Noted Danish Linguist Visits
Alaska to Study Eskimo Tongue
One of Alaska's best European
friends, Dr. Louis L. Hammercih,
noted Danish linguist and student of
Eskimo culture, recently visited the
49th state. Starting in Fairbanks,
he visited the Egegik and King Sal
mon areas of Bristol Bay, and An
chorage, before returning to Den
mark on a polar jet flight.
Dr. Hammerich, a retired profes
sor at the University of Copen
hagen, and a member of the Danish
Academy of Science and Letters,
was in Alaska on an independent
trip, primarily to study the Es
kimo dialects of the Bristol Bay
area.
Alaska was the last stop on an
extensive North American trip made
by the 71-year-old linguist. He
started his trip lecturing in Mexico.
Then into Texas, California. Wash
ington, D.C., and Seattle, Wash, be
fore coming north.
Dr. Hammerich has made two
previous trips to Alaska. He first
came here in 1950, when he studied
the language of Nunivak Island. In
1953 the Arctic Institute of North
America sent him to Alaska, to
study the borderline areas between
differing Eskimo dialects.
Most of this work was conducted
along the Bering Sea coast, as this
is where most of the dialect changes
occur. The Eskimo language is al
most uniform from Unalakleet,
around the top of North America
to Greenland.
Dr. Hammerich has also studied
Eskimo in Greenland. The huge
continent-islhand near the eastern
North American coast is a part of
Denmark, and the Greenland Es
kimos are Danish subjects.
While in Fairbanks, Dr. Hammer
ich studied lower Yukon and St.
Lawrence Island Eskimo dialects
with the aid of Martha Teeluk, of
Kwiguk. a student at the University
of Alaska; and Linda Badten, Fair
banks teacher, from Savoonga.
He said their help made his job
that much easire.
Dr. Hammerich said the study of
languages, and dialects, especially
where they are only spoken and
not written, is important if society
is to gain from the learnings of
peoples who do not write their
language.
While in the Fairbanks area Dr.
Hammerich was the honored guest
at a get-together of persons inter
ested in Eskimo culture at the Uni
versity of Alaska.
Also before leaving Fairbanks the
doctor paid special tribute to two
Alaskans, Dr. Ivar Skarland, world
renowned anthropologist from the
University: and Dr. Michael Krauss,
who has been making intensive
linguistic studies in Alaska for the
University.
He also praised the Eskimo peo
ple. “They are a very open-minded
people, and a joy to be around,” he
said.
Portable Sawmill
At English Bay
By Mack Kvasnikoff
(Reprinted from the English Bay
Eagle)
ENGLISH BAY—The village of
English Bay received a portable
chain saw mill last May. When it
was first received 300 feet of lum
ber was cut.
Last month we started cutting
logs at the first lake. Twelve logs
were cut every other day. The crew
of log cutters were Paul Moonin,
John Moonin, Ben Ukatish, Dan
Anahonak, Alex Moonin and Vin
cent Kvasnikoff.
There were four men operating
the saw. Two men on each engine.
The crew of board cutters were
Peter James Moonin, Mike Tanape.
John Moonin and Mack Kvasni
koff. The men take turns for every
four or five logs and then change
around.
Approximately 2.600 board feet
of lumber was cut in October. The
length of the boards, 14 feet. The
width. 10 inches and they are one
inch thick. The chain saw has really
started some improvements around
the village.
Dr. Hammerich Tells of Hearing
Greenland Magic Song; Now Poem
As do all things that have value—
the poem appearing in this issue—
has a story behind it. (See editorial
page)
The story, handed down through
generations of Greenland Eskimos,
concerns the hunt for seals, a food
staple of many Arctic peoples.
The story concerns the ancient
Greenland belief that the soul of
the hunted seal is important . . .
because it is the soul of long dead
Eskimos . . . and only the magic
of the song can bring it to bay, in
such a manner that it is pleased
to serve the Eskimos once again j
... as food.
" . i
Mr. Businessman:
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message of your goods and services to all
parts of Alaska.
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power by supporting TUNDRA TIMES, the
newspaper devoted to bettering economic
conditions in the state.
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Box 1287, Fairbanks
Where You'll Always Feel an Easy
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Preferred by All Travelers
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But like many Eskimo stories ]
and songs, this story and its deep
meaning was unknown only to the
Eskimos. That is until 1938, when
Dr. Louis L. Hammerich. linguist
and then professor at the University
of Copenhagen, visited southwestern
Greenland to study and record the
Eskimo language.
Dr. Hammerich took the song he
heard, translated it to Danish, then
to English, and this past week, gave
the song to the Tundra Times, to
be published as a poem. For which
we think him.
The poem interests us, and we
hope you will also find it interest
ing. The story of how he first heard
the song is also interesting.
Dr. Hammerich says he was visit
ing the village of Igaliko in south
west Greenland in 1938, partly to !
study the local Eskimo language,
and partly to see the village, which
oddly enough, was not started by |
the Eskimos.
Igaliko was first established in ;
the middle ages, hundreds of years
before Columbus, by the Norse Vi
kings and their followers.
At one time Igaliko boasted a
beautiful red sandstone cathedral.
Dr. Hammerich says. And even to
day, many of the Eskimo families i
that took over Igaliko after the
Norsemen departed, live in red
sandstone igloos, from the church
ruins.
Dr. Hammerich says that while
he was at Igaliko. he one day had
the chance to travel along the
Greenland coast in the company of
two Eskimos, in a small motorboat.
“The sea was rough, and to es
cape the water spray, one of the
Eskimos. 18-year-old Pinte (Bene
dict) and I retreated to the floor
of the boat, under a tarpaulin,”
says Dr. Hammerich.
“As we lay there I questioned
Pinte at length about his language,
and some customs. Soon we tired of
talking, and just relaxed.
“It was while we were thus re
clining. to the roll of the rough sea
and the rocking of the boat, that
Pinte began to sing. His was a ‘ma
gic song.’ A song to please the
small fjord seals that were so im
portant to his people. A song that
expressed fear of the walrus and
his sharp tusks, bust most of all a
song of the seal.
“I give you this song as a poem.
From Greenland to Alaska." Dr.
Hammerich recently told the Tun- !
dra Times.
Great acts grow out of great oc
casions and great occasions spring
from great principles. — William
Hazlitt (English essayist)
Abrahamson Is
Touring Alaska
John Abrahamson, assistant chief
of Projects Development, from the
Bureau of Indian Affairs. Washing
ton. D.C. is now traveling in Alaska.
Abrahamson, a big amiable man,
who says, “Anything I can do to
get a man working is worth the
price," has visited in Fairbanks and
Nome, looking for project oppor
tunities for the BIA.
JOHN ABRAHAMSON
“We work twofold in developing
projects,” Abrahamson recently told
the Tundra Times. “One is on a
long range basis, where we try to
give natives assistance in setting
up large and lasting economic enter
prises. The other is short range,
where we try to develop a ‘pin
money’ economy, to help people be
active.”
Abrahamson noted this short
range, or immediate program, is
important to Alaska now. because
the state and its native people are
in a period of transition, where big
economic ventures have not ap
peared on the scene in numbers to
put many to work.
Abrahamson traveled in Alaska
with Gil Dyer, BIA area projects de
velopment officer for Alaska. Dyer
is headquartered in Juneau.
Reindeer
Speaking on the recently released
Northwestern Alaska Native Indus
tries Report, compiled for the BIA
by the Arthur D. Little economic
consulting firm. Abrahamson said.
"I agree with the statements in the
report that the native reindeer in
dustry should be put on a cash basis.
‘‘Under the present system, where
! many reindeer are sold by barter,
there is little incentive for the
herder to improve his stock.
“If a herder needs something, he
simply trades it for so many ani
mals. This system does notmake
for stable industry." he said.
Abrahamson disagreed with one
portion of the study. “I do not agree
with the Little report where it rec
ommends closing down the BIA
owned Nunivak Island reindeer
herd," he said.
He said, “Nunivak Island has the
only present facilities for large
scale slaughtering of Alaska rein
deer. And though the herd is not
owned by the Nunivak natives, it
does give them work.”
'
[
1
Learning New Skills
FORT YUKON (Special)—Having
fun, while learning new skills seems
to be the thing to do this winter in
Fort Yukon, the largest Athabascan
Village in Alaska,
With the long winter nights now
upon this north of the Arctic Cir
cle Village of 600 persons, the peo
ple are finding themselves enjoying
such things as square dancing
classes in the new log community
hall.
Classes are also planned in oil
painting, photography, beadwork
and other skills. A teen-age club is
also being formed for the older
school children.
Square Dancing
So far the focal point of the newly
formed community activities group
has been square dancing. This has
been held the last two Wednesdays
in the big community hall, a large
log structure, completed last month.
The community hall is behind the
state school building.
Instruction is given in the differ
ent dances. The calling is done on a
long play record. More than 100 per
sons of all ages crowded into the
hall for the last dance. Persons of
all ages were there.
A charge of 25 cents is levied
against those taking part in the
dancing. There is no charge for
spectators.
The money collected from the
dance goes to pay the $5 rent placed
on the hall by the city council. With
the money the council in turn pay3
for electricity, and the wood con
sumed by a huge Yukon stove in
the hall.
Other Activities
Many activities have been pro
posed by the group spearheading
the community projects. The most
j popular to date has been a teen-age
I club.
i Photography and bead work have
'] also drawn a large number of appli
I cants, as has oil painting.
! Persons skilled in these activities
have said they will donate time to
teaching them, if materials can
be made available.
Much of the credit for the new
spirit invading Fort Yukon has been
given to Mr. and Mrs. Bob Mott,
former Arctic Village schoolteach
ers. who are now operating the
Yukon Lodge.
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