Legend of Kotzebue
Hero Kills One Villain;
Lays Plan for the Other
By Emily Ivanoff Brown
Chapter III
(Editor's Note: Emily Ivanoff
Brown is a widely known teacher
in Alaska. Mrs. Brown is now
studying at the University of Alas
ka. The following is the third chap
ter of the Legend of Kotzebue Vil
lage written by Mrs. Brown. Kotze
bue is one of the largest Eskimo set
tlements in the Arctic today.)
Eskimo hunters of the interior
villages were concerned over the
disappearances of their sea hunters.
Certainly there must be a brave
man among the villagers, at least
one to attempt to solve the mystery.
This mystery set a young man to
thinking. Nupugiak, a brave young
hunter remembered his two idols
he was wearing concealed in his
necklace around his neck. He
thought to himself, “I know I can
rely on my idols, a tuft of down,
and a mink skin. He reached for
them and said as he examined both,
“Shall we fight for our peoples’
rights of hunting?”
He must help his people. He must
do away with the barrier of this
selfishness and jealousy, the result
of which was becoming evident.
Famine toward spring meant death
through starvation. Sea animals
supplied them everything for their
subsistence, clothing and food.
"I must find a way,” he resolved.
He would try to find a way to do
away with the monarchs of the sea.
Late one evening he discussed his
plan with his young wife. She re
solved to help him. They quietly
made preparations for the dangerous
trip both would cunningly under
take in the early morning.
wnen they reached ltivyuK (por
tage) to Kunigmute, they changed
their course and traveled on the
coast line toward the first penin
sula called Dekiga’yugruk (Eskimo
name of a larger peninsula) or
Pike’s Spit. Nupug'iak knew they
first would enter Kunigmute from
the northwestern part.
He announced to his wife when
they arrived at Dekiga’yoichak
(Smaller peninsula).
When they arrived at their destin
ation, Nupug’iak gave orders to his
wife. “You wait here. I will now
make an attempt to fulfill our mis
sion.”
He made sure he had his idols
handy. He placed both around his
neck. His wife was a brave woman.
She had faith in her husband’s in
genuity. She smiled when he bade
her good-by and said, “I’ll be back.”
When he clmbed over the peak
he saw the smoke circling straight
up from the younger brother’s fort
of Angil. He saw the two polar
bears guarding the entrance of their
master’s igloo. He walked down to
the beach and observed the condi
tion of the snow. The snow within
the high bank was soft and had
crusted to make a hard surface,
which was an ideal way for him to
travel through as a mink.
So he took his idol and com
manded it to change him into a
mink. He immediately became that
Mad Trapper . . .
(Continued from Page 5)
“You see boys, I did not know
who my best friend was. I got the
voice of my lead malemute and he
was indeed my best friend.
"And so now, I am only known
as the ‘mad trapper'.”
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animal. He took his course and
traveled toward the guarded fort
under the snow. As he was nearing
the igloo, the polar bear guards
stood up and knew an enemy was
near at hand. Nupug’iak knew he
had failed. What must he do now?
As he stopped to plan he thought
of his other idol, tuft of down.
Nupug'iak, still as an animal, had
to crawl further away to command
his idol to change him to a tuft of
down.
When he became down he was
blown by a breeze over the snow
toward the guarded fort. By now
the polar bear guards were asleep,
tied to the post on either side of
the igloo entrance. As he was near
ing the entrance he saw a spruce
pole that he knew he could use for
a weapon.
At last he now had the power to
do away with the first barrier, and
he could secretly annihilate the
enemy which plagued his people.
The down changed immediately to
a strong human warrior at the en
trance of the tunnel porch of the
igloo.
He took the spruce pole and
killed the polar bear guards, first
the right one and then the left.
There was not even a sound when
he knocked the bears dead.
He now planned to kill the master
of the bears. The only possible way
would be to kill the master with a
bow and arrow from the top window
which was open. As he peeked care
fully and noiselessly, he saw his
target warming himself near the
coals of a smothered fire. Nupug’iak
aimed with his deadly arrow at the
man who was singing a song while
his aged father was listening near
by.
When the arrow lodged through
Ongil's back he jumped up and
tore down the rafters of the igloo
then dropped on the coals of fire.
His aged father died the same way.
Nupug’iak walked back to his
wife. He felt assured that none of
these happenings were witnessed
by the neighboring village which
he and his wife would soon visit.
As he was walking away from On
gil’s igloo, he thanked his idol, the
tuft of down, for making it possible
to destroy the northwestern fort.
It was almost dark when they en
tered the town council’s house at
the village of Kunigmute. The Es
kimos were dancing. No one no
ticed them until someone shouted,
‘‘ig’lot!” (strangers) The people
were suprised. Nupug'iak was ques
tioned by the men as to how he and
his wife had escaped from being
killed. Nupug’iak answered all the
questions and quieted them by say
ing, “Perhaps they were asleep and
didn't see us, for we passed the
igloo way out on the sea.”
The next day toward evening a
little orphan boy was playing out
alone. Nupuk'iak questioned him
very carefully about the people who
lived with the dragon pet.
Nupug'iak and his wife met alone.
Again Nupug'iak confided his plans
to his wife:
I m going tomorrow evening to
fulfill the second part of our plans.
You know what to expect. Be sure
to leave my parka inside the sled.
Hang the sled securely under the
cache so the dogs won’t tear my
parka apart. Leave a small opening
in the parka. Everyday examine it
secretly. If you feel me in it, you
will take care of me by bringing
food and water at night. Don’t let
anyone know you’re caring for me
while Tm living in my parka.”
(The second part of chapter three
will be continued in the next issue.)
Letters Express Fine Interest in Tundra Times
Yellowknife, N.W.T.
February 7, 1963 v
Dear Sirs:
The Honorable Mr. J. H. Sissons
has shown the writer a copy of your
issue of Monday, January 7th in
which the headlines and the feature
story deal with a case heard before
him concerning Indian rights and in
which the writer acted as counsel
for the appellant, Michael Sikyea.
The writer is naturally very in
terested to have a copy of this is
sue since she will be appearing on
the Esq., Q.C., Barrister, of Edmon
ton, Alberta. The information con
tained in your newspaper article
will be most interesting also to Mr.
Morrow and we may wish to go fur
ther into the points raised in your
newspaper article and into the law
as it applies in the State of Alaska.
Your very truly,
Hagel & Hagel,
(Mrs.) E. R. Hagel
American Friends Service Commit
tee, Inc.
Seattle, Washington
Portland, Oregon
February 7, 1963
Dear Friends:
A friend in Alaska gave me a
subscription to the Tundra Times
and I have been following the rapid
growth of your paper to a position
that makes it indispensible to any
one with news of Alaskan native
groups.
I have never seen the power of
the press more graphically illustrat
ed than the manner in which your
paper is both providing news un
available in the past and also pro
viding background information for
understanding of this news.
Congratulations to all of you for
making this delightful and useful
paper possible.
Sincerely yours,
Harry Burks
Executive Secretary
Middletown. N. Y.
January 31, 1963
Gentlemen:
Enclosed please find a check
for three dollars for which please
send me a six month's subscription
to your paper. I enjoy very much
a copy of it which was sent to me
by Mrs. Laura Wright.
I. too, saw the velveteen parka
designed by Mrs. Wright at the
Seattle World’s Fair and asked
where I might get one. I subse
quently ordered and received a
green parka with a red fox collar. I
am simply delighted with it!
I have never owned a garment
on which I received as many com
pliments as the parka. My friends
and acquaintances stop me and ask
where it came from. They all ad
mire its beauty and color. I have
ordered a red parka with white
fox collar for my teenage daughter.
We enjoy the Tundra Times be
cause its stories and news accounts
really describe a world vastly dif
ferent than our own. Yet we have
much in common. People whom we
met this summer in the Seattle area
who were returning from a visit
to Alaska spoke enthusiastically of
the hospitality there. We hope to
be fortunate enough to make the
trip ourselves in the not too far
distant future.
Looking froward to receiving
your paper.
Very truly yours,
Mrs. Andre Fiscella
10 The Cut
Dalview
Brakpan, South Africa
January 28, 1963
Dear Sir:
I read with interest a report about
your paper in the Johannesburg
Afrikaans daily Die Transvaler.
and I shall be glad if you will for
ward me a copy of one of your re
cent issues.
Yours faithfully,
C. F. Kruger
Buckland. Alaska
January 5, 1963
Dear Editor:
Thank you for the issue of Tun
dra Times for December 17. with
your editorial on the work of the
people of Buckland on the Overall
Economic Development Program,
and with your announcement of
the sixth North Star award.
It is a pleasure to participate in
the State's program and to share
with other BIA teachers the work
of interpreting and expressing the
people's views and needs.
Appreciatively yours,
Mrs. Joran B. Paullin
Chief Says . . .
(Continued from page 1)
package tours to Eskimo villages
and believed tourists would also bo
interested in seeing Interior Indian
culture.
Chief Frank said his peole would
probably be willing to develop
Minto Flats as a duck hunting area
provided his people would be al
lowed to make the rules and regu
lations for law protection.
Quaker Hill, Conn.
January 30, 1963
Dear Editor:
Enclosed find twelve dollars for
my year's subscription to the Tun
dra Times. This I understand, cov
ers air mail postage to the States.
A subscriber of yours was kind
enough to send me back-dated
copies. It pleased me to know that
the Alaskans have their own paper.
I am a native Alaskan living in
exile in Connecticut. It is lovely
here and the people are somewhat
on the conservative side, but their
ignorance of Alaska and things in
Alaska is appalling.
I have done my bit in correcting
some of their misconceptions thru
talks in local schools and clubs.
Your paper has proved helpful in
backing up some of my statements
to prove that I am not lying.
For instance, they want to know
if we lived in ice houses: did we
have snow all year round; do we
live the winter through in total
darkness; was it true that Eski
mos loaned out their wives to their
guests.
1 have given two-hour talks and
they still beg for more.
My egg man borrowed all my
copies. He is very interested in Es
kimos as a whole. I am rushing to
get this out in the mail.
Please let me know who has been
sending me your paper so that I
may thank the person. The copies
are getting ragged from constant
passing around.
Wishing you continued success.
Gloria Durand McMullen
3-Day Conference. I
(Continued from page 1>
ference will be the participation of
a delegation from the Ute Indian
tribe of Utah, headed by Francis
McKinley, director of education and
member of the tribe's business com
mittee.
The Ute tribe has been in the pro
cess of economic development for
the past 15 years.
The title of the conference will be
‘Process and Projects” and all ses
sions will be held in the basement
of the Chamber of Commerce build
ing.
Official? say they expect the con
ference to be a big boon to eco
nomic development in the outlying
areas, especially in developing a
coordinated plan of action.
Many panels will be held during
the course of the conference to de
termine the role of the church, the
state, the BIA. the University, and
organizations.
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