Tundra times., 1963-10-21
Editorial
 Lethargic Village Leaders
Monday, Oct. 2l, 1903


 The sawmiII clinic held recently in Fairbanks was well attended by many people from many areas ot Alaska. It was clinic that fold how to operate small sawmlls economically and efficiently was clinic from whch na- lives could have learned lo but did they aend? The answer is resoUnding NO! s1
 We of inc Tundra Times staff thoug ght that if was important meeting for natives to attend so we wrote et ters to council presidents suggesting they send represent atives to inc sawnII clinic We thought was important because we have knowledge that villages in the h. terior of Alaska have desires to establish sawmi|s
 We very disappointed. We did not even get peep out of any of inc 25 council presidents letters to- We are little angry about the apparent dis interest the village heads have shown What do they expect? They apparently want to be led by the hand by some Bureau of Indian Affairs Development Officer and have him do all inc work for them Such lndolence Will not help develop small businesses in villages
 We have heard, We want sawmlI," many times and yet council presidents have not made even small attempt toward getting them This is true with other small businesses they wished but have not done anything about Do they expect things 10 come about without lifting finger?
 We also have heard, We don't want welfare money" and yet inc village heads doing nothing 10 establish small businesses.
 Something should be done about inc village pres- dents who have shown no intatve Perhaps their people can solve inc problem by voting them out and get some- one else who will do something for them Iot ot assist ance is available if only villages initiate ideas to improve their economy.
 We are also getting ittIe tired of hearing from peo- pie who want to help ask this question, Why don't they dO SOmernln9! 1eS why oonT Village PieSIoeilS oo something 10 help their communities help themselves?
 We have noticed few villages with fine leaders who doing things 10 help their communities. They are improving their economy They have found that asking and demanding improvements bring results. These alert and aggressive leaders not standing still They hold meetings to figure out what things will do most for their villages They write letters and find that they no g- nored Leaders who ask, find that they heard. They have found that doing nothing brings its rewad nothing.
 If gets very discouraeng 10 inc people who want 10 'ep when they get cooperation from village leaders, Does one have to give them ho foot 10 get them to do omething? No wonder we hear people say, Those peo pie won't do = thing Such remarks not good 10 near but they are being said just inc They will con- nue to be heard unless of inc village leaders snap put ot their lethargc do-nothing tendencies. There is ot of room for improvements in villages. These can be achieved if inc leaders show more a9- yessveness and nitative is sorry thing indeed taf hey do not take advantage of inc available and Wn9 assistance to help solve their economic problems.
 To work and improve ones surroundings is 10 build up ones pride To be sefsuffcen is to look inc world in inc foce and be proud These be achieved by village leaders they practice initiative and more fortnight altitude.