l tients at Alice Island (Sitka) tub erculosis sanitorium were homeless | or ill because of the liquor situa- tion in many homes. The conven- | tion, however, was marked as us- ual by total sobriety. It was open l ed each day by singing Onward ! Christian Soldiers" and a prayer and it's sessions are usually in the spirit of Sheldon Jackson, founder of the Presbyteran mission school here which for many years was the only educational institution of !, fering high school training to the Alaska native.
 i Attorney James E. Curry of l Washington, D. C., plugged for re- seryations for Alaska native groups but found Mayor Harry Douglas of Hoonah opposed to him. ! Curry seemed hopeful that the new Demcratic congress will offer a settlement in land and money of aboriginal rights claims in Alaska.
 He said he has been serving without pay in many cases handled in Washington but the convention agreed to try to raise 5000 to- ward his retainer in the coming months.
 Fishing Requests
 The ANB decided to ask the Fish and Wildlife Service to open the fall salmon season October 1, and close it October 15, opening offshore fishing July Is, with no closing at all in Southeastern AL aska. It asked limit of 30 mink per trapper and the mandatory tagging of all mink taken. It ask ed retention of the present regula- tion allowing non-commercial (subsistence) fishing by Alaska natives for their own use. An ef- fort is under way to eliminate it.
 The convention opposed the F & WIS proposal that all seine-caught