LEGEND OF KOTZEBUE
Hero Turned Into Mink, Swallowed by Dragon
(Editor's Note: Emily Ivanoff 1
Brown is a widely known teacher
In Alaska. Mrs. Brown is now
studying at the University of |
Alaska. The following is the sec
ond half of chapter three of the
Legend of Kotzebue Village writ
ten by Mrs. Brown. Kotzebue is
one of the largest Eskimo settle
ments in the Arctic today.)
By Emily Ivanoff Brown
It was hard for the wife to part
from her husband; she again must
suffer alone from anxiety, wonder
ing if he were safe. She wished that
she. too. could go along, but Nupug’
iak must be alone to do this great
mission for his people. He had faith
in his only help—his idol, the mink.
When the people of the village
had gone to the council-house to
dance, he bade his wife good-bye.
not knowing when he would see her
again.
He was brave as he quietly walked
toward the dreaded dragon village.
He knew the igloo in which the
dragon was hidden. He quietly
crawled through the tunnel porch
and peeked through the skin door.
There he saw a huge coiled dragon
apparently asleep. The dragon took
a breath and Nupug’iak saw the
flexible skin heaving on his scaly
neck. This would be the place to
knife the dragon.
Nupug'iak quietly made his knife
ready for the attack. Then he
plunged the weapon through the
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dragon's neck trying to sever the
juglar vein.
The people in the council-house
were having a good time dancing.
They didn't hear the thunder-like
commotion the dragon made coiling
and uncoiling in an attempt to save
its life. Nupug’iak, after making
sure the monster was dead, entered
the council-house of kug'ik resi
dence.
No one noticed him until he asked
for a drink of water. Nyluk, the
master of the monster, was informed
of the arrival of an ig'lok. He or
dered his people to stop dancing
immediately. They knew this
stranger would soon die, not know
ing what had happened.
He gave an order to give this
stranger a feast. His servants
brought the choicest fare. He ate to
his content since lie knew he was
a deserving man. When he was
given his last drink of water. Nyluk
ordered his two servants to get his
pet. Nupug'iak didn't show any
sign of excitement, but felt confi
dent that he wouldn't be fed to the
pet.
People waited to hear the thud
ding sound of the dragon. Instead,
the two excited servants rushed in
and reported that the dragon was
dead. There was a grasping sound
from the master and the people.
They didn’t believe the servant's
report of the dragon’s death.
“How could this happen?” asked
Nyluk, the master of the dragon.
The men showed the bloody soles
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of their feet and tracks as proof
that the dragon was dead.
Anger arose! Nyluk ordered that
the mother of the dragon be brought
from the lake.
Nupug’iak Knew he was doomed.
He had made a mistake. He should
have killed the dragon's mother
first, but it was too late now. Ser
vants had already gone to get it.
People were doomed, but waited.
Nupug'lak made plans quickly while
they were waiting. He talked to his
idol, the mink, to give him strength I
to overcome his predicament. He |
make sure that his knife was secure j
on the belt within his reach.
People were so curious to witness
the new-comer devoured by the
dragon that they were unaware of
their own fate.
Soon they heard the familiar
thudding sound of the mother’s
steps as she was nearing the coun
cil-house.
The servants rushed in and hid 1
aloft under the rafters. Nupug’iak
was in an alert position to grab
Ongil. in order to throw him into
the dragon's mouth. When its jaws
! and head entered, Nupug’iak
grabbed Ongil and threw him into
the monster's mouth. The people
yelled for help which never came.
This was the beginning of a hum
an massacre by the dragon. Be
cause of Nupug’iak’s strength which
he used to grab the people, they
were all devoured.
Soon it would be his turn to be
eaten, but not in human form. He
asked his idol to change him Into
an animal. Instantly he turned to
a mink. He deliberately slid quickly
down the dragon’s throat and killed
the dragon from within with his
knife.
Then. Nupug’iak escaped safely
out into the world through the rec
tum, and walked to the lagoon
where he could take a good bath.
Nupug’iak, still as a mink, im
mediately plunged into the water
and bathed. He ate food which
strengthened him while he rested
in his hide-out for several days. He
knew it would take a long time,
possibly several years, before he
again changed into a man.
He remembered the plans he had
made with his wife. It was comfort
ing to know that some day he would
again live peaceably and safely
with his family, because the ene
mies were dead.
(To be continued.)
Letter to Editor
Juneau, Alaska
January 6, 19G3
Dear Editor:
Enclosed is our check for six dol
lars for forty copies of Tundra
Times I received and used for our
Christmas letter to forty teachers
we guided on an NEA tour last
summer.
Their ‘thank you’ notes have well
repaid us for sending them the
issues. And—you should be happy,
too. Your newspapers are truly edu
cating many in the south 48.
Thank you,
Mrs. Ethel Montgomery
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423 2nd Ave.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Cliff Cundy
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Local 942, AF of L
Edmund N. Orbeck, President
Joel Wiegert
Secretary-Treasurer
305 Noble St.
Meetings Every 2nd Friday
7:30 P.M.
Dial GL 6-4582
INDIAN LEGEND
Man Who Became Part Moose
By George Jennings Gale
Hcaly Correspondent
While I was living on Francois
Lake and at Nadina River, there
was an Indian legend of the Great
White Moose.
As every hunter knows, that when
he has an animal within his sights,
he and the animal are connected
in a sort of spiritual entrance just
before the fatal shot is fired.
Well, every year a bunch of In
dias and backwoods whites would
go out to try and shoot the white
moose.
I remember eight of us were out
there. We had a sort of a pool, that
is, we each paid in a dollar and
anyone getting the white moose
would get the jack-pot.
This pool was added to from year
to year until it was up to $2*16,
about enough money to keep a
bushman for the winter.
Lean Lank Tennessee Joe. a local
moonshiner, got the moose that
year. He said that when he shot
the moose a sort of electric shot
went through him. He was made
chief of the local Indians who be
lieved the moose wanted to enter
the body of a human.
Joe was regorded as a part white
moose thereafter.
Rogers . . .
(Continued from Page 3)
statement made previously by As
sistant Commissioner of the Bureau
of Indian Affairs E. R. Fryer to the
effect that Alaska needs more peo
ple.
"He probably got that from an
other speech,” Dr. Rogers said.
"When we delve a little deeper,
we find this is exactly what we
don't need at this point.”
"The bulk of Alaska's land area
has too many people, too many to
be supported by our present level
of economic development.”
“When you begin to look at facts
a little deeper and when you depart
from generalizations and get down
to specifics, you begin to see prob
lems shape up.”
"This is one of the important
roles of facts in economic develop
ment as useful tools in identifying
our problems.”
He said that statistics or facts
were already available to do this,
but he added. “When we get into
the matter of potentials, we run
out of facts and leap into hopes.”
He went on to emphasize that
trained technicians would be needed
in helping to gather the facts, some
one to evaluate and “tell you what
you have or honestly don’t have.”
He said the people should be
brought into play and should be
faced with alternatives which most
neatly fit their desires and hopes in
life. "In some cases it may result
in some hard, rude awakenings,” he
added.
“We need more knowledge and
facts of natural resources outside
of the few areas where development
has taken place.”
“We need to know the limits of
reality. Is there any hope, real hope.
This is where the University and
agencies not represented here have
to take increasing roles.” he said.
“This is where at the grass roots
level much can be accomplished.”
Letter to Editor
99 '2 Esplanade Rd .
Matale, Ceylon
January 28, 1963
Dear Editor:
I happened to get the name and
address of your paper, “The Tun
dra Times" while I was reading an
article on Alaska in our local even
ing daily, “The Ceylon Observer."
I am writing to you hoping that
you would publish my name and J
address in the pen-friend corner of
your magazine.
My full name is:
Percival Anthony Navaratne
Date of birth: 29-1-45
State: Unmarried
Address: 99/2 Esplanade Rd.,
Matale, Cylon
Hobbies: Stamp, covers and
view card collecting, sports
and correspondence
I am a student, and hoping you
will grant this favour. I wish to
have both male and female corres
pondents.
Yours sincerely,
Navaratne ,,
t *4.
Conference 1
(Continued From Pg. 3)
with particular emphasis on federal
and state public works projects.
One of the most pressing needs,
the conference members cited, was
for an extensive continuing adult
education program at the Univer
sity of Alaska, particularly for
training village leaders and adult
educators.
To assure success of the adult ed
ucation program, the conference
members strongly recommended the
services of Dr. Alexander Laidlaw,
of Ottawa, Canada, be procured te
implement the program. .,
The matter of local hire will be
assigned to a sub-committee to con
fer with federal and state agencies,
organized labor, the Associated
General Contractors, and the Alaska
congressional delegation. 1
Legal research was also cited
as needed to determine the exist
ing barriers to local hire and to pro
pose emedial measures.
Panel discussions at the confer
ence were held on the subjects, pro
cess of development, facts for de
velopment, the role of the state,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, the
church, other agencies and organi
zations.
Articles based on these panels are
to appear in this issue of Tundra
Times and forthcoming issues.
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Notice
Dogmushers
The drawing for positions in
the Women's North American
Championship dog races will he
held on Wednesday, March 13,
1963.
The drawing for the Open
North American Championship
dog races will be held Wednes
day, March 20.
In the past these drawings
have been held on Thursday,
the day before each race starts,
and it was decided to set it up
a day to allow mushers to get a
good night’s rest before the
races.
THE ALASKA
DOGMUSHERS ASSN.,
INC.