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“The Eskimo-Aleut-Indian All-Alaska Newspaper”
Owned, controlled and edited by Tundra Times, Inc., a corporation of Alaska
natives. Published at Fairbanks, Alaska, twice monthly, on the first and third
Mondays. ___
Address all mail to Box 1287, Fairbanks. Alaska. Telephone GL 2-2244._
Entered at the Post Office at Fairbanks, Alaska, as second class matter under
the Act of March 3, 1879. _
Tundra Times. Inc., publisher (Howard Rock, Martha Teeiuk. and Alfred Ketzlerl;
HOWARD ROCK, editor; Thomas Snapp. assistant editor; Vivian P. Spurgin, office
manager; contributing editors, Guy Okakok, Martha Teeiuk, and Alfred Ketzler.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
6 months $ 2.50
Regular Mail, State .. 1
1 year 6.00
Air Mail to States .-. 6 months ®
Less than 6 months, 36e per issue . * >ear I'- BU
Editorial
1963
(Continued from Page 1)
able assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Economic
Development Program. The B/A is offering assistance in
procuring loans, grants, and technical aid.
The leaders in villages and towns should, without
fail, take advantage of this offer of assistance. To fail to
do so would be negligence of duty to the people in their
communities.
There are other problems such as sanitation, power
plants, adult education, airstrips, proper education facili
ties, and others.
There is another important facet the natives of Alaska
should work toward and that is unity among Aleuts, In
dians, and Eskimos.
To work together in harmony can do much to help
solve the many complex problems we natives have in
Alaska. Steps to develop this unity have already been
taken. These steps should be continued so we can become
a strong cohesive force which will help us to a great de
gree in our efforts to achieve our goals.
As we work toward these goals, native communities
should realize that they now have a medium to air their ■
problems and their views. This medium is the Tundra
Times.
Tundra Times now has a substantial circulation and:
the circulation is growing every day. One of the primary !
purposes of this newspaper is, of course, to make the
native problems and views known to the public. To ex
press your needs, all you need do is to write this paper. It
is in existence because it wants to help all it can to resolve
native problems.
So, in the New Year of 1963, let us try to work harder
to better our lot. Let us work to help ourselves. Let us work
hard towards unity. Upon achievement of these goals we
cannot help but better the conditions under which we live.
Editorial
Fine Gesture
The staff of the Wrangell Institute, Bureau of Indian
Affairs school for young Alaska native children, this year
printed a special supplement entitled, "Christmas Greet
ing," to the Wrangell Eagle, school publication.
At first glance, the supplement would seem to be
merely a booklet of children's and staff members' pic
tures and names, but it is much more than that.
"One of these was sent to each student's home," said
a note attached to it.
This fine gesture must have created kind and grate
ful feelings in many native homes in Alaska during the
holidays.
Where communications between students and their
parents are difficult and where distances are great be
tween school and home, the Greetings, no doubt, had
far-reaching effect on parents of children who are away
at school. It was a gesture that helped to keep alive, tradi
tionally strong family ties between native parents and their
children.
Tundra Times would like to take the liberty of ex
pressing grateful thanks to the staff of the Wrangell Insti
tute on behalf of all the parents of children attending
school there.
NORTH STAR
AWARD
(In each issue, the Tundra
Times will single out for a North
Star award one who has made an
outstanding accomplishment or
done a meritorious act.)
Recently, one of the most stirring
rescue operations unfolded at Kot
zebue. It involved a little Eskimo
boy who had been viciously bitten
around the face by a loose dog.
Around noon on December 28,
Dave Johnson, an employee of the
Alaska Communications System,
casually opened an out-village re
ceiver and listened. He heard the
usual static. Far off in the back
ground he could make out that
someone was talking but sounds
were unintelligible because of heavy
static.
Finally, reception cleared for a
moment and he could make out the
words that “a boy's face about torn
off." The rest of the message was
drowned out by static.
From this fragmentary message,
Dave Johnson knew that something
was terribly wrong in some far off
village and he went to work at once
to track it down. After much dif
ficulty, he was able to find out
that a little boy at Noorvik had
been badly bitten by a savage dog,
and a request was being made to
transport the boy and his mother
to the Alaska Native Service Hospi
tal at Kotzebue.
Dave found out that a plane was
flying somewhere up the Kobuk
River but he wasn’t certain where.
According to Alfred G. Francis,
“The Civil Air Patrol or any of the
village or area pilots would help,
and Dave was just about to ask
one of them when Paul Miller came
in on the set, and said, ‘Got a mes
sage that the Mulluk boy got hurt
at Noorvik. I am flying five minutes
out of Kotzebue. Can I help?
Dave gave the pilot the pertinent
information and the flyer turned
his plane around and headed for
Noorvik and a stirring rescue was
made.
And so to Dave Johnson, of the
ACS, for his unselfish service and
quick thinking in the rescue of the
little boy goes the Tundra Times
seventh North Star award along
with our congratulations.
■ ■ —
Poem
A Tribute
To the Eskimo
By Katherine Berle Stains
Our Father certainly lovingly plan
ned
To give the Eskimo cold, barren
land;
For there one values a warm,
friendly neighbor
To help with all the wearisome
labor.
These peaceful and courteous, gen- ■
tie folk
Are ready to laugh at the slightest
joke.
Their jolly good nature must be the
reason
That they can endure their winter
season.
For the Eskimo takes from his long
winter sky
The twinkle of stars that will dance
in his eye.
And he offers a powerful hand
though he die
He was placed in the Arctic and
God knows why.
BREAKERS TOSS CLAMS
TO WATCHFUL NATIVES
Although there are clams around
the Arctic coast there is no way to
dig them because there is practic
ally no tide. However, natives along
the coast do get clams but they have
to wait until heavy breakers along
the beach wash the clams ashore.
Great Change
By HOWARD ROCK, Times Editor
The editor took to musing a little after reading the
Northern Lights, day school paper published at Point Hope
by the pupils.
As a youngster he attended St. Thomas Episcopal
Mission School at Point Hope.
School facilities were not what they are today. It is
indeed a wonder that classes were held. The mission per
sonnel encountered many difficulties in establishing school
there, and they are to be commended for pioneering edu
cational facilities at Point Hope.
The school was a mile east of the village. School at
tendance was remarkable no matter what the weather,
sunshine, snowfall, below zero, blizzards.
There were no hot lunch programs. A bit of reindeer
suet or a piece of muktuk sufficed.
It was common to share a desk with another pupil.
Heating facilities in the one-room school were inadequate.
Inkwells froze solid during off-school hours.
One morning a youngster attempted to thaw out his
frozen ink on a hot pot-bellied coal stove. He left it on a
little too long and it exploded, splattering a beautiful blue
burst of design all over the ceiling.
Using the charming expression of Mary Angela Steve,
Stebbins, Alaska, "People sure change a bit," the editor
would like to point out what is now going on at Point
Hope day school.
Recently Northern Lights reported, "New teaching
aids at the school include an electric green house where
beans, flowers, and vegetables have been growing; in
stant fish and shrimp that are born by mixing the eggs with
water,- and musical science records that teach science con
cepts through singing to accompany the regular books and
experiments."
Cooperation Needed
The State Fish and Game Depart-*
ment communicated with the Tun
dra Times and made it known that
the Department is open to sugges
tions, from both natives and non
natives, in regard to game laws.
The Department is interested in
knowing about specific effects the
existing laws are having on out
lying comunities.
It has stated interest in helping
to pass new laws and modify ex
isting laws to best serve the needs
of the people in their respective
areas. The Department is eager to
cooperate in this endeavor.
The State Game Department is
now in the process of liberalizing
some laws and has told Tundra
Times it would make further ef
forts in this line if it could get good
concrete suggestions from village
councils and responsible people in
non-native and native communi
ties.
Village councils are asked to
make thorough studies of existing
laws and regulations; to write down
their findings and recommendations
and mail them to regional game of
fices or the State Fish and Game of
fice in Juneau. Village councils are
asked to submit suggestions about
any changes they would like to see
in game regulations, for instance
changes in the limits of game that
can be taken, changes in regard to
seasons, et cetera. The Game of
ficials also welcome any questions
on things pertaining to the existing
laws.
This is an opportunity well worth
taking advantage of by natives and
non-natives. They should write
down their convictions about the
existing game laws and regulations
and offer ideas for better ones that
will be more compatible than the
present game laws. There is a de
finite need for changes in many
areas, especially in the central and
northern parts of Alaska where
some laws and regulations are hav
ing negative effects on the econ
omy of the natives.
According to game officials, they
are duty bound to submit any pro
posed changes to the State Fish
and Game Board. The last meeting
of the board was held in Cordova
and was concerned primarily with
fisheries. The next meeting of the
board, tentatively set for Juneau
in April, will be concerned with
hunting and guiding regulations.
The State Fish and Game Depart
ment has given non-natives and
natives a rare opportunity to help
in making new laws that would,
if enough information is available
to the Department, certainly prove
beneficial to everyone concerned.
So, without further ado, the vil
lage councils concerned should start
making thorough studies of the
present game laws, ask questions,
and write down the results of their
studies and send them to the State
Fish and Game Department. This
is one opportunity non-natives and
natives cannot afford to overlook.
Beauty Contestants
The beauty conscious Caribou Club, and George Jen
nings Gale of Healy, have now set their collective eyes
toward the annual Miss Indian America Beauty Contest
at Sheridan, Wyoming. In the past, the club's eye-catching
choices have become Alaska queens.
The club asks, "Why not send an Alaskan beauty to
Sheridan?" The group thinks a pick of Alaska native beau
ties would walk away with the prize. So do we.
Any beautiful native girl, Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo,
is asked to contact the Caribou Club or the Tundra Times
for information and application.