ESKIMOS REPORTED RADIATION HOT DESPITE COLD
By Thomas Snapp
Times Staff Writer
The Eskimos of Alaska may live
in our country s coldest climate but
they are hot in terms of radioactive
contamination from nuclear testing.
The Eskimos of the remote village
of Anaktuvuk have greater body
burdens of radiation than the resi
dents of any other community in
the U.S.—about 40 times the amount
■ ra<^'a**on absorbed by the average
& U.S. citizen.
Doubled
Tn the last year, their body bur
■ dens of radiation almost doubled.
The Eskimos of Alaska have
■ higher amounts of radiation than
■ the Lapps of Scandinavia.
■ Discounting the peoples of the
■ Soviet Union and its satellites for
■ which statistics are not available,
I the Eskimos of Alaska who live on
* caribou have the highest average
radiation counts of any peoples on
the globe.
Although Eskimos have been
aware of the fallout danger for
more than three years, although
they have urged the government to
make studies of the problem, com
paratively little research has been
done.
Officials of the Atomic Energy
Commission have brushed aside the
danger as being trivial.
Long Term Danger
Thursday. Aungust 23, however,
an AEC official, H. M. Parker, of
the Hanford Laboratories, admitted
in Washington, D.C. to the Senate
House Energy Committee that there
was a long term danger and recom
mended that Eskimos try to find
. substitutes for caribou and rein
deer. two of their most important
foods.
For the Eskimos of Anaktuvuk
Pass who subsist from 90 to 95 per
cent on caribou, changing diets
would he extremely difficult, almost
impossible task.
For three years the Eskimos to
gether with a small group of scien
tists, the Alaska Conservation So
ciety, and the Association on Amer
ican Indian Affairs have battled to
get the radiation problem known
to the general U.S. public so there
might be support necessary for re
search to cope with it.
The radiation problem was one
of the chief reasons for the first
big conference of Eskimos, the Inu
piat Paitot. at Barrow in November.
1961. It was also one of the chief
reasons for the starting of the Tun
dra Times.
Unique Food Chain
The crux of the broblem lies in
i) the unique Arctic food chain. The
vegetation of the Tundra, lichens
and sedges, get their nutrients’from
the air not the soil. They absorb
fallout like blot paper and retain
virtually 100 per cent of it.
The plants are very slow growing,
some grow for 100 years, and thus
may store up large accummulations
of fallout.
Reindeer and caribou eat the
lichens and sedges; in turn the Es
kimos eat those animals. Caribou
and reindeer move around exten
sively feeding on new areas of lich
ens and sedges that have been ac
cummulating fallout.
Brought to Light
The arctic radiation problem was
brought to light during the four
year study of Project Chariot, the
U.S. Plowshare Program of Peace
ful Uses for Atomic Energy— a
proposal by the A E.C. to blast at
Cape Thompson, near Pt. Hope.
Vigorous Opposition
The project was vociferously op
posed by the Eskimos. Soon a group
of University of Alaska scientists
working on the study began to pro
test the actions of the A.E.C.
News releases containing erron
eous information were put forth
from Washington, D.C. about the
Project, supposedly supported by
data procured by the scientists.
For instance, an official in Wash-'
ington said it had been found that
June was the best month for setting
off the project experiment. At that
point studies had not even been
made as to the feasibility of that
month for a blast.
Many of the scientists working on
Project Chariot became upset,
situation became known with re
gard to the food chain and the capa
bility of lichens to store fallout.
Scientists began to make reports
that were unfavorable to the proj
ect and when they did pressures
began to be asserted on the sci
entists to change their reports and
make them favorable.
Repercussions
At least three scientists suffered
repercussions. Dr. William Pruitt j
charged the University, afraid it
would lose the important A.E.C.
contract, fired him. Viereck, in a
bitter resignation letter to Univer
sity of Alaska President William R.
Wood, charged there had been inter
ference in his research. The con
tract of Don Charles Foote, who
made unfavorable reports on the
feasibility of Project Chariot, was
not renewed.
Pruitt, alleging abridgement of
academic freedom and that a sub
stantial portion of scientific report
had been purposely omitted from
publication, lodged and has pending
a complaint against the University
with the Association of University
Professors.
Lean Times
Dr. Pruitt, a biologist, found it
difficult to find another research
or teaching position. He would con
tact an institution and they would
be favorable at first, then all of a
sudden they would politely decline
his services.
But Dr. Pruitt refused to give up.
He lived near the University and
somehow managed to eke out a liv
ing for himself and his family writ
ing magazine articles calling atten
tion to the radiation problem in the
Far North.
Howard Rock, although not wish
ing to be an alarmist, kept writing
articles and editorials calling at
tention to the problem.
Canada Arounsed
Finally, Dr. Pruitt in an article
in the Canadian publication, Beav
er, late last year, awakened the gen
eral public of Canada and Alaska
to the seriousness of the problem.
Canadian newspapers telephoned
Pruitt in Fairbanks and a warning
of the danger made headlines in
Canada and eventually in the 49th
state.
Senator Urges
In March. Alaska's senior senator,
E. L. Bartlett, took up the cause on
the floor of the US. Senate and
started criticizing the A.E.C. and
urging studies of the radiation dan
ger. Finally an initial $100,000 study
was started.
Governor Concerned
Governor William A. Egan, upon
hearing that an A.E.C. official, had
suggested Eskimos look around for
some other food to substitute for
caribou and reindeer, called the
situation a “serious national prob
lem and responsibility in every
sense of the word.’’
He said Alaskan Eskimos rely on
reindeer and caribou! that they
can’t change their diet should they
wish to do so.
“If a change is necessary as a re
sult of something over which neith
er they nor the state of Alaska
can control, they will require the
assistaoce—and soon— of the fed
eral government," he said,
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Gov. Egon Assured by AEC That
Radiation Studies Will Be Made
Governor William A. Egan, in an
exclusive interview with Tundra
Times, said he had been assured by
the Atomic Energy Commission that
studies of the radiation problem in
the arctic would be stepped up.
Laboratory Possible
He also said the A.E.Cl had prom
ised it would seriously consider
establishing a full scale radiation
laboratory in Alaska.
Egan in a wire to AEC Chairman
Glenn Seaborg had recommended
the establishment of the laboratory
after an A.E.C. official in Wash
ington. DC. testified that a long
range danger did exist and suggested
tthat if he were a resident in the
arctic he would start looking around
for a substitute for caribou and
reindeer.
Since 1957, Egan said he had fol
lowed the radiation question closely
and had never wanted to be an
U-A Museum
Closes Today
The University of Alaska Museum
was closed for an indefinite period
today to allow for moving displays
from the Eielson Building to the
Old Gymnasium Building, accord
ing to University officials.
It is being moved from the third
floor of the Eielson Building to the
first floor of the Old Gym, elimi
nating the need for visitors to climb
stairs. In addition, the new location
will allow for a better display area,
it was reported.
Museum Curator Ludwig Rowin
ski said an announcement will be
made when the museum is re
opened.
The museum house? one of the
most complete collections of Alaska
native cultural ai tides to be found.
In addition, there are displays of
enrly-day pioneers and wildlife in
cluded in the collection.
In the creative state a man is
taken out of himself. He lets down
as it were a bucket into his sub
conscious. and draws up something
which is normally beyond his reach.
He mixes this thing with his nor
mal experiences, and out with his
normal experiences, and out of the
mixtures he makes a work of art.
— E. M. Forster
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larmist. ‘‘But when I saw that tes
timony I became alarmed,” he said.
Minimize Danger
Friday Egan received a wire from
Seaborg that there was no immedi
ate danger to Eskimos and stated
that M. M. Parker, the official who
gave the testimony, agreed in this 1
opinion.
In urging that a radiation labora- '
tory be set up in Alaska, Egan |
pointed out the closest radiation
testing laboratory was at Las Vegas,
Nev.
Dr. William R. Wood, president of j
the University of Alaska, in an ex
clusive interview, told Tundra
Times he felt a radiation laboratory
should have been built in Alaska
three years ago.
Wood, who worked on the estab
lishment of the Las Vegas, facility,
said what was needed was not just
a testing laboratory, but a full scale
air pollution research center.
Asked about the radiation ques
tion, both Wo.od and Egan indicated
they were extremely puzzled by it
—as they had heard equally reput»
able scientists argue on both sided
of the question.
Whom to Believe T
Pointing oUt he Was an English
teacher and not a scientist. Wood
said that there were conflicting re»
ports. ‘‘They’re not in agreement,
primarily because they’re talking
about different basic data."
Wood said present knowledge wa9
based on a sampling type of evi»
dence. I
"There is just cause to be con
cerned,” he said, ‘but no cause to be
alarmed.”
Egan said he was greatly per
plexed because the experts dis
agreed. It is the same situation as
j the stand of scientists on the test
ban agreement, he pointed out.
"Some say there is a radiation
danger. The A.E.C. who is charged
nationwide with the responsibility
of protecting the public against pos
sible radiation danger say there is
none.” ,
‘Whom are we to believe?”
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES
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*(Noatak-Kivalina-Pt. Hope
tape Lisburne) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
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Northeast Cape) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
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•(Coleville) . 1st & 3rd Thur.
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HUGHES Tues.. Thur., Sat.
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BETTLES. Tues., Thur., Sat.
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GALENA Mon.. Wed., Fri.
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