RCA GRADUATES—Herman Kitka from Sitka receives a congratulatory handshake from President
Kennedy in the White House rose garden following his graduation from an 18-month RCA elec
tronics course in New York. At left. Interior Secretary Stewart Udall looks on. To the right of Kitka i
is Joseph Pungowiyi, St. Lawrence Island, another graduate, and at right are wives of two of the
graduates. Mrs. Sam Kitka. and Mrs. Morgan Aukongok, of Nome. Twenty-three young men left Alas
ka this week for a similar RCA technical course.
23 Native Young Men Leave Alaska
For RCA Training in Los Angeles
Twenty-three young Native men
left Alaska Saturday for the RCA
Institute at Los Angeles where they
were scheduled to begin today a
18-month course of electronics
training.
This is the third group of Alaska
natives to begin the RCA training
program which is greatly expand
ing “The -ky’s the limit," said
Jens Forshaug. relocation officer
of the Fairbanks regional office of
the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The first group of ten young na
tive men who entered 1he RCA In
stitute at New York City in Feb
ruary. 1961 were graduated this
summer and received congratula
tions from top officials in Washing
ton including President Kennedy.
The ability of the first two groups
to adapt and successfully complete
the course has given impetus to
expanding the program.
“Next year we will be able to
take as many qualified applicants
es we can get,” Forshaug said to
day.
He went on to point out that RCA
has 500-600 jobs for electronic tech
nicians in Alaska and have a hard
time keeping the vacancies filled
because of 1he large turnover of
personnel when they rotate to the
lower states after completing their
contracts.
rorsnaug sain Tnai naa esti
mated it could absorb about 125-150
electronic technicians a year into
Steady jobs for the next five years.
“We are going to seek as many
applicants as we can. But we don’t
think we will be able to find
enough qualified for the training.
The high schools are just not turn
ing them out last enough," he said.
A requirement for the course is
a high school education with math
ematics background. Chemistry and
physics are helpful but not required.
“We are even going to accept
women applicants," Forshaug add
ed.
Of the 23 that entered the Insti
tute today, 11 were processed
through the Fairbanks office. They
are James B. Bell, Aaron W. Bell,
Ailak A. Ernest, Floyd Nagozruk,
•f Nome; Virgil F. Naylor. Noatak;
Caleb L. Pungowiyi, Northeast
Cape; Thomas K. Octuck, Teller;
Chester L. Ballot. Kotzebue: Thom
as E. Punguk. Golovin; Thomas Gla
zier, Northway: and Theodore
Kaufman, of Fairbanks.
The first eight graduates of the
RCA course in New York returned
to Anchorage where they took a
fi weeks specific technical course.
They are now all employed by RCA
in different parts of Alaska.
Two of the graduates married in
the lower states and brought back
wives to Alaska.
Forshaug pointed out that 92 per
cent of those who go through the
training at the RCA Institute have
jobs before they graduate.
“After a year at the institute, a
person becomes employable. Some
times the officials have to persuade
students from dropping out to take
employment.”
The government bears the costs
of the course which is about $3,000
per student. This includes $1,404
tuition. $140 in related costs, blue
cross insurance, room and board,
and an amount for incidentals.
“But we feel the cost is repaid
many times over,” Forshaug said. ^
The graduates become taxpayers,
leave the small number of jobs |
available in villages for men with
families, lessen the pressure of wel- !
fare, and provide a decent standard I
of living for themselves and their
families, he continued.
Officials have said that the pro
gram is providing a great incentive |
to young native men all over the |
state to go into specialized train
ing. Many others through the BIA
relocation program have gone tc
other electronics schools in the
lower states to return when gradu
ated to Alaska jobs.
I
The TUNDRA TIMES didn't try I
to be different from any other '
newspaper but it just couldn't help j
but being different — and delight- j
fully so. Why don't you make a I
habit of reading the Tundra Times |
and be informed on things that ire
truly Alaska? Subscribe today to
the Tundra Times.
Where Old Timers Meet
The oldest bar in South Fairbanks
MORRY'S BAR
27th and Cushman Street, Fairbanks
Potlaches Commemorate Dead
By Sharon Ketzler
Nenana, Alaska
An old Native custom which has
been passed down through the years
is a potlatch or dinner held in honor
of a deceased villager.
An Alaskan Native village is a
close-knit group and almost every
one is related to the ethers in the
village. All the people respect one
another and pay due homage to
their dead.
So far as my knowledge of 'hr
potlatch goes, the dinner is only
held for Indians. Jf a Native wo
<i.n Marries a Who man, n- mat
ter hu-v man; Indi i rein'. " s s \
has. a potlatch is not given for her
■.Mitn . h- passes away. Thi- i- bt
n ns believi ti: ; the Na
if 'vi . i:i goes- to tne V."i in- i inn's
h n.
The potlatch is u. ua'ly. h, !J ihe
jc.! ■ .re t'.ia bull 1 a:. cl the
lter it la ‘a y r-’-.i- ,u the
la; i;ad pa.la cflcs varies ac
■ . a to rile s S in. In lilt- .uim
mcr tin minn dish is usually fish
and storm sort of rice soup. Tile
winter usually brings moose, hot
broth and coffee or cocoa. In spring,
duck is the main dish. Some is
made into soup and s: me of it is
fried. There is always somethin!'
to drink — cocoa, coffee, koolaid.
tea.
In the fall, just before moose
hunting season, duck is again the
rain dish. Moose is the preferred
dish and if there happens to be
dried moose meat available, it is
always a welcome plate.
Baked bread and dessert, such as
hard candy or berries, is served.
Older people are served the choicest
food and the rest is passed out to
BOUND SOUTHWARD—A group
of eleven young Native men were
all smiles as they boarded a jet
Saturday that took them to Uos
Angeles to enter the RCA Insti
tute there. Left to right, Thomas
Oktuek, Floyd Nago/.ruk, Thom
as Punguk, and partly hidden,
Chester Ballot. —Staff Photo.
~ _ - _.-i__I
the middle-aged people and chil
dren.
Close relatives traditionally sup
ply the food. The closer the rela
tives. the more elaborate is the
potlatch. The recent custom is for
everyone who attends to bring a
specific dish to the dinner.
The Native Hall in Nenana. where
pbtlatches arc held, was built by
Indians. It was not a jrb for which
they were paid. As all Natives
were to make use of the building,
voluntary wo'ky r cut the lumber
for the building and put it up.
Ai.it the pi 'latch i- through and
'"iii"!. the relativ s
don their Native costumes of hwid
i : v in them and
elaborately headed tunics and
oil-'- ■ i k;>: of mo s.e skin.
The relatives sing n song which
h • bee-i ispceUlly composed soon,
after the relative has passed ' was
■ ■' .. the acci ilish
gnentsments ar.d feats pei 1 i med
during the life m the dee '.,si I. This
continues on through the early
intoning hours and children, who
are permitted to stay up later than
usual, join in the dancing.
The day after the funeral the
Natives repeat the custom and
everyone goes home with the know
ledge that God knows the dead
relative was well respected.
Subscribe Today
to the
TUNDRA TIMES
Alaska's Newest
and Fastest Growing
Newspaper
FELLOW ALASKANS:
My deepest thanks go to
all of you who supported
me at the polls in my bid
for re-election to the Con
gress. Also I wish to take
this means of expressing
my sincere appreciation to
each of you who helped
me so generously and ef
fectively in my campaign.
Cordially,
Ralph J. Rivers
U. S. Representative
GOOD LISTENING I
AROUND THE CLOCK 7
at
24 Hours a Day Coverage ^
Music-News-Special Events
KFRB
- 900 ON YOUR DIAL -