CttuDra Ctmeg
Owned, controlled and edited by Tundra Times, Inc., a corporation of Alaska
natives. Published at Fairbanks, Alaska, twice monthly, on the first and third
Mondays.
Address all mail to Box 1287, Fairbanks, Alaska. Telephone GL 2-2244.
Entered at the Post Office at Fairbanks, Alaska, as second class matter under
the Act of March 3, 1879. __
Tundra Times, Inc., publisher (Howard Rock, Martha Teeluk, and Alfred Ketzleri;
HOWARD ROCK, editor; Terry Brady, assistant editor; contributing editors,
Guy Okakok, Martha Teeluk, and Alfred Ketzler.
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Editorial
Oneness of Spirit
The heart is warmed. There is a feeling of warm fel
lowship—and above all, there is a warmth of the Love
of God.
This is the meaning of Christmas to natives, and
everyone else, in Alaska. The reverent observance of
Christ's birthday has become comfortingly meaningful as
the day of days in the Arctic world. In all the villages it is
observed with uninhibited reverence of God so inspira
tional that there seems to be the presence—an aura of Him
they worship.
Christmas time gives us the sense of the existence of
a Supreme Being. In being aware of this, most of us cannot
help but be better human beings—more loving—more kind
to our fellow man.
Two days from today, the bells of the Houses of
Worship throughout the world will chime the memory of
the Birth of Christ. The bells will ring out in the sunburst
countries of the tropics and they will ring out in the sun
less mid-winter days in the communities of Barrow, Point
Hope, Point Lay, Wainwright and other villages within the
Arctic Circle.
Harmonious carols will issue forth into the night air
of the tropics. They will be sung into the cool night of the
temperate zones. They will echo into the glinty night air
of the frigid zones. The warmness of the hearts of the
carolers will be of same degree in all climes.
Foods of the tropics will adorn the tables of the torrid
zones. Turkeys and hams will grace the tables in the tem
perate zones. Muktuk will be the order of the day in the
frigid zones.
The feasts, wherever they may be, will be in remem
brance of Christ who came for the salvation of man. They
will be fitting for the occasion because, by tradition, they
are the best and most meaningful each area will produce
to grace their Christmas tables.
Whether we feast, dance, play, and worship, each
one of us should allot an extra moment and ask for a little
more of human fellowship throughout the world. To be
a little more loving of our fellow man will help us to
have oneness of soirit in wishina the world a MORF
MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!
Response Helps
"Respond"—to answer, to reply, to act, to behave in
response.
"Response"—act of responding; in answer.
These two words have much meaning to the staff of
the Tundra Times, For it is the "response" of our readers
to our editorials, articles and advertising, that makes it
possible for this newspaper to continue publishing.
This interraction is what makes a newspaper. But it
is particularly important to a young newspaper, tha1
breaks into the communication market as an unknown
quantity of unknown quality.
We have had kind readers, and kind advertisers . . .
both so important to our success.
So, in response to this kindness, we would like to
respond by saying "Thank You," to our readers and adver
tisers for responding to us, and to each other. May you
ell enjoy this Holiday Season.
NORTH STAR
AWARD
(In each issue, the Tundra
Times will single out for a North
Star award one who has made an
outstanding accomplishment or
done a meritorious act.)
A long tenure of office usually
speaks for itself. Frank A. Degnan,
mayor of Unalakleet for 15 years
is an example. During this time, he
has been the kind of a man who
wanted to do things for his people
and his village. He has been a driv
ing, persistent man in going after
things his village needed. Being the
kind of a man he is, he usually got
what he was after.
In writing about his friend, Dale
B. Friemering of Unalakleet wrote:
“I have become well acquainted
with Frank Degnan, whom you
know, in fact he is my best friend.
Disregarding the friendship I feel,
if one looks objectively at Frank’s
life and the things he has accom
plished for both the village of Una
lakleet and for natives in general
should qualify him for the North
Star Award.
Largely through Degnan’e ener
getic efforts and persistence, the
following services and facilities
have become realities at Unalak
leet. During the last five years a
Bureau of Indian Affairs Junior
High School was established, a new
Native Store built, a new communL
ty building, and power was in
stalled by the Matanuska Electric
Association.
Again largely through Degnan’s
efforts, a modern dial telephone
system was installed. When this
facility was put into service, the
Tundra Times was honored by be
ing the first to be called by Mayor
Frank Degnan.
Perhaps the most important facili
ties slated for construction in spring
are the sewer and water systems. A
floating fish cannery now comes
annually.
Degnan is a past member of the
Territorial House of Representatives
(1951), a member of the State Board
of Fish and Game, chairman of
the Northwestern Sub-committee
of the Governor’s Economic Advis
ory Committee, president of the
Unalakleet Valley Electric Co-op,
Inc., and member of the Inupiat
Paitot.
And so to Frank A. Degnan,
whose energetic leadership bettered
the lives of his people at Unalak
leet, and often under difficult con
ditions, goes the twenty-ninth
North Star Award along with our
congratulations and sincere wishes
for serene holidays.
_
POEM
Christmas Thought
(Editor’s Note: The following
passage was included with a self
drawn Christmas card given to
the “Tundra Times and the edi
tors and staff” by Emily Ivanoff
Brown, a well known Native
teacher of many years in North
ern Alaska. We think it was beau
tiful so we thought we would
share it with our readers.)
By EMILY IVANOFF BROWN
In the ages past, the Eskimos
were
aware of the Celestial Power.
They called him “Celum Inoy”
(The owner of the Universe.)
They often acknowledged His
presence
and strength by lifting their
arms
to heavens and speaking to Him.
We, who are truly aware of
His
birthday at Christmas, can
worship Him
as did the Eskimos of long ago.
“Merry Christmas and Happy
I New Year.”
Editorial
THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS
(Continued from Page 1)
the decoration of the tree. It was, indeed, a wonder of the
world to-children who had never seen a tree in their lives,
fo them, the tree became a symbol of Christmas. Some
secretly wished that they could see a real tree.
Little programs had been introduced as part of the
observance of Christmas. One unforgettable bit this writer
will never forget was when he was taught to memorize
3 nursery rhyme that was to be recited before almost every
member of the village population.
The people had crowded into a large hall for the feast
out before it started, a little program was performed. He
does not remember what the rest of the program was
about, but he does remember his part.
People had sat down on the floor. When his turn
:ame, he was placed on the floor in front of the audience.
He began to recite the nursery rhyme, and right in the
middle of it someone in the audience said in a loud voice,
'We can't see him!"
There was a flurry of activity and somebody produced
a wooden box. The writer was lifted bodily onto the box
and told to recite the rhyme once again.
The hall became very quiet. One could have heard
a caribou hair drop. He began.
"Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie.
He put out his thumb
And pulled out a plum
And said, 'What a good boy am I."'
The hall broke into a loud applause mingled with
proud laughter. It half scared the performer. His mother
rushed forward and lifted him in her arms and said tender
ly, "I'm very proud of you, son."
To the children of the village, Santa Claus, of course,
was a very mysterious being. They began to learn to visual
ize him as the happiest little old man. When he laughed,
which he did all the time, his belly "shook like a bowl full
of jelly," although they didn't have any idea what jelly
was. They just knew his belly shook when he laughed.
He gave nice presents away when you're a good little
Eskimo boy or girl. He knew all about it when you're not
a good boy or girl. Around Christmas time, it is doubtful
that there was a bad girl or a bad boy in the whole village.
The way Santa travelled was something out of this
world. Being familiar with reindeer, some of the little
Eskimo children couldn't quite imagine Santa driving them
across the sky. But since he was Santa Claus, he did it just
the same. The little old man could do anything as he sailed
across the sky happily shouting, "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO
ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
This writer was distressed when he found out that
Santa came down chimneys. We didn't have a chimney iiji
our house. No one had chimneys in the whole village ex
cept the school and some Mission buildings and there were
no children in any of them. Would Santa go to the school
and the Mission buildings and leave no presents to the
children of the village?
No chimney! What a distressing situation. All we had
in the house was a stove pipe and the door of the Arctic
stove was so small. Besides the oven chamber was in the
way. How would Santa come out through all this? If he
could go through the stove pipe, he would probably have
to squeeze through and get his white beard and hair all
sooty. If he can go through all this, he must be a very small
old man.
But early the next morning, there they were—a brand
new pair of little overalls with a cotton shirt to match!
Santa was there alright. Looking at the stove pipe, he won
dered, "How could he come through such a small stove
pipe?"
After he put the new clothes on, he looked at them
over and over again. He asked his mother whether he
could show them to his cousins and she said he could. He
ran and entered the sod igloo and said excitedly, "Look
what Santa brought me last night!"
On his way back home, he ran and looked at his new
clothes by turns and then murmured, "I love you Santa
Claus."