Whole Bodies Scanned
Hundreds of Natives Counted
In Radioactivity Census
Scientists under contract, with the
Atomic Energy Commission have
just completed a month-long exten
sive whole-body census of radiation
in several hundred Eskimos and In
dians in three villages above the
Arctic Circle in Alaska.
H. E. Palmer and W. C. Hanson,
employees of the General Electric
Co. at Hanford Laboratories. Rich
land, Washington made the whole
body counts in Ft. Yukon, Anak
tuvuk Pass and Barrow. They spent
a little over a week in each place.
It will be several months before
the results are compiled and pub
lished on the studies. Similar whole
body counts were taken last year
in four villages.
Highest Radiation
Last year's study confirmed what
had long been suspected, that the
radiation count of the people of
Anaktuvak Pass, who subsist chiefly
on caribou, had the highest radia
tion count in the U.S.
Officials, however, have main
tained that though the radiation
count is high in persons subsisting
in large part on caribou and rein
deer, levels are not in the category
to warrant strict measures taken.
Studies Urged
Senator E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, on
the other hand, has repeatedly
called for stepped up continuous
program of radiation studies.
Although the general background
radiation is lower in Arctic than
in Ihe temperate zones, the unique
Arctic food chain has resulted in
Alaska Eskimos and Indians inject
ing and retaining in their bodies
much more radioactivity than the
average people in the remainder of
the U.S.
Arctic Food Chain
Reindeer and caribou feed on
lichens and sedges. These Arctic
plants derive their nutrients from
the air, not from the soil, and con
sequently take in much more radio
active fallout than plants in other
areas. What is more, these plants
retain virtually 95 per cent of it.
A large part of the diet of Alaska
natives is from caribou and reindeer
that feed on the contaminated
plants.
H. E. Palmer, the scientist in
charge of the whole body Count pro
gram, presented a paper on the sub
ject at the eighth annual meeting
of the Health Physics Society held
June 10-13 at the Statler Hilton
Hotel in New York City.
Alaska Sent Three
The meeting was attended by 978
physicists, biologists, doctors, and
radiological health personnel from
the 50 states. Three attended from
Alaska: Sidney Heidersdorf, radia
tion physicist with the Alaska De
partment of Health, Juneau: Bruce
Adams, State Health Department.
Anchorage; and S, F. Mathur, En
vironmental Health. Fairbanks.
Palmer said during the summer of
1962 several hundred Alaskan Es
kimos at four villages inside the
Arctic Circle were measured with
a transportable whole body counter
and the average body burdens of
Cessium 135 were much higher than
the average for the remainder of
the U.S. peole.
These high values were presum
ably a result of caribou and rein
deer meat, he said.
The people from Anaktuvuk Pass
showed the highest average, 429
nanocuries of Cessium 137. and the
greatest single count, 790 nanocuries
was recorded there.
(Continued on Page 7)
REWARD OFFERED
August 1st, about 3 to 4 a.m., two cameras, a Norelco shaver,
battery operated, and numerous small items were taken from a
1963 Rambler American near the Sportland in Fairbanks. The
owner, Edwin Howze, cashier at Sportland is offering S25 or
more if items are returned in good condition. (Will not prosecute.)
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452-2088
Savoonga Finds
Russian Balloon
By John Kulewiyi
Savoonga Correspondent
Before I say anything, I would
like to thank the TUNDRA TIMES
editor for giving me the award of
the past month. I also thank George
Markham for giving or writing to
TUNDRA TIMES about my words.
July 10, 1963 — Ahmed American
Construction Engineer F.A.A. An
chorage, Alaska, was here for Sa
voonga Airport. He said that we
need more gravel and more sand
to build the air strip and said that
we need more money to construct
the airfield.
Tragedy
Tragic news was reported through
KICY at Nome at the first part of
July, from N. E. Cape Alaska that
an Eskimo Hunter, Leslie Immingun
went over board from his wooden
boat while hunting for dog food.
His son, Jim was with him at the
time and he was thrown from his
boat. His son tried to rescue him.
but could not manage to get close
enough. He tried to throw a rope
to him but the motor was too
strong. He tried again but failed.
Jim was pulling in the rope on the
second try but when he turned
around again for rescuing, his father
disappeared.
He turned his boat toward the
shore and made a good landing at
Camp Kulowi.vi and walked five to
six miles for help. His son is six
years old. We have no full details
of the hunter but nobody else was
with them when he went out hunt
ing.
Supplies Arive
On July 16. the U. S. M. S. North
Star arrived in Savoonga to unload
Savoonga's year's supply of about
300 tons of freight. Everyone was
I very busy long shoring. After the
| North Star left, the U. S. C. G. C
Northwind arrived from N E. Cape
to give X-Rays to Savconga people.
The doctor examined the sick, and
the dentist gave dental care also.
The North Wind worked at Gambell
first, then N. E. Cape, and then
Savoonga.
Russian Weather Balloons
On July 18, a weather balloon
was found out in the water. A boat
went out to see what it was. The
balloon was from cur neighbors
across the Bering Strait.
New Airfield
Two boats went out to get Wien’s
tractor east of Savoonga which was
driven from North East Cape by j
Timothy Gologergen. They ran out
of gas for the tractor and left it 13
miles along the shore, east of Sa
voonga. As soon as the tractor ar- i
rives in Savoonga they will start on |
the small plane airfield just behind
the village. This is not for big
planes: it will be 100 feet in length,
and 40 feet wide. Speaking of air
fields. we just don't know what is
happening with the main airstrip
we was to get. We may get another
contractor or what? I don’t know
yet what the scoop is.
Celebration
On July 19, a big celebration at
N. E. Cape is being held. All Na
tives was invited for the July 19th
celebration by the base commander
at N. E. Cape. Today, (July 18) we
are having our celebration with
sled dog races, kid’s foot races, tin
can shooting contest, Native and
(Continued on Page 5)
Dramatic Demonstration
Native Buys, Operates tannery;
Saves 65 Jobs in Lower Yukon
In a dramatic demonstration of
economic development, a young
Native man bought and successfully
operated this summer a cannery at
Pitka's Point in the Lower Yukon.
Randy Kalkins. a Native of South
east Alaska and formerly a Fair
banks city policeman, bought the
cannery the first of June and by the
first week in July had packed 5.000
cases of red salmbon expected to
gross $50,000 on the market.
Dramatically Kalkins saved the
jobs of about 65 Native fishermen
and cannery workers in the econom
ically distressed area. His total pay
roll of about $30,000 will contribute i
to the support of about 300 Natives. !
Owner Hied
The cannorv was formerly owned
and had been operated since 1047 !
by the late Henry Bogler. Mr. Bug
ler died on September 4 last year j
and the cannery became tied up in j
his estate. Until very shortly before 1
the fishing season, it looked as ill
the cannery would not operate this
year and Natives who formerly
worked there would be unemployed.
The unemployment picture was
worsened by the fact that a can
nery owned and operated by the
Northern Commercial Company at
Kwiguk was damaged by flood ,
waters and could not operate this
yonr.
Assisting greatly in the project |
whs the Economic and Industrial
Development Branch of the Bureau
i f Indian Affairs in Alaska, just
started early this year.
Cut Red Tape
Frank Anderson. BIA Projects
Development officer in Fairbanks,
aided greatly in cutting the maze
of red tape, locating and assisting
the native buyer, and arranging for
late licensing.
After Bogler’s death, a number of
people in the area indicated interest
in it and expressed concern Hint its
closure would cause unemployment.
The attorney for Bogler’s estate.
Howard Doherty, of Port Angeles,
Washington, immediately sent out
letters to a number of natives and
others who knew of the cannery's
operation offering to sell it on terms
if any of them could arrange ap
proved financing. He asked $40,000
I for it.
Disappointedly, the attorney did
not receive any offers on his propo
sition. After Bogler's death, Doherty
had assured the people in the area,
the former workers, that the can
nery would be sold as soon as pos- ’
.sible and would operate during the
next fishing season.
Bids Asked
When the attorney did not re
ceive any response, he decided to
call for competitive bids. It was
about this time, in January of this
year that the BIA in line with gen
eral policy appointed a four eco- ,
nomic development officers for four
widely separated areas of Alaska, j
Anderson was appointed for the |
Fairbanks District and immediately j
became aware of the situation in
regard to the Pitka s Point canneiy
and the threat it fiosed.
He immediately set to work on
! the project and it was a formidable
one. It was the problem of assist
' ing a person, preferably native, ob
j tain financing to quickly buy. take
I over and operate a cannery clouded
Flor craft9 Inc.
Floor Covering Specialities
Carpet — Linoleum — Tile
Plastic Laminates (Formica)
WE INSTALL EVERYTHING WE SELL
520 Church St„ Fairbanks, Alaska
Phone GL 2-1423
by the legalities of being in an es
tate.
Anderson contacted the attorney
for the estate and set out at once
investigating the cannery. He was
contacted by a number of natives
interested in buying the cannery
but who were hopelessly lacking
in capital.
Appraiser Sought
Anderson corresponded greatly
with the attorney for the estate.
With approval, he chartered a
plane, flew to Pitku's Point, and
inspected the property. He checked
on the title of the land on which
the cannery was located and sought
to get a qualified appraiser to the
cannery as soon as possible.
The days and months slipped by
quickly while red tape mounted.
The estate's attorney became dis
couraged and started negotiations
with a group in Seattle interested
in the cannery just as Anderson
turned up a very likely native pros
pect of swinging the transaction.
llad Capital
He was Randy Kalkins. a member
of the Fairbanks Police Department.
Originally from Southeast Alaska,
he had had experience working in
canneries, and also was able to raise
a sizable lump of capital necessary
for a down payment.
Bv this time it became apparent
if the cannery were to operate,
ice would have to be cut and stored,
for the pack. Formerly Boglor had
arrived each year at the cannery
about April 1 and started to sto ■»
ice at once It was now nearing the
end of April, there was water on
the surface of the ice. and it was
known that the ice generally went
out about the second week in May.
Operation Ice
Attorney Doherty, realizing tko
value of the Cannery for quick sale
I would be greatly decreased and
chances of operating it nill if an
ice supply was not stored, author
ized a native man. Fred \lr. Alstrnm.
to undertake the project. Keys were
sent for tire cannery and though dif
ficulty was experienced with chain
saws and the ice was somewhat
honeycombed, a sufficient supply
was gathered and stored at a total
cost of $334.50.
Negotiations continued. The deal
with the group from Seattle feli
through. Kalkins. with the assist«
ance of Anderson, stepped up their
negotiations with the estate's at«
turney.
License Problem
Another obstacle appeared on tha
horizon. It would he necessary to
obtain commercial fishing vessel
and gear licenses. Through the co
operation o£ the State Fish and
Game Department, licensing was
hurried.
Finally, after thouspnds of miles
of red tape, the deal was consum
mated. Kalkins, with financing,
bought the cannery.
Went AWOL
In the midst of the negotiations.
Kalkins wanted to go to Pitka’s
Point to finalize the agreement. Bur
the Fairbanks Police Department
had recently drastically cut its
forces and permission was denied.
What happened? Kalkins went
AWOL for two days and when he
got back, he was promptly suspend
ed for three days. He couldn't even
quit his job until he got off suspen
sion.
On June 12. Kalkins went to Pit
ka’s Point just as the fishing sea
son began. For the next six weeks,
he was a busy man indeed, working
practically around the clock, only
I snatching brief cat naps of sleep.
Many Employed
j He employed steadily 17 girls and
10 men, actually at the cannery, and
had between 35 and 45 fishermen at
various times working the river for
him.
He employed three girls and a
couple of young fellows for per
(Continued on Page 5).