Stepovich ...
(Continued hom Page 2>
I
7. Appoint some qualified person
from my office to help guide the
efforts of all groups now working
on these problems.
8. Appoint one person in each
village to assist villagers in the de
tail of iiling on their lands accord
ing to state and federal laws.
9. Enact state laws to clarify in
dividual rights and title to lands
within the villages.
The future of Alaska is so tied
up with the need for a solution to
the problems confronting our out
lying areas that I promise that I
will complete the two schools and
do all within my power to fulfill
the rest of the program. These
schools will be built within the
first three years of my term in of
fice.
I hope that this minimum pro
gram will result in my receiving
some support from the villages in
my campaign for .he governorship.
However, if I am elected without
receiving one vote from the out
lying areas. I will still begin work
ing on the above program immedi
ately because the need is so great.
Please keep this letter for two
reasons. One. to write and ask any
questions concerning it. The sec
ond. to prove to you that if I am
elected I will keep my word.
Sincerely.
Mike Stepovich
| Mark Rlngstsd
Pioneer Alaskan -40 Years
Graduate Univ. of Alaska
For Economy in Government
l\it iow Mark by 'lark
Nov. 6th
Egan Answers .
(Continued from Page 2)
This amount is not adequate for a
school and living quarters. For this
reason we have worked hard to
encourage the Department of ihe
Interior to construct boarding facil
ities at the schorl site. I sincerely
hope that construction of the school
may proceed quickly. Good voca
tional courses in high schools will j
help Natives get gccd jobs. In addi
tion to vocational instruction, how
ever. the high school must teach
other courses if Natives are to have
equal opportunities. We need more
gocd schools all over Alaska and
we will build them. Since 1939 the
State has constructed 88 new class
rooms in rural schools and 27 more
are under construction. We are
working also to create more region
al high schools.
6. What will you do to promote
ample educational faculties in
Alaska?
The State, together with the U.St
Bureau of Indian Affairs, is work
ing on a plan for the ultimate trans
fer of all rural schools to the State
Department of Education. Under
proposals now being discussed, the
Federal government would contin
ue to make monies available for
their support. One school system
would result in better and more
efficient education, particularly for
high school age students, many of
whom do not now have opportuni
ties to continue their education. We
have a moral obligation to see that
they all have such an opportunity.
7. What do you think about the
proposal to build a home for the
aged Natives in Interior and
Northern Alaska?
I think *he proposal to construct
: a new Pioneer Home in the Inter
i ior is an excellent one. Recently a
> meeting of State officials was held
f to explore this very possibility and
I a decision was made to ask that a
potential site be reserved near Fair
banks. Such facilities would be
callable to all aged persons.
, 3. If Rampart Dam is built, what
do you think should be done
[ with !he people who now live
| in the area that would be cov
ered?
I believe that the construction of
Rampart Dam would make Alaska
a much better place in which to
live with many more permanent
job opportunities for all Alaskans,
particularly those who will live
near the dam. Unfortunately, the
Return
Francis 0 Wirth, Jr.
Democrat — District 16 |
• •
construction of that dam will re
quire the movement cf some people.
Prior to any construction of Ram
part Dam, a program must be de
veloped that will insure the reset
tlement of displaced Natives in
areas cf their selection. In addition,
any displaced person should be
compensated for this land in order
to finance this resettlement.
9. Would you work or use your in
fluence toward getting Congress
to define the historic rights of
Natives in Alaska?
Yes. I have and will continue my
efforts. Property rights should be
settled as soon as possible.
10. What do you consider the three
outstanding problems of Alaska
Natives today?
a. Education—Natives need an
opportunity for good education for
many reasons. If they are to get
good jobs they will need an educa
tion. However. I do not think it is
right to single out Natives as a
group to be treated differently than
anyone else. Under our State Con
stitution we cannot divide Alas
kans into separate groups and treat
them differently. Under our Con
stitution all Alaskans have an equal
right and opportunity, including all
of the opportunities that good edu
cation makes possible. The fact is,
however, that in these areas where
Natives live there are net enough
grade schools, high schools and vo
cational training schools. We need
much more areas if we are to truly
do our constitutional duty to pro
vide equal opportunities to all Al
askans. At my urging the Legis
lature has placed upon the Novem
ber ballot a bond issue which, if
passed, would do much to improve
vocational facilities in rural areas.
I sincerely hope this proposal wins
the support of the people so that
we may speed up this important
program.
b. Job opportunities — Natives
need good jobs, preferably year
around jobs. The great outlying
areas of the State must be devel
oped with roads, bush fields, rural
development projects. sawmills,
fish processing plants, handicraft
industries and other worthwhile
activities.
c. Lands — Natives need orctec
tion in the lands they presently use
and occupy and assurance that they
will not be deprived of these lands.
Congress should act to grant to
Native people full title to the lands
they occuny.
life . . . Not Death'
King Islanders Seek
New Village Location
Bv Thomas ‘V Snapp
Times Staff Writer
*T want life for my people, not
death."
These are the words of Paul Tiu
lana. a delegate from King Island
at the recent Itiupiat Paitot meet
ing at Kotzebue.
Tiulana stressed that his people
want very much to move their vil
. lage to a new location, Cape Wool
ey, about 45 miles west of Nome
| and 65 miles north of King Island.
He cited several reasons for the
proposed move including the op
portunity of having a school for
King Island children, better hous
ing. a greater availability of game,
better transportation, and an im
proved economy.
Last December Tiulana and the
King Island people petitioned the
Bureau of Indian Affairs for help
in the relocation but according to
the delegate no word was heard
from the petition until about the
first of October, this year.
He said that he was told by a
BIA official the King Islanders
were no longer considered to be
true King Islanders because many
of them moved and stayed for var
ying lengths of time at Nome.
Tiulana then explained why the
people moved and lived in a little
village on the outskirts of that
city.
King Island was struck with tu
berculosis several years ago and
many of the people were hospital
ized. he said. After they recovered,
they returned to King Island where
they contacted the disease again.
"Living is very hard on the island i
and doctors have advised its not to
go back but to stay near a hospital ,
where we can get periodic check
ups," Hiulana said.
Another reason many of the King
Islanders stay at Nome instead of
returning to the island in winter is
to send their children to school. In
1958 the BIA school was condemned
as its found?ron was beginning to
sink and there was danger from oc
casional rock slides.
Another reason the King Island
ers want to move to Cape Wooley is
for economic reasons. At Cape
Wooley there is a level stretch of
ground beside the proposed site that
would be ideal for an airstrip. The
site is also located less than two
miles from the Nome-Teller road.
The King Island people live most
ly from the sale of arts and crafts
products and need a steady means
of transporting these items to mar
ket throughout the year. The King
Islanders are expert craftsmen and
their products are in demand. They
have outlets in the lower states to
which they can ship their art work
but if they live on the island, this
is not possible.
According to Tiulana, the game
at King Island is quite plentiful.
There are seals, polar bear, walrus,
crabs, ducks, and fish.
The King Islanders would like
some assistance in procuring build
ing supplies. They plan to obtain
some timbers and driftwood for
constructing their homes. They
want to lay out streets, have a
townsite surveyed, and try to in
stall a good water and sewage dis
posal system. A BIA or state school
obviously would be built there.
At the Inupiat Paitot meeting at
Kotzebue. BIA officials promised
they would aid Tiulana and the
King Islanders to settle in the new
location. Already the new site has
been staked out and moves are be
j ing made to cut through govern
ment red tape so that work can be
started next summer on construct
j ing the new village that is the
; King Islander’s hope for a better
! life.
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Cliff Burglfn
Republican Candidate for the
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(Paid Political Adv.)