CANYON VILLAGE SCHOOL HOUSE—This is the two-room log
school house at Canyon Village, Alaska, where Bill and Martha
Hilliard will teach this year. The village, one of the newest in
Alaska, was started last year by seven families from Ft. Yukon. They
started the new settlement in an attempt to escape welfare depend
ency, to be near where there is ample fish and game and to live
independently in a community they could be proud of. The village
deeded the school to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in exchange for
teachers to instruct their children.
—Tundra Times Photo by Bill Hilliard
New Teachers Impressed
By Canyon Village Life
By Bill and Martha Hilliard
Times Correspondents
My wife, Martha, and I arrived
in Canyon Village last week after
a very pleasant trip via Wien Air
lines to Ft. Yukon and the “Brain
storm” barge to Canyon Village.
While we were in Ft. Yukon wait
ing for the Brainstorm to arrive,
we ate two scrumptious meals at
the lodge. The hospitality of the
people there is something that needs
to be experienced.
The Brainstorm arrived in the
evening, and we boarded her for a
leisurely cruise up the Porcupine
River. The crew was very friendly
and efficient, and we felt like a
couple of tourists. It took us three
days to travel the 200 miles up river
to the village.
When we arrived we were wel
comed in true Alaskan fashion. The
Baha’i Teacher,
Author Returning
To Alaska Soon
Friends of Mrs. Florence May
berry will be interested to know
that she is returning to Alaska the
latter part of August. Mrs. May
berry, author of Baha'i Teacher,
has made several trips throughout
Alaska in the past, traveling from
Barrow to Unalaska. Her visits to
the Sitka area provided the inspir
ation for Mrs. Mayberry’s soon-to
be-published book,. "The Dachs
hunds of Mama Island,” a Double
day & Co. Publication.
In 1961, Mrs. Mayberry moved
from her home in California to
Mexico to serve the Baha’i faith in
an unpaid capacity as teacher. This
activity provided Mrs. Mayberry
with the opportunity of becoming
acquainted with the natives
throughout Central and South
America.
In addition to her work in North
and South America, Mrs. Mayberry
1 has lectured in Rome, the Hague.
| Amsterdam, and Luxembourg on
the Baha’i world faith ... a faith
which pivots around the central
theme of his prophets, and the one
ness of mankind.
In April of 1963, she attended the
world congress in London at which
were gathered 7,000 Baha’is from
throughout the world including
two Alaskan natives.
Mrs. Mayberry’s present tour in
Jcludes stops at all principal cities
!B9 well as visits to Ft. Yukon,
Beaver, Nenana, Kotzebue, Nome
^nd Unalakleet.
people helped us carry our stuff to
the school and quarters. One got a
fire going in the stove, and another
brought us a pot of coffee.
We were quite favorably im
pressed with the village, the school
and the people. The village and the
people are very clean. Several new
cabins are being built, and the
village, on the whole, seems to be
flourishing. The school is a charm
ing place made of logs. It has two
rooms—one to teach in and one to
live in.
For two city people “bush” living
is quite an experience. No longer
is it a matter of pushing a button
or twisting a knob for light, water,
or cooking. These things now re
quire the packing of water from the
river, a battle royal with the wood
stove, and a real struggle with the
lantern. These things are quite fa
miliar to those who have lived in
the “bush” before, but they are
quite new to us. We are learning
fast, however.
I must admit there is nothing
quite so heavenly as bacon and po
tatoes frying and coffee brewing
over a wood fire. At least we suf
fer none of *he inconveniences of
city life such as blown fuses, clogged
or frozen water pipes, running out
of propane, noise, traffic or exhaust
fumes. All is peace and quiet here,
and the air smells clean and sweet
as God intended for His air to smell.
Right now there is a bustle of
activity. The men of the village have
just returned from a caribou hunt
that was quite successful. Everyone
is very happy to have fresh meat,
and soon most of it will be smoked.
Inconveniences? Not really. There
are wild berries just outside the
door ready for picking, plenty of
fresh water, plenty of game, the
stillness and peace of the North
Woods, the beautiy of Alaska all
around us. We have no inconven
iences. On the contrary, we have
all the conveniences God ever gave
man, and they are all right at our
doorstep.
More news from Alaska’s newest
village in my next letter.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Bill and Martha
Hilliard are the new teachers at
Canyon Village.)
Adler's Bookshop
Out-of-town orders solicited
and filled promptly
Box 1159, Fairbanks
Paul Green..
(Continued from Page 4)
first missionary told the people
that they should stop the wolf
dance. That was the last time they
had the wolf dance.
New Disease
In later years, the first sickness
came to the Eskimos; it was the
first measle epidemic. My folks
lost four kids arid they were still
superstitious. They thought the de
vil was coming to their home.
That was the year I was born
and according to Charlie Blower's
book, the year was 1902. Some
people tried to guess that it was
1901. In those days the Eskimos
didn’t know the years and months.
All my brothers and sisters were
born at Kotzebue, except for our
youngest sister. She was a “change
of life” baby and was born in a
home with the help of a white wo
man.
In the earlier part of my folks
married life at Kotzebue, miners
and a white woman were at Kotze
bue.
Expensive Can
The first time mother saw a tin
can. she wanted one. It was so
light to carry if she should go
berry picking. It was eagle brand
can and my father bought it with a
white fox. Of all the things my fa
ther bought those days even by lay
ing all the skins on top of each
other until they were as tall as a
gun, my mother never forgot that
little old can.
To celebrate the first game
catches of their sons, my folks
would always give a big feast for
the village, especially the old people.
I remember my first catch. My
brother had to hold the gun for me
and I shot a seal. What a big feast!
Our little sister missed all that
because our father died while she
was a little girl. My uncles and
aunts tried to make up for that by
giving her a wolf ruff like her
oldest sister had.
Peaceful Life
In my folks married life, there
was never a quarrel or fight or
hard words fcr each other. In their
young lives they fed and gave
clothes to the poor.
Some of those people from differ
ent villages have tried to make up
that by giving things to my mother.
My folks left Kotzebue, they went
to Pt. Hope for whaling every
spring. So our little sister knows
more about people at Pt. Hope
and Kivalina than she does about
our own relatives at Kotzebue. Most
people say there is no perfect mar
riage but my folks had that.
It was a blow to my mother when
our daddy died while he was out
hunting at Point Hope. It is nice
to think about your wonderful par
ents.
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JESSEN'S WEEKLY
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Box 970, Fairbanks f
Poneer Job Printers
Woman's Club Sets Up Loan Fund
With $500 Grant From Shell Oil
Reprinted from Jessen's Weekly
The Fairbanks Woman’s Club has
organized the Fairbanks Educa
tional Loan Fund, which will be in
corporated as a non-profit organi
zation, to administer a $500 award
from tile Shell Oil Co.
Proposed articles of incorporation
were reviewed at a breakfast meet- j
ing at the Model Cafe last Thurs
day. Mrs. Lydia Fohn-Hansen pre
sided.
She explained that the club had
won the Shell Oil Co. award for its
special training project using funds
derived from the sale of Tubercu
losis Assn. Christmas Seals. With
S900 from this source and matching
funds from the government, a num
ber of former tuberculosis patients
were helped in securing job train
ing.
The club also helped the Presby
tterian Hospitality House here in
providing music lessons.
Mrs. Fohn-Hansen said the pro- |
posal for an educational loan fund
caught the enthusiasm of the club.
She said reasons for establishing
such a fund include:
1. The increasing importance and
cost of special training for all kinds
of jobs and vocations.
2. The large proportion of un
trained young people with excellent
potentials for becoming skilled and
dependable, self-supporting work
ers.
3. The completion of vocational
schools for whcih there are .no
scholarships or loan funds as yet.
4 The increasing threat of wel
fare spending, unemployment, ju
venile delinquency and poverty.
5. The need of promoting self-re
liance and personal responsibility
through loans rather than gifts.
Mrs. Fohn-Hansen, chairman of
the club's educational committee,
and members Grace Stevens and
Elsie Taylor formulated the plan
and called on Mary Alice Miller,
attorney-at-law, for legal help.
William Green, a banker, for finan
cial advise: Dorothy Pattinson, higfi
school guidance counselor, Agnes
Sunnell of the Soroptimist Club,
and Mrs. John Marks president of
the Woman’s Club.
Many meetings were held and
business and social service persons
consulted as to the best means to
administer such a fund.
Trustees chosen for the organiza
tion include Mary Alice Miller,
president; Mrs. John Marks, vice
president: William Green, secre
tary-treasurer; Charles Wenger,
public relations chairman; Jo Shull,
liaison with organized clubs; Doro
thy Pattinson, Lathrop High School
faculty, school counseling, and
Kenneth L. Cohen. Bureau of In
dian Affairs, out-of-school counsel
I ing. __
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES
KOTZEBUE . Twice Daily
* (Noatak-Kivalina-Pt. Hope
1 Cape Lisburne) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
) * (Noorvik-Kiana-Selawik.) . Tues., Thur., Sat.
a’(Shungnak-Kobuk-Ambler) . Thur.
*(Buckland) . Tues. Sa.t
NOME ._. Twice Daily
"(White Mountain-Golovin-Elim
Moses Pt.-Koyuk) . Mon., Wed., Fr.i
"(Shaktoolik-Unalakleet) . Mon., Fri.
* (Teller-Teller Mission-Port Clarence
Tin City-Wales-Shismaref . Tues., Thur., Sat.
' (Granite Mtn-Candle-Deering) . Tues.^Sat.
'Kotzebue-Barrow) ... Tues., Thur.,*^t.
* (Gambell-Savoonga
Northeast Cape) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
FORT YUKON . ”a'»y
♦(Barter Island) . Sun.
♦Beaver-Stevens Village) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
♦(Rampart-Tanana) . Mon.
♦(Venetie-Arctic Village) . Tues., Sat.
♦(Old Crow) ... 3rd Thur.
'MChalkyitsik-Shuman House-Canyon Village) .:. Fri.
♦(Birch Creek,) ... Tues.
PT. BARROW . Daily
'MUmiat) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
♦(Wainwright) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
♦ (Pt. Lay) . ''ed
‘(Meade River) . Tues.
♦(Coleville) . 1st * 3rd Thur.
TANANA . Daily ex. Sun.
HUGHES !!". Tues., Thur., Sat.
♦(Utopia) (also served out of Betties, see below.) Tues., Thur.
♦(Hogatza, Iluslia) Thur.
SETTLES Tues., Thur., Sat.
♦(Utopia) . *at
♦ (AUakaket, Hughes) Tues., Thur., Sat.
*(Chandrlar) .• Sat.
♦(Big Lake) . 1st & 3rd Sat.
♦(Wiseman) . ,".ed'
♦(Porcupine Creek Once per mo. on Wed., conditions permitting
*(ANAKTUVUK Pass) . Thur.
♦(Ruby Creek-Kobuk) . Tues.
GALENA Mon., Wed., Fri.
♦ (Koyukuk-Nulato-Kaltag-Kalakakct) . Sion.. Wed., Fri.
♦(Ruby,) . Mon., Wed., Fri.. Sat.
♦(Iluslia) . Mon.
♦(Kokrines) . Service by boat from Ruby every Mon.
CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS-CIRCLE . Tues.. Sat.
RAMPART . Tues., Fri.
LIVENGOOD . Fri.
WOODCHOPPER-EAGLE . Mon., Wed., Fri.
BOUNDARY-CHICKEN . Wed.
MINTO-MANLEY HOT SPRINGS . Tues., Fri.
CHEN A HOT SPRINGS . Tues. i
UTOPIA-HUGHES-HOGATZA-KOBUK
KIANA-KOTZEBUE.. Mon.
CHARTERS available anywhere utilizing the following equipment:
Cessna 180, Cessna 185, Pilatus, Beaver, Porter, Norseman, Twin j
Beechcraft, DC-3, Supei 46 and F-27. We invite youi inquiry.
•NOT^: Connections are made with bush aircraft to communities I
in parenthesis.
3rd Avc. & Lacey Street PHONE 452-3555 452-3115
Hours — 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Daily Except Sunday