Arctic Radiation Studied * . .
(Continued from page 1)
of Cesium 137 than do cattle in the
vicinity of the Nevada test sites.
The Eskimos then eat the cari
bou and the radiation is passed on
to them.
In the spring and summer of
1962, a whole body counter was
brought to Alaska to measure Ce
sium 137 in the native villages.
Kotzebue, Barrow, and Anatuvak
Pass.
At Kotzebue radiation was mea
sured in 130 people. The unit of
measurement was the nanocuries.
The average body burden in
those who continually ate native
foods was 140 nanocuries. 25 non
natives who said they ate native
foods more frequently, had 35 na
nocuries. Some students who had
just returned from Mt. Edgecomb
where they had eaten non-native
foods had only 45 nanocuries.
At Barrow the average body
burden was only <&> nancomries.
Barrow people subsist chiefly on
marine food, seals, whales, and
walrus.
The highest Cesium 13? bod? bur
den were at Anatuvak Pass. They
had an average body burden of $20
nanocuries with a maximum of 780.
Anatuvak Pass people rely mostly
upon caribou.
By comparison, the average Ane
tuvak Pass permanent resident had
60 times more Cesium 137 than the
Kotzebue non-native who ate na
tive foods only once a month.
Oddly, the general background
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radiation fallout in the arctic is
much lower than it is in the middle
latitudes. This particular instance
of a noticeably higher level in the
lichen-caribou-man focal chain is
described by Dr. Pruitt as a “radia
tion hotspot.”
Por the last few year®, & con
centrated research program on this
problem has been underway in
Scandinavia, called "Radiology in
Scandinia.” Annual symposiums
are held at which different types of
scientists discuss their problems
and findings. Dr. Pruitt urges the
International Atomic Agency
should make a study of the prob
lems and Canada and Alaska should
participate.
Heidersdorf points out that the
! state is setting up a program of
environmental surveillance and
control and evaluation of hazards
connected with radiation.
At this time he said there was
' absolutely nothing for the people to
worry about and said the Eskimo
people could rest assured thut they
would be informed if a serious
threat to their health developed.
Letters to Editor
j St. Michael, Alaska
| January 16. 10fyt
j Sirs:
1 have failed to subscribe as yet
as I am about to move but now I
can ask for a subscription.
I want to make a file of articles
concerning the Inupiat Paitot, Dena
Neng Heng$h, etc. So would like
very much to get all the back copies
if at all possible.
I have lived with the Indians
eleven years now and am going to
the Eskimo country. I am a priest
and am proud of the fact that the
natives never refer to me as a
“missionary” or £ussuk (white
man), just father.
? j Enclosed $7.00—$5:00 for subscrip
j J tion one year and a couple extra to
I help pay for gathering back issues.
I You may date my subscription from
beginning.
Sorry I'm so late but the move
and a trip I have not hed time be
fore this.
Sincerely yours.
Rev. James W. Plamon
don. S. J.
Attendance Record,
Almost Perfect
Little Danny Neakok, of the ‘top
'o the world’ town of Barrow, Alas
ka, has distinguished himself of
having attended school fbr four
years with only one day of absence
during that period.
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Edgecumbe Has
Representative
At Inauguration
Roger Seetot, 19-year-old out
standing student, represented Mt.
Edgecumbe High School at the in
auguration ceremonies of Gover
nor William A. Eagen in Juneau
last weekend.
As the school’s official representa
tive, he attended all of the official
functions during the three-day fes
tivities.
Seetot. a senior at Mt. Edge
cumbe. is senior class president and
vice president of a national honor
society.
He said he found the inaugura
tion exciting and educational and
that he had met many high officials
of the state and the federal govern
ment as well as many state senators
and representatives.
Seetot highly lauded Mt. Edge
cumbe as the “best high school in
the state.” He said the principal
need there is for space for at least
120 more students, who would like
to obtain a high school education.
Seetot’s home is Teller Mission,
a small village of about 100 pop
ulation. His father is employed by
the BIA school there. He has six
brothers and four sisters.
In the near future, Seetot said
he planned to apply for RCA elec
tronics training and hoped that he
would be selected for the program
after he is graduated in June.
110-Y extr-Old , . .
(Continued from Page 1)
long in rivers. The traps were op
erated year around, she said, under
the ice in the winter.
Mrs. Komakhuk’s husband.
Charles, died about 15 years ago.
They moved to Anchorage from
Nome In 1950.
One of her grandsons, Peter,
about 37, works at the machine
shop, Alaska Railroad, in Anchor
age. Anathdr grandson, William, I
about 39. works for the Hammond
Mining Co. in Nome.
A daughter, Mrs. Mary Johnston,
56, lives in New Jersey. She mar
ried a non-native miner who is now
retired.
Mrs. Komakhuk’s father was On
initchek. She remembers his telling
about the time before the Russian
people came to Alaska.
Ancient Trade
At that time she said her people
traded with Russia but had to go
over the ice of the Bering Sea to
do so. Sh® said it was a long, long
way and took a long, long time to
make the trip.
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LEGEND OF KOTZEBUE
Brothers Plan Diabolical Scheme
To Block Inlanders From the Sea
By Emily Ivanoff Brown ,
Chapter II
(Editor's Note: Emily Ivanoff
Brown is a widely known teacher
in Alaska. Mrs. Brown is now
studying at the University of Al
aska. The following is the second
chapter of the Legend of Kotze
bue Village written by Mrs. Brown.
Kotzebue is one of the largest Es
kimo settlements in the Arctic to
day.)
Since the Eskimos' livelihood is
wrought by capturing wild animals
which often leads to dangerous ad
ventures. The people highly honor
a great hunter.
In every community jealousy
among the people breeds contempt.
At Kunigmute, a young man be
came the best hunter. His younger
brother named, Ongil, acquired the
same hunting skills and he also
was destined to become a great
hunter. Like some proud people
of the world, the older brother was
a boaster, and his name was Nyluu.
He claimed that he was only good
hunter in this village. He was be
coming very popular, and he pic
tured himself as a chief ruling the
people in the future. But the fate
of some proud people sometimes is
misfortune.
Among the young hunters there
sprang up one almost overnight
who was considered even mightier
than these two brothers. The people
turned their hero worship to the
latter, and thus ended the popu
larity of their former idol. There
was only one solution—murder!
The people of Kunigmute found
their latest idol murdered. The
first such crime committed in their
midst. The leaders conferred im
mediately only to be informed that
the murderers had left the village
with his family.
This was the beginning of a se
paration from the first community.
A neighboring village known as
Kungik was settled overnight. It
was named after the fresh-water
river nearby.
Living as fugitives was not a
happy life for the two brothers. In
order to protect themselves and
their families they decided to en
compass the village they had de
serted. The younger brother was
given the eastern post as a fort now
known as Lockhart Point. The
older brother Nyluk ordered him
to kill every hunter who came to
hunt seal at the sound.
‘'Use any method to annihilate
the travelers. I will use my own
Skill and methods. We'll rule over
the sea and land. No man who en
ters into our midst will ever return
alive,” ordered Nyluk.
After his younger brother depart
ed to settle in his new post, Nyluk
took to the nearby plateau where
he could make plans. He had heard
of a dragon lake where a dragon
lived. As he ws nering the lake
he stopped on the edge of a grassy
stream.
“Ah,” he said as he gazed across
the lake, “this is the dragon lake,
the home of a dangerous walking
serpent.”
As he stood amidst the grass he
had a strange feeling creeping up
ward from his feet. He knew he
was about to find something to re
venge the people. He left his gaze
and glanced down to his feet and
saw a beautiful striped young dra
gon. It seemed to say to him, I’ll
help you. Take m«. Mi' ynOtiWr \g
asleep in our house.”
He gathered grasses and rubbed
them together to make a soft bed
ding for his new pet. As he was
placing him in his hands he vow
ed he would take good care of it.
“ I will feed it with my own
food,” Nyluk talked to himself.
When he got home he placed it in
an oblong wooden bucket and took
care of it for a whole winter. The
pet dragon grew until he complete
ly died around the bucket.
Toward spring his younger bro
ther visited him and the pet dra
gon. He was now too large to live
in a bucket, so the brothers plan
ned to build an igloo for it. Since
no one knew of its existence at
Kunigmute, they built the igloo
under the high bank, very skill
fully and quietly. It was a large
igloo made exactly like their own.
Nyluk thanked his brother for help
ing to build the dragon’s igloo.
One evening as the younger bro
ther was making preparations to
leave for his home, Nyluk asked,
“May I go With you tomorrow and
visit your new fort? I would like
you to show me how you plan to
kill the travelers.”
‘‘You are invited to come with
me tomorrow, and you shall see
my post.”
They left very early the follow
ing morning. As they were near
ing his fort Nyluk said, “Stop the
team. I’ll not go near your house.
I see two polar bears standing on
either side of your entrance-”
“Now you know how I kill the
travelers. They never return home.
My pet polar bears kill them,” an
swered his younger brother.
On his way home the older bro
ther Nyluk, came to the new road
which led toward the village of
Kunigmute. He was glad he walk
ed home. Now he knew which way
the people traveled. He must plan
a way to discontinue the use of tbs
road.
The pet dragon naa tne Dest or
care during the year in its new
home. The dragon grew around the
interior of an igloo. Nyluk hired
two servants to take care of his
pet.
One day the servants reported to
their master that the dragon's many
feet had disappeared and only four
were left. He could walk on four
legs! Within a few days, the master
ordered the servants to train the
dragon to walk in and out of its
igloo.
“This must be done during the
night. I don’t want anyone to see
the dragon!” he commanded.
It was now a full grown dragon
and could follow the guides in and
out of the igloo.
Every day the dragon consumed
enormous amounts of food. Nyluk,
the proud master of the monster
dragon would tell it about his plan
to kill the people. It seemed to
understand. Since the dragon could
lift a seal with his jaws, his master
knew his pet could easily lift a
man.
One late evening a stranger came
to their igloo. He had just arrived
from a distant village. Nyluk or.
dered his servants to give the
stranger some food. He was given
choice food to eat. He didn’t know
it was to be his last meal!
Onil’ugnylok’s revenge would be*
come a reality this night. He felt re.
lieved when at last he could feed
humans to his pet. And the man
would prove to the people that the
mightiest hunter was in their
midst.
“Ogeong!--bay-yogu!” (Go and
fetch my pet dragon), commanded
Nyluk.
In a short while the poor stran
ger heard stumping sounds coming
around the igloo. The servants came
running in through the entrance
and hid. The poor stranger
CJ&omed. Whiie he was sitting on
the floor the dragon’s head with its
strong jaws reached quickly for
the man and gulped him down.
“Now take the dragon back to
his igloo,” said the master.
Year after year Nyluk’s pet dra
gon killed many travelers from the
neighboring villages. Ongil’ugnylok,
the two dreaded enemies of the in
terior Eskimos who wanted in vain
to hunt for the sea animals reign
ed as the watchmen of the sea.
To be continued „