Arctic Survival
MICE THAT FURNISH ROOTS WIN HEARTS OF ARCTIC PEOPLE
By Howard Rock
Times Editor
In ancient times and down
through history, people have had a
low opinion of mice. Learned men
have devised ingenious traps and
chemists have manufactured many
poisons to exterminate them.
Although there are undesirable
ones in the Arctic, there is one
type of tiny, industrious mice that
has won the hearts of Eskimos.
These mice work fervently gather
ing food for man.
Through one of nature's bounti
ful and unique systems, they pro
vide polygonum roots to Alaska na
tives who relish them as a delight
ful change in diet.
Without doubt, the resourceful
ness of Arctic mice in gathering suc
culent roots can be compared to bees
in the temperate zone that manu
facture honey.
The Arctic's little mice store pro
digious amounts of these roots in
lhe tundra to furnish, perhaps
grudgingly, needed food for Arctic
people.
Polygonum is a leafy plant that
grows on the tundra, hugging the
ground instead of growing upward.
The leaves are green, shooting from
the center. The tip of each leaf has
a splash of rust color. Looking at
the plant from above, it has the
appearance of a burst of green spray
interspersed with rust.
Long Roots
The main root of the plant,
which grows straight down and has
one or two branches, sometimes
grows eight inches long. The large
base of the root reaches 5/8 of an
inch in diameter. Since the root
grows straight down, it is quite
| easy to pull it out cleanly by taking
hold of the leaves.
Mice gather this root for the long
winter's supply of food.
To store them, the busy little ani
mals dig just beneath the grassy
tundra, a surprisingly large cham- I
ber, usually round in shape, about
a foot in diameter and a foot in
depth.
Some Lazy
Some mice seem to be more in
dustrious than others and fill this
chamber full of roots. Lazier mice
fill it only about half full.
Cache Hunting
In the fall women and children
go out on the tundra in search of
root caches. They search carefully
each likely spot, in order not to
miss any cache, if possible.
The searchers walk slowly along
the tundra testing the ground under
foot with each step. Presently the
ground underneath a searcher's foot
gives way and the mother, or one
of the children, locates a root cache,
then hapiiily announces. “Here's
one, right here!”
The mother then slits an opening
in the cache just large enough
through which to put her hand and
forearm.
She pulls the roots out by hands
ful. In the process of storing the
roots, the proprietor mouse cuts
each root into about inch-long, bite
size pieces.
Leave Some
As the mother digs out the roots,
she gives her children, as Eskimo
mothers have from generation to
generation, this warning:
“You must never take all the
roots in a mouse cache. Take about
half of them and leave the rest for
the mouse to eat during the winter.
If you take all of them, the mouse
will starve and die, and it won’t
be around next year to gather more
roots for us.”
Roots are gathered from caches
until one or two good-sized seal
skin sacks are full. The harvest is
taken home for food.
To prepare them another way,
the mother washes the roots with
water, puts a heap in a wooden
bowl, mixes them with a little
seal oil and serves them. Eaten in
this manner, they are chewy and
half sweet.
Tasty Yams
Te prepare them another way,
the mother of the house cooks them
in boiling water. When cooked, they
taste quite similar to sweet pota
toes or yams.
Unique Provision
And so. the industrious little mice
that gather great quantities of poly
gonum roots for the long winter’s
supply of food have been very valu
able little animals to Eskimos down
through the ages. They are living
proof that not all of a species is
bad.
The ancient Eskimo, in his search
for variety in food, depend upon
mice to provide this pleasant change
in diet.
As one of nature’s unique pro
visions, certainly the little mice of
the far north must be credited with
furnishing a novel supply of food
for the survival of man in the
Arctic.
Warm Christmas Festivities
At the Top of the World
By Katie Egowa
(Editor's Note: Miss Egowa, of
Barrow, is now a student at the
University of Alaska.)
To my nine-year-old mind, my
school mates and I had never been
busier: we were preparing our por
tion of the Christmas program.
Besides having our regular class
work, ten of us, five playing the
soprano and five playing the alto,
were practicing “Joy to the World"
and "Silent Night, Holy Night” on
cur tonettes, The rest of the class
was practicing "O Little Town of
Bethlehem" and “It came Upon -the
Midnight Clear” in English.
To English-speaking people, the
last two hymns are easy to learn and
sing. But to us who spoke only Es
kimo and who understood very
little English ten years ago, learn
ing the English translation of these
hymns was hard.
Now, to reverse the situation
which befell us then, here is the
Eskimo translation of the first
stanza of these hymns for non
Eskimo speaking people to learn.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Eni mikiruak Bethlehem
Inyukpaluitchuatin
Sinyiktilutin knlikni
Ovlugeat iklaurut
Tagaluatchuak kauman
Sevookatit kangapak
Elignuktut onuapak
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Kaingarok onuam kitkane
Koveanaktuak attum
Esaguliknin kairuanin
Atukturaklukik
K'imaksautairun inyuknitle
Sukpaluingarok nuname
Atukmata kilyugmeot
Children Nervous
The afternoon of the 24th was
the date for the Christmas program.
We children knew our parts well,
but we were still nervous. We were
to be the center of attraction dur
ing the first half of the program.
As we performed our parts, our
nevousness left us, for we knew
that our parents were pleased with
cur performance. However, once
cur performance was over, we
could relax and watch the adults
play their parts.
The Armory Building became
bushed when the actors and act
resses came on the brightly lit
stage. On the center of the stage
was a platform covered with cari
bou furs.
Joseph and Mary
Mary, wearing her new parka
and mukluks, sat at the platform
with a baby on her lap. Joseph,
Wearing his new parka and muk
luks. kneeled on Mary’s left.
The shepherds and wisemen came
in succession, similarly dressed,
while a native Presbyterian church
deacon solemnly related the nati
vity story in Eskimo to the atten
tive audience.
A flutter of congratulations,
which we children were too sleepy
to really appreciate, came from the
audience after the program ended.
Each of our families went home,
content with the whole afternoon's
proceedings. We children had had
a long day, so we were, tired and
sleepy.
It did not take much inducement
from our parents for us to go to
sleep. However, before we went to
bed, we made sure that our stock
ings were hung on doors and win
dow sills so that Santa would not
forget to fill them.
As I remember it, the Christmas
morning weather was very cold.
But our home had the brightness
and cheerful of a warm summer
day. We were together and happy.
Treats and Presents
After a breakfast of porridge,
bread, and tea, we children scamp
ered to the doors and window sills
where our stockings hung, now
bulging and knobby with tannik
food (white man’s food such as
candy canes, oranges, apples', and
cokes) and small plastic dolls and
cars.
We ate the oranges and apples
slowly because it would be a whole
year until stocking time again. But.
we usually forgot quickly about
such fruits as we- began playing
with our new dolls and cars.
For many of the families, Christ
mas morning was also a time when
new parkas and mukluks were
j given as presents. However, there
I were a few families who did not
have caribou fur, seal skin, or
money to buy cotton cloth for the
outer covering of paikas.
The more fortunate would give
their worn but still usable parkas
(Continued on Page 7)
Letter to the Editor
Alaska Indian Arts, Inc.
Port Chilkoot-Haines, Alaska
November 28, 1962
Dear Editor:
We noted an article in your No
vember 19th issue whereby I was
at Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was at
the school recently, accompanying
the famous Chilkat Dancers, who
put in two shows while there for
the school and the town's people.
I'd like to be able to play the
piano, but a World War II booby
trap sort of left me a little shy of
three fingers on the right hand.
However, the boy you were men
tioning (and I wish I was that
young again) is Charles Godwin,
who was my foster-home boy for
several years.
He just wrote yesterday to tell
us that he is the assistant music
teacher (honorary, although he is
teaching). I wish I could get him
tb write to you as he is very clever
and quite funny.
When the Chilkat Dancers went
to Santa Fe, via Las Vegas where
they performed at the American
Society of Travel Agents Conven
tion, we took two of our dancers
from Haines, Wesley Willard, my
craft assistant and Nathan Jack
son.
Although Jackson is somewhat
among the older boys, being 24
years old. his art talent was shown
to the staff at the Institute of Am
erican Indian Arts and he was ad
mitted to the school; a very for
tunate event.
Of the present members at the
school, Goodwin, Porter, Martin,
Blackmore and Jackson, all these
boys are key members of -the Chil
kat Dancers and we left some cos
tuming down there so that they
could perform when called upon.
We were without the female
members of our group, but quickly
trained Corrine Paratrovich of Kla
wock and used six other girls, all of
different tribes, and who did a very
fine job. Irene Simon of Hooper
Bay and Lucy Ann Mazenna of
Nome added several Eskimo dances,
and we must say, were a tremen
dous hit.
CHRISTMAS 1962
Joy • Health • Glee
Goodwill • Wealth
Friendship • Love
Bill Shields Cookery
Second and Lacey, Fairbanks
The school is wonderful. They
have many of the finest Indian ar
tists in the country teaching there.
I would say that all of them were
making as much as three to six
times more in their fields other
than teaching, but feel they should
help these young people. Dr. George
Boyce is a very fine administrator
and an exceptionally fine person.
The students are very lucky and
the good part of it, is that they have
come to realize the opportunity of
fered them.
You may know that we here, in
our small way, are reviving the
arts and crafts of the Tlinget, which
started through young people, and
now older craftsmen.
Sincerely,
Major Carl W. Hein
miller, ret.
PS: I'd better get your paper —
enclosed is a check.
Editor's Note: In our Nov. 19 is
sue, the name Carl Heinmiller was
inadvertently listed as a student at
the Institute of American Indian
Arts, Santa Fe, N. M. The name
should have been Charles Goodwin,
foster son of Maj. Heinmiller. The
Tundra Times apologizes to Major
Heinmiller and student Goodwin
for the error.
MOST LIKELY A LEADER
The little runt of a litter of husky
pups usually turns out to be the
most intelligent and, more than like
ly wind up as a leader of a dogteam.
»
*
Specializing n
Stoker and Lump Coal
and Heating Oils
Letter to Editor
Grand Camp
Alaska Native Brotherhood
December 6, 1962
Dear Brothers:
Thank you for the sample copy
of your fine newspaper. In a state
such as ours, where there are such
vast distances between communities,
your newspaper will help to draw
us all closer together. Enclosed is
check for my subscription.
Do you know about the Alaska
Native Brotherhood? If not, I would
like to inform you of the purpose
of this organization. The following
is Article 1, Alaska Native Brother
hood Grand Camp Constitution:
“The purpose of this organization
shall be to assist and encourage
the Native in his advancement from
his Native state to his place among
the cultivated races of the world,
to oppose, to discourage, and to
overcome the narrow injustices of
race prejudice, to commemorate the
fine qualities of the Native races
of North America, to preserve their
history, lore, art. and virtues, to
cultivate the mortality, education,
commerce, and civil government of
Alaska. To improve individual and
municipal health and laboring con
ditions. and to create a true respect
in Natives and in other persons with
whom they deal for the letter and
spirit of the Declaration of Inde
pendence and the Constitution of
the United States.”
I am sure that you will agree that
these are all goals well worth striv
ing to attain.
Cordially,
Percy Hope
Grand Treasurer !
Phone
GL 2-2088
Johnny's
Express