S IV11
Box 235
Barrow, Alaska
Dear Editor:
In your recent issue there ap
peared a plea for unification of
southeastern, Alaska Native Bro
therhood, the Interior Natives, and
the Eskimo Inupiat Paitot organi
zations. In answer to that, you gen
erally stated that there probably
would be no objection from the
Inupiat Paitot. Personally speaking,
I would be in favor of the merger
in due time.
I would like to make a statement
through your paper if you will per
mit me. about this very thing. And
my statement would be directed
primarily to the Natives of the In
terior and the Eskimos of the North.
In the first place, the idea is a
good one and perhaps should have
been a reality years ago. But I do
not want my friends of the Interior
and the North and Northwestern
Alaska to over look any possibilities
that might be detrimental to their
purposes at the present time.
I have in mind the fact that the
Southeastern Natives who have
been organized for many years are
way ahead of their Northern
friends. Having some knowledge of
parliamentary procedure I can
clearly envision a conference tak
ing place next year or the next, af
ter the merger. The Alaska Native
Brotherhood of Southeastern Alas
ka is organized almost to a head.
There are very few Natives, if any,
who are not members of that or
ganization now. This is very de
sirable and they already have it.
I cannot speak for the Yukon Na
tives because I do not know to what
extent they have organized. Speak
ing for the North and Ncrthwestern
Eskimos, we have not as yet orga
nized by any means. We have a
well functioning conference called
the Inupiat Paitot, but that organi
zation is not to be compared with
the Alaska Native Brotherhood. By
this organization I mean, we are
not actually organized to the point
‘--- --
I where we can support ourselves
financially. In order to be finan
cially able, we must organize, en
list members, draw up our by-laws,
and bring some money into the or
ganization.
We do not know how many mem
bers we will have unless we orga
nize. We must know how many
members we have in order to de
termine a number of delegates to
a convention. Wre must organize
and be financially sound in order
to accomplish what we sought to
do in the first place.
I can just picture you and a hand
j ful of other Eskimos sitting at a
conference table with a full battery
of the members of the Alaska Na
tive Brotherhood, and being voted
down on every proposal you might
have. On the other hand, every
proposal by the Alaska Native Bro
therhood that you might not like
will become a reality without a
struggle on their part because they
will have all the votes they need
to get a majority. This very thing
will happen if we don’t get our
membership chartered. By this
means only will we be able to de
termine the number of our dele
gates. I have seen this happen and
it will happen in any organization.
Personally I deal with this sort
of thing every year at the legisla
ture and I know too well that if
we permit ourselves to be merged
in the unorganized state that we
are, we have lost before we start
ed.
The primary reason for this
thinking is of course the adoption
of the majority rule, in a conference
or a convention. I don’t care who,
I how, or when you propose some
1 thing and bring it to a vote, the ma
jority rules.
Because I am representing -in the
legislature, some 3000 potential
members of this organization, I
could not permit this to happen
without a single word of advise or
warning.
I would like very much to have
tile Inupiat Paitot consider this at
length and perhaps hold a meeting
to determine the advisability of a
merger at this time.
Should the Inupiat Paitot decide
to take this under advisement. I
will offer my services, if needed,
and if possible, I would like the
opportunity to speak to them or
before the conference.
If you will, please print this in
your paper as a message from a i
future member of the merged or
ganization.
Thank you very much for the op
portunity.
Yours truly,
Eben Hopson
Senator Ebon Hopson
Box 235
Barrow, Alaska
Dear Senator Hopson:
j I received your letter of July R.
in which you expressed concern
about the “merger” among the or
ganizations, Inupiat Paitot, Dena
Nona Henash. and the Alaska Na
tive Brotherhood. At the outset, I
I would like -to soy tHul wliu\ Imp
pened at Tanana Indian meeting
was not a move toward a merger,
but a step toward affiliation. A
merger of the three organizations
was never mentioned at anytime
during the discussion of this sub
ject.
Personally. I don t think a mer
ger among the organizations would
be practical at this time because of
distinct nature of the problems
faced by the different regions. In
great part, the natives of South
eastern Alaska face quite different
problems from the natives of the
far north. For instance, the Indians
in Southeastern Alaska are now
fighting for compensation for lands
that have been extinguished, while
the natives in the northern parts
of Alaska are fighting to retain
their lands on which they have ex
isted for centuries and which, for
the most part, have not been lost.
YOUR NEEDS ARE AS CLOSE
AS YOUR BUSH PLANE SERVICE
Your orders filled the same day they are received
Galvanized or Black Stove Pipes Safeties, Coal Buckets, and
and Elbows—any size Yukon Stoves (only four left)
Oil, Wood, Coal, and Electric Anchor Stokers (complete)
Cook and Heating Stoves
n .,. ... ,, Agitator Washing Machines
Pacific Pumps, Water Heaters
and Softeners Standard Acid Resistant Enamel
Stainless Steel Double Sink Cast lron Sinks and Cabine,s
Toilets, Bathtubs, Bathroom Bowls anct Cast Iron Pipes—
and Toilet Seats anV s'ze
Coils for Heating Stoves Plumbing Fittings of All Kinds
Shop will be closed December, January, and February
PALFY PLUMBING, HEATING
AND SHEET METAL SHOP
801 First Avenue, Fairbanks
Telephone Hours: 10 a.m. to noon and
452-2308 and 452-2838 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily
My interpretation of the “affilia-qucstions fully, if I have not done
tion at the Tanana meeting was
cooperation among the organizations
in which they would seek to aid
one another in resolving common
problems. 1 am sur you will agree
that while natives in widely sop
mated areas face different prob
lems. there are many problems that
ore tii" same in ail m as. By c op
erating. all the organizations would
be able to present a more solid 1
front and become more effective.
’.,v view on the meetings of the
organizations would be meetings of
the executive committees of each
organization where problems of
each area would be discussed as
well as common problems. In my
opinion, these meetings would not
necessarily be tests of strength
where each organization would seek
to dominate the others. I believe th"
organizations can cooperate with
one another without merging. It
might be pointed out in passing
that each organization has roughly
the same number of persons on its
executive committee.
fyly view in Vhin rcRnrri in '
we need to be better organized hav
ing Eskimo villages and towns as
members. We have not made any
concerted effort along this line but
v/e should do so. In order to make
the Inupiat Pnitnt a more potent
organization we need better vil
lage leaders, leaders who fully real
ize the purposes of it: that of
sounding out those problems that
most affect the Eskimos.
Village leaders need to educate
their people that the Inupiat Paitot
is an organization that is dedicated
to the betterment of their lot and
one that will sneak out in a force
ful manner if it has to. Tf the vil
lages were organized to back the
Inupiat Paitot it could become a
really fine organization.
My idea has been that if the vil
lages were organized to back Inu
piat Paitot. it could function well
also as a pressure to both the State
Legislature and the U.S. Congress
to pass legislation to benefit natives.
The natives have never presented a
solid front along this lino. In these
times of stress, the natives and their
organizations need to cooperate so ,
they will truly Pave a solid front
when they really need it.
As for raising funds, if villages
would raise a nominal sum to fin
ance a delegate to a meeting, that
would be most desirable. The vil
lages can handle the financing on
their own or they can send the
money to the central treasurer to
administer the funds according to
the needs of the delegates while he
is attending the conference. If you
have other ideas along this line, I
would be most interested to hear of
them. I think the Inupiat Paitot
would be fortunate if you would
aid it toward a better functioning
organization. Your experience as a
public servant would be an invalu- i
able aid to us.
The Inupiat Paitot was organized
as simple as possible as a village
membership organization. It sought
to get away from too much for
mality so it would be more flexible
so it could act promptly if an occa
sion arose. Its bylaws are very
simple as well as its parliamentary
procedure during conferences Its
procedures are aimed mostly at in
formality so the delegates who are
not too familiar with the procedures
can speak without being hampered,
since many of them do not have this
knowledge. Perhaps, at a later date,
parliamentary procedures can be
used more liberally, when all of us
get more educated to them.
As for the Dena Nena Henash.
Interior Indian organization, while
in writing its constitution and by
laws it drew heavily from that of
the ANB, it did not become an in
dividual membership organization
as is the ANB. It also was organiz
ed on a village membership basis.
I hope I have answered your
so, please write to me again.
As > u probably know, another
prgnoi/'iinn siniil r to the Inunint
RVitot and Dona Nona IP-nash has
Pru ' ip in the lower Yuk r -K 3
kok’vim am where about 10.000
| hativ “ live. Thai or Mnizat ,1 jj
ealkri the association of Village
('■ until Pr id !• p met last
October for the first Hrr • :d ha?
I r; heduled another nor di >g for early
Scptemh r thi- ve.or. A? r; n he
surmi.-eri f.o- 1 iu name, the AVCP
i -■ also a villagi , or
ganization.
I at lire > the par
able f om the P.ibP' whore one stick
is easy to break but the strength
of a bundle of them is hard to
cope with. T feel the same way
about the organizations that in the
last few years have sprung no and
I feel that the proposed affiliation
among the organizations will add
much strength and effectiveness to
the efforts of our people all over
Alaska to solve our problems and
better our lot in life.
Sincere\y yours,
Howard Y\ocK
Executive Secretary,
Inupiat Piatot
Shanghaied
Eskimos /?v joire
Seeing Old Glory
Bv Tony Joule
Kotzebue, Alaska
In the summer of 1922 a small
motor vessel, the Donaldson, came
i to Point Hope. On board was a
| family and two young men. The
skipper was seeking another family
In join them. A mnn. who was al
ways adventurous and a go-getter,
and his family joined the expedi
tion when they learned that Don
aldson was bound for Wrangell
Island.
These natives and one white man
disembarked on the Donaldson with,
winter suplies. Upon arriving at its
destination the party immediately
built a shelter for the winter. These
men primarily planned to trap and
hunt polar bear.
. During those days tur -was a
1 “must” item and prices of pefls
were high. Later we understood
that the purpose of the trip was to
take possession of the Island for
the United States.
During the winter the fur catch
was excellent and the polar bear
“take” was good. Other game for
their meat supply was plentiful, but
they had to ration their white man
food supply.
The party had no communica
tion. no word from home: they were
isol^te^. The ice breakup came
and it was spring. The usual antici
pation to see a ship was in order,
for they were long without com
pany other than themselves and,
of course, they longed to start back
home.
Finally a large ship was sighted
and anchored. The party was ex
cited and wanted to hear from home.
Upon approaching the ship, they
noticed the ship was flying a
strange flag. Realizing the flag was
not the U. S. Flag, they turned and
started to row back as fast as they
could, but they were too late. The
guns were already aimed at them;
they had to surrender and wera
taken aboard. It was a Russian gun
boat. When they started to row out
to the ship, little did they realize
that it was the last time they would/
see their camp and their catch.
Their White companion was with
them. This white man had just
enough time to warn those na*
! tives that if they behaved they
would be safe. They had to re
sort to his admonition. They never
saw their companion again. He
told his native friends they would
never see him alive again.
The natives managed to keep cool,
(Continued on Page 7) ^