jrjrp-.- IT 91 ^TttttCSS l^c
Pena Nena Henash The Land Spraka
a a Tlingit
/». Ut kah neek Informing and Reporting
Pnungang Toonooktakuks The Aim fa Speak
Vol. ^_____Monday, Dec. 23, 1963 Fairbanks, Alaska
RADIATION DANGER LOW
Radio Course
Members of the Arctic Amateur
Ratlin Club have expressed their
desire to teach, via commercial
radio stations, a course designed
for persons living in Alaska's
bush to receive an amateur radio
license.
Briefly the plan calls for radio
club members in Fairbanks to
make up written material for the
course, anti mail this to prospec
tive students.
The students will then receive
code messages and questions over
a commercial radio set at home.
They will then send their ans
swers to Fairbanks for grading.
At the completion of the course
the students will he eligible to
take a standard federal operators
test.
The course is designed to qual
ify more radio operators for out
lying areas during lime of emer
gency, and for general message
sending.
Those interested in taking the
course are urged to write to the
Tqndra Times, Box 1287, Fair
banks, exry'essiin.g their desire.
The course will only he practical
if enough students sign up.
Letters have already been re
(Continued on Page 6)
ARTISTS—Mrs. Bernadette Crumley, formerly of Hooper Bay, left,
and Paul Matumcak, former Pt. Barrow whale hunter, were two of
the more popular artists showing their work at the recent Alaska
Art Gallery Christmas showing in Fairbanks. Both are new artists.
Mrs. Crumley specializes in making grass root baskets, while Matu
meak sketches his memories of many years of hunting and other
adventures in the far Arctic. —Tundra Times Photo
Tears Will Blind Us Forever
And Memories Will Sear Hearts
Editor s Note: many words nave
been written and spoken through
out the world concerning the as
l sassination of the late President
John F. Kennedy. Following is a
spontaneous essay concerning the
murder written by eighth grade
Fort Yukon student Donna
Horace, an Athabascan Indian.
The essay was forwarded to the
Tundra Times by E. G. Skeen,
superintendent of Fort Yukon
schools.
By Donna Horace
To Kill a man brings tragedy to
many people including the wife,
mother and brothers and sisters.
People are going to mourn the
death. To kill a man is evil!
What will become of the man’s
wife and children? Who will father
them? Whom will they call daddy?
Nobody will be there to listen to
their troubles.
The one who kills will never
know what he is doing. Jealousy?
What a word! This word will never
get a person as far as their nose
tips. Jealousy? A word that brings
1 death all over the world: innocent
| deaths!
Three helpless beings, without a
husband and father. I hope he
knows he brings sadness to the
family of happiness. I hope the
people can forgive him, for his evil
doings.
Tears will blind us forever, and
(Continued on Page ti)
But Watchful Eye Must
Be Kept Over Northland
| The present radioactivity situa
j lion in the Arctic is not believed
to constitute an immediate dan
I ger. it was learned at a top-level
i meeting of federal officials inter
ested in the radiation problem. The 1
meeting was called by Alaska's
Sen. E. L. (Bob) Bartlett.
However, it was agreed by the
six scientists at the Novo 26 ses- ;
sion that the situation does bear f
serious watching, and that present
research figures concerning the
problem are inadequate.
“Measuring and surveillance will
be stepped up and this work will be
made within the framework of a
systematic and comprehensive ap
proach to the problem—for the first
time." Bartlett told the Tundra
Times.
It was also agreed by those pres
ent that had nuclear atmospheric
testing been continued this year,
that a definite hazard would be
present in the Arctic.
Those meeting with Bartlett were: j
Dr. Ronald R. Chadwick, Division
of Radiological Health, Dept, of j
Health. Education and Welfare:
Earl H Arnold, chief. Program Of
fice of the Department;
Dr. Charles L. Dunham, director, 1
Division of Biology and Medicine.
Atomic Energy Commission:
Dr. Spofford G. English, assistant
general manager for research and
development, of the AEC:
Dr. John N. Wolfe, chief. Envir
Holiday feature
THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS
During this writer's boyhood in the village of Point
Hope, Christmas had already become part of the way of
life. No trees were available in that part of the country.
To remedy what might have been a treeless Christmas,
Saint Thomas Mission of the Episcopal church, sent for tiees
made out of pliable metal.
One of the most pleasant memories of decoration:
that adorned the tree in those days was popcorn strung or
long thread. It was amusing to watch the young ladie:
string popcorn with needle and thread while taking ar
occasional bite.
Tinsel, bright colored bulbs and candles completer
(Continued on Page 2)
onmental Sciences Branch, AEC
and. Dr. A. B. Colyear, medical o£
: ficer in charge, Arctic Health Re
j search Center.
Dr. Colyear is normally stationed
in Anchorage, but is now attending
the Industrial War College in Wash
ington, D.C.
Promised Action
Sen. Bartlett reports that he has
been promised regular, compre
hensive progress reports on the ra
diation studies.
The new approach to the study
will be done in three parts. These
are: Continuation of whole body
counts in Eskimo and Indian vil
lages. particularly those inland,
such as Anaktuvuk Pass and Arctic
Village:
Monthly samplings from major
caribou herds, to be done by the
State of Alaska, under an agree
ment with the federal government:
and the carrying forward of sup
port studies, concerning contami
nation in the air, water, plants
and birds.
Preparing Plans
Dr. Chadwick spoke of the ne
cessity of preparing plans for ef
fective countermeasures to be held
in standby readiness should future
events require. The impression was
given that such plans would re
quire a wait of six months, for
further evaluation of hazards, it
was reported.
nanicii i ivuivma
Bartlett told the group, that the
. federal government has a special
responsibility in the problem. "The
Alaskan natives arc ill-prepared to
meet the hazards of the nuclear
' age. a people without tire education
and knowhow necessary to insure
the protection of their rights, he
* said.
Tire radiation hazard topic inis
been a continuing one. The pr b
j lem revolves about the food chain
present for many peoples living
from the land in Arctic areas This
> food chain begins with the lichen,
\ a plant that absorbs its nutrients
from the air. rather than the ground,
’ thus taking radiation directly into
1 its system.
Caribou and reindeer eat lichen,
i and northern natives, particularly
(Continued on Page 8)