QUESTIONS BRING RESPONSE FROM YUKON RIVER PEOPLE
Open Letter to Villages
(Editor's note: Following is the
letter and the questions sent to
23 Yukon River villages by the
Tundra Times, in an attempt to
gauge native feeling concerning
the proposed Rampart Dam pro
ject.)
Dear Yukon Village Leaders'.
Of all the changes that have oc
curred or have been proposed for ,
the Yukon River over the years, I
probably the most important, and
the most immediate, is the proposed
Rampart Dam Project between!
Tanana and Rampart.
As you know, this dam would
make a lake about 400 river miles
long This lake would spread over
the Yukon Flats, and it will flood
out the villages of Rampart, Stevens
Village, Beaver. Venetie. Birch
Creek, Yukon Flats, Chalkyitsik,
and Circle City.
Persons in favor of the dam say
the loss of the Yukon Flats will be
compensated for by new industry
and new jobs for Alaska.
These people also say that crea
tion of this lake will maka an in
land fishery possible, (to replace
salmon) that will bring money to
persons living on this lake shore.
They also say that the millions
of ducks and big and small game
animals that live in the Flats will
find new places to live. And that
the dam will aid in controlling Yu
kon floods.
Most important, these people say
that the people of the Yukon River,
particularly those living in the
Flats, will benefit by Rampart
Dam; because you will be paid for
the loss of your homes, your trap
lines, your culture and your heri
tage.
However, mere are otner persons
who argue against the dam. This
group says that it may be as many
as a hundred years before the lake
would be able to grow any fish
except pike.
It is also predicted that changes
in fish and wildlife will occur all !
the way to the river mouth, due to j
lack of periodic flooding. And that
salmon born upstream will be de
stroyed.
They also state that loss of 11.000 j
square miles of big and small game
habitat cannot be replaced in any
other area.
About the Yukon people, this
group doubts that payment for
losses will be immediate, or that
the Yukon people, particularly down
river from the dam, will be ade
quately compensated for their losses.
Many federal, state and private
groups are spending much money,
some for and some against the Ram
part project. Studies are being con
ducted. and a great Congressional
battle is looming over Rampart
Dam.
Because of the importance of this
clam to the people of the entire Yu
kon River, we at the TUNDRA
TIMES would like to ask some
questions and receive some answers,
so we can adequately represent the
views of a majority of the Yukon
People concerning Rampart Dam,
either way.
Would the village councils please
answer the following questions, pre
ferably by vote, and return the
answered questions to the TUNDRA
riMES. Box 1287, Fairbanks, Alas
ka.
We will compile the answers af
ler we have heard from a majority
:>f the villages, and will present the
views of the Yukon people to our
readers, so they know where you
stand on Rampart Dam.
This group of questions for people
living both upriver and downriver
of Rampart Canyon.
1. Has the Rampart Dam project
been adequately explained to you.
so that you understand to your
satisfaction what changes will take
place along the Yukon River if the
dam is built?
2. Has it been explained to you
that Rampart is only the first of
three big dams to be built on the
Yukon River? (Another dam is
planned for Kaltag, and a third at
Woodchopper. This will mean a lake
all the way from Kaltag. covering
all villages to Dawson City, Cana
da.
3. Have you been promised pay
ment for all the losses, both in ac
tual property, fish and game and
cultural losses (heritage, etc.) if
Rampart, or the other dams are
built?
4. If you have been promised pay
ment, do you understand how this
payment will be made, and how you
will receive it?
5. Do you understand what will
happen to the wildlife, waterfowl
and fish of the Yukon River, if Ram
part or the other dams are built?
6. Do you still depend on wild
life, waterfowl and fish for much
of your living?
Questions 7-8-9 for those people
living in the Yukon Flats only.
7. Have the men of your village
been promised new jobs if Ram
pari uam is Dili it.'
/ 8. If you have been promised jobs,
I has any means been made to train
you for the technical jobs, and has
any method been made to guarantee
this promise?
9. Are you willing to leave your
homes, and be moved to a new lo
cation with the present knowledge
you have about Rampart Dam, and
other Yukon River Dams?
All village councils please answer
question 10.
10. Are you in favor of the build
ing of Rampart Dam?
Thank you for your time in an
swering these questions. If there
is anything you would like to add
to this, please send it along to the
TUNDRA TIMES. We want to rep
resent you in this matter.
You will notice that these ques
tions pertain only to the people of
the Yukon Flats and Yukon River.
You can elsewhere find much infor
mation that concerns possible ef
fects on Alaska as a whole, and on
the other states. We urge that you
get as much of this infoi’mation as
possible, so you will be well aware '
of tile entire project. However, at
present, we ask these questions, be
cause we believe YOU arc the pco
pie most affected by Rampart Dam.
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Rampart Dam Is
Not Wanted by
10 Communities
What do the people along the Yu
kon River think of the proposed
Rampart Dam and other allied Yu
kon River projects?
In an attempt to get as repre
sentative a sampling of feeling as
our resources of time and money
would allow, the Tundra Times re
cently sent questionnaires to more
than 25 villages along Alaska's
mightiest river system, from Eagle
to Emmonak. This included the en
I tire area from the Canadian border
to the Eering Sea.
X lie entire river was covered for
two reasons. First, any large ob
struction built on the river is bound
to have effects both above and be
low the obstruction. What these ef
fects will be, we are not qualified
to say . . . but there is no doubt
that effects will occur.
Secondly, we tried to cover all
villages that would be covered by
the Rampart Project, and the al
lied projects of the Woodchopper
Dam, and the Kaltag Dam, which
are both in different stages of
planning.
In addition to the questionnaires,
the Tundra Times also sent a short
letter, briefly describing the dam.
and the pro and con aspects of the
projects.
Of the 13 answers received, one
village said it does not have an
opinion at this time. Ten villages
opposed the dam and one village
said it is in favor of the dam, with
the qualification that it would mean
I work for the men of that village,
i In addition. Fort Yukon, the larg
/ ''st Indian village in the proposed
Rampart innundation area, an
swered by saying the village coun
cil thought the questions were so
♦imely. that they have scheduled a
city election to determine the town’s
feelings. This election is slated for
January.
The village councils voting against
Rampart Dam at this time are:
Birch Creek. Beaver. Venetie, Ram
part. Chalkyitsik, and Stevens Vil
lage, which are in the Rampart in
undation ai-ea, and would be flood
ed out.
In addition, the downriver villages
of Kokrines, Holy Cross. Alakanuk
and Emmonak, have voted against
the projects.
Kaltag is so far the lone village
to vote yes. but with reservation.
The Nulato council stated. “We are
in the dark and don't know what
this will mean to us. and how the
problems involved will be solved.
We don’t know,” was the official
answer.
All the villages except H61y Cross,
Emmonak and Alakanuk, the lat
ter two Yukon Delta Eskimo vil
lages, would be flooded by one of
the projects. Kaltag. Nulato and
Kokrines would be among several
villages flooded by the proposed
Kaltag Dam.
The Tundra Times would like to
take this opportunity to thank those
villages who answered. We urge
others to take similar action.
i
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Kokrines, Alaska
Dear Editor:
. . . About the dam they want
to build on the Yukon, on which
you ask for our opinion, here is
our answer:
We do not think the mighty Yu
kon, which in our Athabascan lan
guage means “broad and wide riv
er" should be tampered with. The
dam would only ruin the river. We
do not like to think about what
backed up water would do to our
villages, and most important of all
to our cemetery’s, our Sacred rest
ing place for our people since time
immemorial.
Besides, nothing would want to
live on a man made lake. The
moose and bear, beaver, muskrat
along with a long list of other fur
bearers would be endangered or
cummmea to aownrigm exuncuun.
There is the Novie (Nowitna) riv
er system, including many tributar
ies which could put forth more than
enough power without jeopordizing
anything or endangering anything.
There is the Tosi (Tozitna) River
below the town of Tanana, the Me
lozi (Melozitna) which comes into
the Yukon a little ways above Ruby.
The Koyukuk and the Kusko
quim Rivers, the Iditarod and
others, all up and down the Yukon
which could be harnessed if the
white man wants to.
Then there are the atomic and
nuclear powers that might come to
spoil things while the dam is be
ing built, especially if its going to
take 17 years to build.
Then there’s the added threat of
the dam bursting if its built. Which
is quite possible, and which is an
added menace.
And there are a lot of people liv
ing along the Yukon also, countless
thousands of cords of driftwood
come down each spring and sum
mer, which the people dearly de
pend for their livelihood, to say
nothing of the millions of tons of
ice which come down the river each
spring and fall, which might not bo
too good for the dam.
We could go on and on, except
for space.
Instead of a large dam, which
probably the people wouldn't know
what to do with, why not look into
the possibility of building a series
of smaller dams on the many side
streams along the Yukon from
Eagle to the mouth, and work to
wards building the Fairbanks to
Nome highway which was shoved
aside to keep Alaska as much wil
derness as possible, it being the
last frontier.
Well, the fact is, if such a road
was built, there still would be
thousands of square miles of pure
wilderness left, and such a road
would do more, much more, in
benefitting the people who live
along the Yukon, and Alaska as a
whole.
We give you our humble and
grateful thanks for wanting to rep
resent us, and best wishes to the
Tundra Times. It is a great paper.
Frank Titus
Kaltag, Alaska
Dear Editor:
We have answered all the ques
tions with truth.
So you can see we need some in
formation as to the good these
dams are going to do for us.
For instance, nobody has pro
mised payment of any kind as re
ferred to in questions No. 3 and No.
4.
So please send us some good in
formation about all these dams.
The only reason we check yes on
No. 10 is we feel we might get a
chance to work when the actual job
of building these dams start.
Many of us do not have jobs and
are still dependent on the country
for a living. Trapping is the only
means of income to us. But due to
lack of fur game we do not make
very good of it.
We hope you will send all the
information you can gather so we
will know more about what it’s all
about.
Sincerely,
The Village Council
Pres. Plasker Nickoli
Vice-Pres. Franklin Madros
Sec. Burke Semaken
Treasurer Gilbert Semaken
Trustee Alex Solomon, Jr.
Lower Yukon River
Emmomak, Alaska
Dear Gentlemen:
We are against the Rampart Dam.
Because it is going to be harmful
to our salmon, which is the only re
source on the Lower Yukon River
serving 7.000 people or more.
Their livelyhood. their tishing in
dustry, could be killed if they build
the Rampart Dam.
There are no other resources that
would be sufficient to maintain liv
ing conditions for all these people
in the long run.
Also there are no provisions made
or proposed, for these people be
low and above the dam.
It’s true they will make fish lad
ders, but think about how many
fingerlings are going to come back
down through the three dams alive.
We urge you to express this fact
in your newspaper concerning the
Lower Yukon People.
Very truly yours
Village Council
Pres. Louis Immamok
Vice-Pres. Frank Kameroff
Sec. Martin B. Moore
Treasurer John Prince
Members John B. Charles
Donald B. Redfox
Peter M. Moore
KFRB
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