CunUra Cunts
MiVaUML
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 claiis matter under
the Act of March 3, 1879.
Tundra Times, Inc., publisher (Howard Rock, Martha Teeluk, and Alfred Ketzler);
HOWARD ROCK, editor; Terry Brady, assistant editor; contributing editors,
Guy Okakok, Martha Teeluk, and Alfred Ketzler.
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Editorial
Clean Up for Centennial
It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of
people will visit the State during its Centennial Celebration
in 1967. They will come from other states and foreign
countries. Cities, towns, and many villages will be visited.
Many of these visitors will be discriminating and critical.
They will observe and compare. They will return home and
tell about what they have seen in cities, towns, and vil
lages. Some of the accounts of things they will bring back
will not be flattering. The negative reports will not do
Alaska any good.
What can we do to prevent the negative reactions?
The Tundra Times thinks there is only one possible way to
do it. It may not be a complete answer, but it can earn
Alaska and its people, respect from her visitors. It won't
harm any one of us to do it, and it may gain us prestige.
The Tundra Times proposes that cities, towns and vil
lages, CLEAN UP FOR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION!
Everyone should adopt this slogan. If they can think
up a better one, that's fine. The State Government, news
papers, television, and radio should expound the idea
continuously starting now and through the entire Centen
nial Celebration. It wouldn't hurt the State one iota if it
kept up this policy indefinitely into the future.
There is a lot of room for cities, towns, and villages to
improve their appearances. Many of us have heard remarks
from tourists that communities they visited left much to
be desired as far as cleanliness was concerned. The re
marks were very discomforting and downright embar
srassing. ,
To start thinking about cleaning up now is not too
early. City, town, and village councils should start talking
about it and plan so it can proceed in an orderly manner.
Many of them will be designated as auxiliary Exposition
sites and will be visited by many people. These communi
ties, especially, should present a clean front. It wouldn't
be a bad idea if all localities in Alaska, clean up. Clean
surroundings gives one a feeling of well-being.
There are many communities, especially some vil
lages, that need to be cleaned up. At the present time,
they are anything but inviting to visit. Certainly, it's not
easy with limited facilities they now have, but they still
can improve the appearances of their villages.
One of the most unsightly things to be seen in com
munities are empty oil drums and other debris, that are
haphazardly scattered all over the place. There is no ex
cuse to allow this unsightly litter to dirty up the surround
ings. Surely, the heads of communities can do something
about cleaning up.
We are heading towards one of the most auspicious
occasions in the history of our State, the Centennial Cele
bration in 1967. When the day arrives, we should present
our cities, towns, and villages, with spit and polish for the
benefit of our visitors. This, with friendliness, could earn
all of us respect and prestige.
So without further ado, let us CLEAN UP FOR CEN
JENNIAL CELEBRATION!
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.)
What is the importance of record
ing an unwritten language? In our
uneducated opinion, we see it as
one of prime importance. It is def
initely a quest for further knowl
edge—a manner of probing into the
past to unearth secrets of human'be
havior as lived in the ancient times.
We don’t think that there will
ever be anyone who will discover a
papyrus that recorded life long ago
in Alaska. The reason being; native
languages in Alaska are not written.
Kxtensive work is being done at
the present time to record native
languages at the University of Alas
ka. Although there are other stud
ies conducted elsewhere, the Uni
versity endeavor seems to be one
of thorough nature. It is under the
direction of Professor Michael
Krauss, head of the Department of
Linguistics and Foreign Language.
Dr. Krauss is a highly qualified
man to do the job he is doing. He
holds degrees from the Sorbonne,
Harvard, Chicago University, West
ern Reserve University, University
of Iceland and Columbia.
Dr. Krauss has traveled to the in
terior villages, usually during sum
mertime, to study and record the
Athabascan Indian Language. He
colaborated with Irene Reed in the
study of the Yupik. a dialect of the
Kuskokwim region Eskimos. Martha
Teeluk, an Eskimo student at the
University from Kwiguk in the
lower Yukon area assisted them.
Perhaps the most notable study
Prof. Krauss has made to date, is
the study and recording of the
nearly extinct language of the Eyak
Indians. Knowing that native
groups with a knowledge of their
language are dwindling, he felt the
urgency of the need to study and
record them.
The most urgent is the study of
the Eyak language. There are only i
three persons today who can speak
that language fluently.
And so to Professor Michael
Krauss, Department of Linguistics
and Foreign Language, University
of Alaska, for his dedicated studies
of the native languages of the north:
for his wishes to save and record
them, goes the Tundra Times twen
ty-seventh North Star Award along
with our congratulations.
Poem
Greenland
Magic Song
Greenland Magic Song
Translated by Dr. Louis L. Ham
mcrich, Danish Academy of
Science and Letters
qatsordlune, qatsungnguardlune,
sikorasanq, iluliarasaaq.
nauyatdlo qarshaatdlo nipait
upingngaarsugpalugtut.
anershnra angayugdlersiip
aportaqaoq, tuluttaqaoq—
auversiip kanaalisiip
qayaa qupivaa, inigtaa qupivaa.
natseq maanna, natseq maanna
quperqile, natseq maanna quper
qile.
The sea is calm, quite clam, —
there are floes of ice and icebergs.
The shrieking voices of gulls and
loons are heard, wailing and cry
ing.
The great ghost of my elder bro
ther, from times of yore, pokes and
thrusts. The walrus, the big shanks,
splits the kayak, and the man of
the kayak.
Now the fjord seal, now the fjord
seal — may he be split. Now the
fjord seal, may he be split.
Editorial
Natives Can Help
The 1967 Alaska Centennial Exposition will commem
orate the hundredth year of this State's existence under
the flag of the United States. Needless to say, the Exposi
tion will be the day of great significance to a great many
people, especially to the people of Alaska. It will be no less
significant to the natives of Alaska, the Indians, Aleuts,
and the Eskimos.
The Centennial should be a fitting opportunity for na
tives to observe to the fullest extent and contribute to it
their unique and interesting cultures to enhance its color.
We think they have much to offer and they can do it in a
most colorful manner. This means that folks in villages
and towns can start to think of what they would like to
present in the way of contributing to the Exposition, to
make it more exciting to the thousands of visitors that will
come to view the spectacle. The natives can help make
it a memorable one.
We have observed in the past, such spectacles as the
Eskimo Olympics, Nuchalawoyya at Tanana, and Minto,
and Chilkat dancers. They are all fine shows and pleasing
to audiences. If events such as these can be developed into
well-oiled productions, they could well be important addi
tions to the Centennial program to be presented to the
public.
The Eskimo Olympics has proven that such produc
tions are crowd pleasers. Local Alaskans enjoy them, and
they are thoroughly enjoyed by visitors from outside the
State. This is an excellent indication that the visitors that
will be predominantly out-of-staters, would thoroughly
enjoy that type of entertainment. Moreover, that type of
show would be new to most of the visitors. It would be
something they would remember and talk about when
they return home.
There are things that will be important in preparation
for the Centennial. Fine, new, authentic costumes should
be carefully made. They can add immensely to the color
of a spectacle. This regalia is used by both the Indian and
the Eskimo, each in his own custom.
Impressive ancient dances should be rehearsed thor
oughly. If some of these have been forgotten, or partially
forgotten, the oldest people should be consulted so the
dances could be revived. Old people have uncanny mem
ories. Authenticity of them and the authenticity of the cos
tumes can be gotten from them.
Eskimos love beautiful parkas. The Centennial is an
occasion for them to design the finest parkas they have
ever made. What a wonderful sight it would be if they
all show up, including children, in finest new parkas on
the first day of the Centennial.
There is another thing we would like to mention in
connection with the Centennial. The editor of this paper
has been appointed member of the Fairbanks Centennial
Committee. That means he will work with the native fac
tion of the Exposition and he will need help through sug
gestions and ideas for the program in Fairbanks.
Plans are now being worked out. The city of Fair
banks plans to put on the finest show in Alaska. Since it is
the most accessible city to natives everywhere, we can
help it put on a spectacle that will be most varied than
any other area. Its very accessibility will help it stage a
fine native show. It is also rich in history for background.
Here, famous gold strikes were discovered. It was the hub
of the exciting and romantic days of the sternwheelers,
the colorful riverboats that plied up and down the mighty
Yukon and it is accessible to the storied river itself. Here,^
also, the pioneering of Arctic flying took place. This, in
itself, has become a romantic tradition.
Wildlife in great many species abounds in its virgin
and scenic surroundings. But most of all, Fairbanks repre
sents true Alaska in all its aspects. It has the traditional
friendliness Alaskans are famous for.
The Golden Heart City, with its colorful background
history, can stage a memorable and more truly Alaskan(
spectacular in the State and native people can help
achieve it.