Top of the World..
(Continued from Page 4)
and mukluks to those in need.
About 10:30 in the morning, as
the glow of the sun appeared on
the horizon, each family began to
make its way to the Presbyterian
church for the Christmas day ser
vice. A1 were dressed in their new
Clothes,
The father usually carried the
next-to-the youngest child in his
arm while the mother carried the
baby on her back. The older sister
held the other young brothers or
sisters’ hands while the oldest boy
walked with his father.
The kerosene lanterns of the vil
lage homes were turned off one by
one as each family went on its way
to the church.
Services
After the services of a Christmas
sermon and prayer, the congrega
tion went to the Armory Building,
where the Christmas feast was to
be held.
Each mother had prepared a sa
vory dish of either duck soup, muk
tuk, stew, frozen caribou, seal.
Some mothers brought coffee or
tea while others brought home
made bread.
All of this food was placed either
on the table conveniently located
In the center of the building or
on the floor under the tables. Each
mother had sufficient seal oil,
plates, cups, and cutlery for her
Own family.
i Feast
Before the feast began, a native
deacon of the church gave the in
vocation in Eskimo. The deacon
served enough food to each family.
The families gathered together on
the floor and had a marvelous time
socializing with their nearest neigh
bor.
Usually, the feast lasted from
noon until two in the afternoon.
The families returned home, full
i and happy, but Christmas was not
over yet. There remained a long
evening of Eskimo dancing for all
tn the Armory Building.
By the end of this dance, we chil
Iren were usually asleep in corners
in piles of parkas, already dream
ng about another Christmas to
some.
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Joel Wiegert
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Christmas
In Alaska
Christmas is celebrated in many
different ways in Alaska. For in
stance, on St. Paul Island on the
Bering Sea, it is celebrated twice.
Barbara Melovidov wrote, “You'd
think that Christmas comes only
once a year and be glad that it
does. But it is twice as much fun
when it comes twice a year!”
Folks of Russian Orthodox faith
celebrate Christmas on 7th of Janu
ary as well as the one on the 25th
of December.
From Anaktuvuk Pass, Mark
Morry wrote, "Before Christmas,
all the women are busy getting
ready for Christmas. They make
caribou mukluks and calico parka
coverings for their parkas.
“After eating, the Eskimo dan
cers get ready for a big Eskimo
dance. The dance lasts until after
midnight.”
In Afognak, Christmas is cele
brated with all the traditional
trimmings, including "puroch.”
Arlene Garner wrote, “Puroch Is
something like a casserole dish. It
is made in a square pan. First you
make the crust, then cook the rice
and some people use either salmon
or corned beef, onions, carrots and
cabbage.
It is all put in layers and baked.
It is very tasty and good.”
In Napakiak, a small village on
the Kuskokwim river, Christmas is
observed like anywhere else except
that it starts on the 23rd of De
cember. It is the last day of school
before Christmas vacation. One cus
tom is to exchange names and the
name you picked is the person to
whom you give a present.
They have another custom at Na
pakiak.
Cathy Jung wrote. “The children
of Napakiak do not have Christmas
trees with presents under them, and
stockings full of candy in their
homes. For these Eskimo children,
Christmas Day is the day they visit
each others homes.
(Continued on Page 8)
Degnan Named ...
(Continued from Page 1)
Opposed Closure
Degnan opposed at the meeting
the closure last year of Besboro Is
land. 17 miles from Shaktoolik, to
hunting. He said Eskimo people had
historically hunted walrus, oogruk,
and seals there.
Fish and game agents had flown
over the island, seen walrus there,
and thought it to be a place where
they hibernated; but Degnan dis
puted this. The board voted to re
commend the island be removed
from reserve status.
Study Laws
Degnan urged village councils to
study the Fish and Game regula
tions and make requests for changes
when they felt the laws were unfair
or inappropriate. He praised the
members of the state board as high
ly qualified and dedicated men who
were anxious to see that the best
possible game laws are passed.
“It is not easy to make laws that
will please all,” he said, pointing
out that there were many groups
seeking to have ruglations to favor
them. As an example, he pointed
out that “set net" fishermen and
the "drifters" have clashing inter
ests and laws must be passed that
will be fair to both groups.
In other matters:
Degnan praised the strides that
native people are making and said
he believed the tremendous prob
lems now facing his people would
be solved through education and de
velopment.
Big Strides
“Look how far we have come in
a short time. We have done in 25
years what it has taken other people
2,500 years to do; we have come
from the spear and the bow and
arrow to the Atomic Age.”
What is needed, he said, is gov
ernmental financial assistance in
developing Alaska’s natural re
sources to provide jobs for its
people, assistance to village to ob
tain water and sanitation systems,
and dependable sources of power.
“We are catching up but catching
up too slow,” he said.
Greetings of the seoson from
oil of os to all of you! d
Riverside 1
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Fairbanks
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ANB Elects Officers
The Alaska Native Brotherhood
observed its fiftieth "Golden Anni
versary" when it met in grand
camp convention in Sitka October
15-20.
A1 Widmark, outgoing grand pres
ident, stressed the tremendous
strides that the ANB had made in
it 50 years of progress, then went
on to point out the great work that
yet needed to be accomplished.
Elected as grand president to suc
ceed Widmark was John Hope, of
Sitka.
Wrangell was chosen as the site
for the 51st annual convention to be
held November 11-16 next year.
Delegates from 24 camps from
Copper Center to Metlakatla at
tended the convention.
Robert L. Bennett, area director
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
told the leaders that they faced a
great responsibility in the spending
of the money that is to be awarded
in the Thlinget-Haida claims set
tlement.
"This money can be the best thing
that ever happened to you or it can
be worst thing that ever happened
to you,” he said.
“Money does strange things to
people and not only to Indian peo
ple. Money has turned family
against family, neighbor against
neighbor, father against son, and
brother against brother,” he added.
"Money can make people blind to
real needs,” he emphasized.
“The most pressing need is for a
sound family life because upon the
strength of each family a commun
ity is built.”
Other officers of the ANB elected
at the convention are: Steven Hotch,
Klukwan, 1st vice president; Victor
Haldane, Hydaburg, 2d vice presi
dent; Oscar Craig, Glennallen, 3rd
vice president; Cyrus Peck, Sr,
Juneau, re-lected, grand secretary;
Percy Hope, Juneau, grand treas
urer; and Harold Bremner, Yaku
tat, grand sergeant at arms.
The Alaska Native Sisterhood
Elizabeth Wililams, Saxman, grand
president; Edna Peratrovich, Kla
wock, vice president; Stella Martin,
Juneau, grand secretary ;I rene In
man, Ketchikan, grand treasurer;
and Elsie Austin, Kake, grand ser
geant at arms.
Young hair seals populate deltas
of rivers where the waters are shal
low and relatively calm, and where
there are many fish. This is an ex
cellent training ground for them to
learn the ways of the sea.
!
Adler's Book Shop
Out-of-town orders solicited
and filled promptly
Box 1159, Fairbanks
WINTER SCHEDULE
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES
KOTZEBUE . Daily ex. Sun.
•(Noatak-Kivallna-Point Ilope
Cape Lisburne) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Shungnak-Kobuk-Ambler) . Thurs.
•(Noorvik-Selawik) . Tues., Thurs., Sat.
•(Buckland) . Tues., Sat.
*(Kiana) . Tues., Thurs., Sat.
NOME . Daily ex. Sun.
•(White Mountain-Golovin-Elim
Moses Point-Koyuk,) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
• (Shaktoollk-Unalakleet) . Mon., Fri.
•(Northeast Cape) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Teller-Port Clearance-Tin City
Wales) . Tues., Thurs., Sat.
•(Shlsmaref) .-. Tues., Sat.
•(Granite Mountain-Candle-Deering) .... Tues., Sat.
• (Gambell) ... Mon., Fri. j
•(Solomon-Council, (Flag Stop)) . Wed.
FORT YUKON .... Mon., Tues., Thurs., Sal.
•(Beaver-Stevens Village) . Mon., Wed., Thurs.
•(Venetle) . Tues., Sat.
•(Arctic Village) .„. Tues., 3rd Frl.,’Sat., ex. 3rd Sat.
•(Chalkytsik) . Fri.
•(Barter Island) . Sat.
•(Old Crow) . 3rd Sat.
•(Stevens Village-Beaver-Fort Yukon) out of Fairbanks . Wed.
•(Rampart-Tanana) . Mon.
PT. BARROW . Mon.. Wed., Frl
•(Meade River) . Tues.
•(Point Lay) Wed.
•(Umiat) . Tues., Frl.
•(Wainwright) . Mon., Wed., Frl.
* (Coleville) 1st & 3rd Thurs.
TANANA Mon., lues.. Wed.. Thurs., Fri., Sat.
HUGHES-ALLAH AKET-BETTLES Tues., Thurs., Sat.
•(Utopia.) out of Hughes Tues., Thurs., Sat.
•(B>g Lake-Chandalar) out of Hetties Sat.
•(Wiseman-Porcupine Cr.) out of Betiles Thurs.
•(Hogatza-Huslia) out of Hughes Thurs.
•(Anaktuvuk) out of Betties ...... Thurs.
•(Ruby Creek, Koliuki out of Betties . Tues.
GALENA . M )n„ Wed.. Fri
* (Kovukuk-Nulato-Kaltag-Kalaket) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Ilu'slia) . Mon.
•(Ruby) Mon., Wed., Fri,, Sat.
•(Kokrines) . Service by boat from Ruby on Mon.
* (Unalakleet) .. Mon., Wed., Fri.
CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS-CIRCLE . Mon.. Thurs.
RAMPART . Tues., Fri.
•(Livengood) . Fri.
WOODCHOPPER-EAGLE .-. Tues.. Frl.
BOUNDARY-CHICKEN . Tues.
MINTO-MANLEY HOT SPRINGS . Tues. Fri.
CHENA HOT SPRINGS . Tues.
UTOPTA-HUGHES-KOBUK-HOGATZA
KIANA-KOTZEBUL . Mon.
•NOTE: Connections are made with bush aircraft to communities
in parenthesis.
CHARTERS available anywhere uMlizing the following equipment:
Cessna 180. Cessna 18.8, Pilatus, Beaver, Porter, Norseman, Twin
Beechcraft, DC-3, Super 4G and F-27. Wc invite your inquiry.
WtEM ALASKA AIRLINES?
3rd Ave. & Lacey Street PHONE GL 2-3355 GL 2-3115
Hours — 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Daily except Sunday