— CuuDra CutroS ,*c
Indian IO
D»na Nena Henash The Land Speaks
ff Tlingit
A I f Ut kah neek Informing and Reporting
Aleut
Pnungang Toonooktakuks The Aleuts Sneak
Vol. 2, No. 3_Monday, Nov. 4, 1963_ Fairbanks, Alaska
GOLDEN VALLEY HITS BIA
Native Dropout
Study Printed
By Colin Mick
COLLEGE—Health problems, ex
cessive class sizes and lack of high
school facilities are three major
rfeasons why Alaska’s native stu
dents drop out of high school.
In addition the native student
faces a general lack of understand
ing from teachers, administrators
and parents and too frequently fails
to appreciate the value of an edu
cation himself.
These observations are contained
in a book which analyzes the prob
lem of Alaskan natives dropping out
of secondary schools. Titled “Alaska
Native Secondary School Drop
outs,” the book published by the
University of Alaska, went into its
sceond printing this month.
The 411-page analysis is based on
an extensive study financed by the
Department of Health. Education
and Welfare. It has received wide
acceptance by educators, public
health officials and the staff of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs In Alaska
who are finding it a valuable aid
to understanding the native drop
out problem.
The study probed why native chil
dren leave school before high
school graduation and what might
be done to keep them in school. It
also sought to provide a better un
derstanding for teachers and ad
ministrators of the cultural conflicts
confronting native students in the
American school system.
Becahse of the conflict between
the native student’s back-ground
and the school system, a cultural
anthropologist was employed to
representative native communities
Alakanuk, Kotzebue and Hoonah.
Unlike many dropouts in other
state, Alaskan native students face
the additional problem of adjusting
to schools which have been estab
lished more for middle-class, urban,
Caucasian students.
The committee found that only
one-third of Alaska’s 5,368 native
youth of high school age (14 to 19
(Continued on Page 7)
New Recording
District Map
Of interest to those concerned
with Alaska lands, is a new and
large recording district map, which
shows townships and ranges
throughout the state, according to
the Alaska Division of Lands.
The map is a cooperative project
of the Division and the College of
Earth Sciences and Mineral Indus
tries. It is 54 by 76 inches in size,
on a U.S. Geological Survey Map
“B” base.
It shows the boundaries of the
recording districts and the place of
each recording office.
It is expected the map will be
valuable to prospectors, surveyors,
engineers, oil companies, govern
ment agencies and others concerned
with land recording.
Copies of the map may be ob
tained from the University of Alas
A FIGURE IN CONTROVERSY—This is Michael Sikyea. Indian
from Yellowknife, N.W.T., who became a well known figure in the
duck controversy in Canada. On May 7, 1962, Sikyea shot a female
mallard duck out of season. He was arrested by Constable Paul
Robin of the R.C.M.P. and later convicted. He appealed and was
acquitted by Judge J. H. Sissons of the Territorial Court of the
Northwest Territories. The Crown appealed the during and the
decision on this is presumed to be forthcoming in the near future.
—Photo by Reimann Studios, Yellowknife, N.W.T.
Claims Agency Using
Barrow to Further Self
Golden Valley Electric Assn, and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs are
locking horns over the question of
supplying electric power to Barrow,
America's farthest north commun
ity.
The controversy came to light last
week, when Sen. E. L. Bartlett an
nounced the BIA had given a $30,000
contract to the Caterpillar Co. of
Illinois to supply a 400 kilowatt gen
erator for Barrow, the adjacent
Public Health Service Hospital, and
the BIA school and living com
pound.
GVEA charges that they have al
ready spent time and money in
building a power distribution system
in Barrow, and until recently had
thought they were to also supply
the electricity.
GVEA further charges that it
wasn't until Oct. 14 that the BIA
notified them that the government
(Hifeiicies were planning to gene
rate the electricity; and would not <
buy electricity from GVEA even if
it were available. I
Over All Plan
GVEA also charges that the power I
controversy is part of an over all |
BIA plan to grab control of Bar
row, and make it into a model j
northern city, to the BIA's liking
"We have good evidence of this,
particularly in the area of housing," |
a spokesman said.
This latter charge follows a sim
ilar charge made by State Rep. Bob
l Blodgett, D-Teller, who is work- I
ing in Barorw for a construction
company. He recently charged that
BIA officials are. “Again catering
to the big villages where they can
build their empires and perpetuate
themselves."
Golden Valley officials say they
have evidence of a phone call from
Canadian Trial
Still Unsettled
By Mona Cranna
Yellowknife, N.W.T.
The recent hearing of the trial
about the “duck” shot by treaty
Indian, Michael Sikyea, ended in
a reserved verdict. Judges will an
nounce their decision at a later
date.
Opinion was that no matter what
way this case goes, it will be taken
to the Supreme Court of Canada.
So many repercussions will be felt
that will affect the various Game
Laws and other statutes, in force,
should the decision go to the In
dian—it is a ‘Lawyers’ Case and
particularly involved.
Has a native Canadian Indian the
right to shoot game for his own use
at any time or must he abide by
the Game Laws—Migratory Birds
Act—etc?
ka. College of Earth an Sciences
and Mineral Industries, College*
Alaska. Price is $5 each. J
GUEST EDITORIAL
What? 'Lethargic Leaders?'
(Editor’s Note: The following Guest Editorial is a penetrating an
swer to our October 21 issue in which the editorial “Lethargic \ illage
Leaders” appeared. It was written by a white man who has lived with
the Indians and who has a wide knowledge of Indian problems es
pecially in the Interior Alaska. This is the first of two part Guest
Editorial.)
Dear Editor of Tundra Times:
Aren’t you barking up the wrong tree? . . .
Where Are The Lethargic Leaders?
Hurrah for your editorial of October 21st about the Lethai
gic Village Leaders. It had to be said and printed in bold letters
all right. But more has to be said.
Your point of view', objective enough, presents things as seen
from your Fairbanks desk. Let’s have a closer look at things,
from inside, as viewed by one who has lived in Village X . . . for
a number of years and keeps trying to help improve social and
economic conditions. It might reveal that the lethargic and inept
leadership is not found only in the villages; these latter indeed
might have sound reasons to enter a plea of NOT GUILTY AS
CHARGED.
In the last few years, the following occurrences took place in
Village X.
(Continued on Page 5)
a BIA official in Barrow to another
official in Juneau, warning that a
private home manufacturing firm
had a representative in Barrow. We
must stop this. After all. it's our
job to protect these people from
this type of thing, the Barrow BIA
official is reported to have said.
BIA Answered
After Blodgett's blast, the BIA
answered from Juneau, stating that
! the BIA. PHS. and GVEA had
reached an agreement that the BIA1
would generate the power, and
GVEA would distribute it.
The BIA was also quoted as say
ing. The GVEA did have plans for
a Barrow project. But they suffered
a killing blow by the loss of equip
ment and supplies in an arctic
storm. Oct. 3.
After the loss was assessed an
agreement was reached on a BIA
generation, GVEA distribution plan,
/ the ±ua stated.
Brings Mere Changes
These statements by the BrA have
brought more charges. These are
that the BIA had already called for
generator bids, before the Oct. 3
storm, and while GVEA had three
■Generators in Barrow.
In addition. GVEA officials
that any agreement was more or less
pushed upon them following the
storm. At an Oct. 14 meeting in
Juneau the BIA and PHS advised
GVEA that these agencies would
not buy electrical energy when the
GVEA system was completed.
The two agencies had decided to
generate their own energy as part
of a comprehensive utility system,
the B1A has planned fon the vilage,
a GVEA spokesman said, (this com
prehensive system is reported to in
clude a steam plant to use energy
from a proposed natural gas well, a
water system, a sewer disposal sys
tem, and public bath house for the
1.500 people of the village.)
GVEA further states, that loss
I of the BIA and PHS electrical load
would destroy the planned GVEA
Barrow system, and would result
in higher unit cost to civilian cus
tomers.
Will Fulfill Commitment
Also, the GVEA spokesman says,
(Continued on Page 7*
I AEC Making Bird
Study in Alaska
The Atomic Energy Commission
will soon begin a project to study
I nuclear fallout contamination on
Arctic birds, it has been announced
by Sen. E. L. Bartlett.
The AEC intends to spend $30.
400.000 per year on the project
which Sen. Bartlett notes is just
a part of the overall fallout study
he has been urging.
Work on the bird study will be
conducted at the Arctic Health Re
search Center, now located at An
chorage.
“I am hopeful further research
programs will soon be approved,”
Sen. Bartlett said.