’Cuntira tDmrts
Owned, controlled and edited by Tundra Times, Ine., a corporation of Alaska
natives. Published at Fairbanks, Alaska, twice monthly, on the first and thud
Mondays. _
Address all mail to Box 1287, Fairbanks, Alaska. Telephone GL 2-2244._
Entered at the Post Office at Fairbanks, Alaska, as second class matter under
the Act of March 3, 1879. ____
Tundra Times, Ine., publisher (Howard Rock, Martha Teeltik, and Alfred Ketzler),
HOWARD ROCK, editor; Thomas Snapp, assistant editor: Vivian I smirgin, mine
manager; contributing editors. Guy Okakok, Martha Tcchik, and Alfred Ketzier.
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Editorial
Cooperation
"We would be more than happy to affiliate with you;
join hands with you people this afternoon. Our main pur
pose should be to keep working together."
These words were spoken to the assembled dele
gates of the Interior Indian organization, the Dena' Nena'
Henash, by Steven V. Hotch, Grand Vice President of the
Alaska Native Brotherhood, an organization of Indians of
Southeastern Alaska.
The Editor, Howard Rock, Executive Secretary of Inu
piat Paitot, an Eskimo organization, who represented that
organization at the Tanana meeting, was asked by Alfred
Ketzler, chairman of the Interior Indian group, whether
the Eskimos would affiliate with the other two organiza
tions and he answered, "I am sure that the Inupiat Paitot
would be happy to affiliate with the Alaska Native Bro
therhood and the Dena' Nena' Henash."
Thus, the three organizations made a positive step
Howards working in unity and cooperation. Although the
Icfesire for ■cooperation among the groups has previously
been talked and written about, no real effort has been
made to make it work.
The Tanana agreement is the realization of the or
ganizations that by working together we can achieve
strength and apply that strength towards presenting a
more solid front to those with whom we deal. The agree
ment is one to which all natives of Alaska should get
behind and support with all seriousness they can muster.
Let us not merely hear about it and say, "That's fine."
Let us discuss this unity at our village meetings and try to
figure out how best to support it so it will become a strong
and definite reality. Let us realize at last, that we have a
direction toward which to work—a goal that can be instru
mental in achieving for us a better life in the future.
The Tanana agreement can become of great import
ance in another field. It can benefit the natives politically.
During the years in which we will be striving to better
our lives, we will need to work together as never before.
One of the surest ways to gain political respect in Alaska
is to work toward a functioning cooperation among the
native peoples of our state.
The disorganization of the northern natives in the
past has hurt us a great deal politically. Knowing this, poli
ticians have had to present themselves with not much
more than a friendly face and a hearty handshake to get
native votes because we have not been able to present
real issues with which to confront them. The disorgani
zation prevented us from presenting a solid front to de
mand services of the elected that would benefit us natives
of Alaska, in exchange for our votes.
The cooperation among the native organizations
should not be taken lightly from hereon. It is more im
portant than most of us realize. All the natives should at
last realize that cooperation among their organizations is
;f>ne_that will help them gain a better life in the future.
NORTH STAR
AWARD
(In each Issue, the Tundra
Times will single out for a North
Star award one who has made an
outstanding accomplishment or
done a meritorious act.)
Forty-one years is along time be
tween performances. But that is ex
actly what happened at Tanana, the
“place between the rivers.”
Forty-two years ago, the Atha- j
hascan Indians of Interior Alaska |
performed the ancient festival, the
Nuchalawoyya. at Tanana. This fine
old tradition laid dormant during
that long space of time. For a long
time it seemed as if it had died out
forever.
"I am happy to see the dancing
and the games revived—I had long
feared that the traditions of my peo
ple were lost,” said Jimmy Albert,
age 76 years, one of the oldest men
at Tanana.
Last year in June, the Nuchala
woyya w’as revived. It was a hesi
tant rivival but it kindled the
spark that had remained and cap
tured the imagination of the Atha
bascans a whole generation later.
The new interest was so pro
nounced the people of Tanana be
gan to prepare for the next one a
year later. It was staged beginning
on the evening of June 7, with an
authentic potlatch. The festival
lasted for three days with feasts,
canoe races, greased pole walking
over water, greased pole climbing,
arm wrestling, tug of war, foot
races, and was climaxed by Atha
bascan dances each night.
In January of 1962, the idea of
reviving the ancient festival
evolved.
"The Nuchalawoyya started as a
result of several of us in the village
realizing the fact our Indian cele
brations at Tanana had been dis
continued. We began checking
around to see if we could not re
vive them—to see how much in
terest there would be. Everybody
showed considerable interest," said
Jay Harwood. Alaska Native Serv
ice Hospital supervisor at Tanana.
Harwood is part Blackfeet Indian
from Browning, Montana. His father
is the vice-chairman of the All
American Indian Days, at Sheri
dan, Wyoming, held every year in
August.
Jay Harwood and the Tanana peo
ple are still doing research so they
may establish the Nuchalawoyya
into a truly authentic spectacle.
They would welcome any assist
ance from anyone to further their
research.
A tradition has been revived in
Tanana. Nuchalawoyya has once
again captured the hearts of the
Tanana people, as well as the peo
ple in the neighboring villages. The
evidence of this speaks for itself
in the happy faces of the audience
as the inspired dancers performed
last week. There is every indication
that the famous old tradition will
be reestablished firmly and perm
anently by the people of Tanana.
It has created vast interest in the
“place between the rivers,” the
Nuchalawoyya. It has created in
terest in the outlying areas.
And so to Jay Harwood, Jimmy
Albert, and the rest of the people
of Tanana, whose sense of value of
fine traditions inspired the revival
of the famous Nuchalawoyya, goes
the Tundra Times eighteenth North
Star Award along with our con
gratulations.
POEM
Alaskan Lament
Reprinted from Anchorage Daily Times
By Mae Long Martin
With boats atop and trailers
trailing,
Me thinks I hear cheechakoe
wailing,
“Oh, this dusty .place!”
Editorial
Proper Preparation
The native organization meetings, like the recent In
terior Indian Conference at Tanana, are getting to be im
portant as springboards to air the native problems for
public scrutiny. There is no doubt of their value because,
at long last, the true picture of the native situation in
Alaska is slowly coming into focus for the general public
of the United States. All Alaskans should now realize that
recognition of native problems is not confined to the state
but the knowledge of them is spreading all over the
country.
A much clearer picture can be presented if the vil
lages represented can work a little harder to thoroughly
discuss and pinpoint their problems and arrive at recom
mendations for solution of their problems. When villages
send delegates to meetings they should bring with them
a list of specific problems, recommendations and possible
solutions. Much too sketchy reports are being made to the
conferences.
Village leaders and their people should realize the
full importance of the conferences and should not send
delegates with little preparation. In order for the villages
to get the best possible representation, their problems
should be posed as fully as possible to the assembly and
to the invited guests from high federal and state offices.
We are not dealing with trifles in all of the meetings
of the Dena' Nena' Henash, Alaska Native Brotherhood, and
the Inupiat Paitot. We are dealing with problems that af
fect all the native peoples of Alaska. They are serious
problems and not to be treated lightly. They should be
soberly thought out for proper presentation.
To achieve this level of proper preparation, it would
not be too difficult for village leaders to call a meeting, or
a series of meetings, to discuss the problems to orient their
delegates as fully as possible of those problems they wish
to present to a conference. Villages should remember that
what they pose before the assembly will not only be heard
by other delegates, but by some very important people in
high offices in both state and federal governments.
We are trying to help ourselves at these meetings and
one of the best ways to get ahead is to properly present
i specific information on land problems, hunting and fish
ing, labor, sanitation, and other things villages want dis
cussed. We should be duty bound to present our problems
in a clear and understandable manner.
The reports of the first meetings of the Interior In
dians and the Eskimos were good. Problems had been dis
cussed by the villages and their leaders before being
brought before the conference. The impact of the reports
were unmistakable. They had profound effect. Let us not
lose that effectiveness by not making proper preparations
to present reports to the conferences. Let us meet and dis
cuss fully the problems we want to make known to the
people and departments that might help us.
EDITORIAL
Nuchalawoyya
The spontaneity and the intense interest the Nucha
lawoyya has created in Tanana and the outlying districts,
including the cities of Fairbanks and Anchorage, seem to
point to a need of developing it into an exciting tourist
attraction for the town of Tanana. The ingredients for a
first-class attraction are there, the colorful Athabascan
dances, canoe races, and other unique Indian games. Col
orful traditions and a romantic past are on the side of
Tanana and these lend themselves naturally to capture
the imagination of many people.
Tanana has men of vision who would work hard
toward realizing the apparently fine potential for tourism,
the Nuchalawoyya. If it were to be developed, the town
will have to plan seriously for visitor facilities, such as
hotel accommodations.
Natives of Alaska can now obtain ample amounts of
money for businesses from the government at low interest
rates and for long terms. It would be well for the leaders
of Tanana to look, into those possibilities.
From this vantage point, Nuchalawoyya can becom®
one of the most colorful attractions in Atoka.