CunUra 5Ttmcsi
Indian #—_____ _
Pena Ncna Henash The Lmid Snrnift A*,l lOK/ ~
Aleut ***—
Unungang Toonooktakii’ys Die Aleuts Sneak -
-- '' N°' '--Monday, Feb. 18, 1963_F.kb.„k., Ab*.
Canadian Judge
Shows Interest
In Native Rights
Northwest Territories Territorial
Court
Yellowknife. N.W.T.
February 7, 1963
Dear Sir:
I acknowledge receipt of the sev
en al issues of the Tundra Times
which you so kindly forwarded to
me.
I found these intensely interest
In8- particularly the numerous items
having references to the historic
Alaska Native lands claims and Na
tive hunting and fishing rights. I
sincerely appreciate having these
and they will be helpful to me.
I would like to be a subscriber
to your exceptionally nXcellent
paper and I am enclosing remit
tance.
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely,
J. H. Sissons
J.T.C.
Minto Seeks Help
For Developing
Tourist Attraction
In an exclusive interview, Rich
ard Frank. 36-year-old chief of
Minto. has told the Tundra Times
that his people would like to de
velop Minto and the Minto Lakes
area as a tourist attraction.
“First, if it is possible, we would
like to get economic development
assistance from the Bureau of In
dian Affairs to build hotel facili
ties.”
Chief Frank said his people then
planned to branch out from that.
He said their Indian potlatches.
war dances, and old Indian camps
should be of interest to tourists.
“We could offer canoe trips and
show tourists how our forefathers
lived by hunting with the bow and
arrow. We could show them how
we have lived on down to the pres
ent.”
He pointed out there are many
(Continued on Page 7)
MINTO CHIEF SPEAKS—Riicliard Frank, 36-year-old chief of
Minto, spoke vividly to a group of sportsmen, con*ervatif*n*list«,
ami game agents in Fairbanks last Tuesday, opposing a proposed
road to Minto Flats, the traditional hunting grounds of his people.
He said the road, as planned, would mean no benefit to his people,
that it would severely injure iiis people’* hunting economy and
would drive his people to the welfare rolls.—Tundra Times Photo
Fairbanks to Host 3-Day
Development Conference
State, federal, church and native ,
leaders from various sections of
Alaska will meet in Fairbanks to
morrow to begin a 3-day conference
on economic development.
The conference that is sponsored
jointly by the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs and the Churches’ Socio-Eco
nomic Advisory Committee, of the
Tanana-Yukon area, composed at
Catholic and Episcopal missionaries.
E. R. fryer, assistant commis
sioner or the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs for economic development,
is slated to give the keynote speech
for the conference.
One of the highlight# of the eon*
(Continued on Page 7)
THE LARGEST DOG RACE—On February 9 and 10, the village of Bethel hosted the largest dog race,
entry-wise ever held In Alaska. Eighty mushers, some from distant points, partictpated atang wHh more
than 800 dogs. Here the dog teams line up at the starting post on the frown Knskokwtm on the edge Ot
Bethel as the big rsce gets set to begin.—Tundra Times Photo by Elaine Clement.
Chief Says Road Would
I Drive His People
To the Welfare Rolls
Ry Thomas A. Snapp
Times Staff Writer
Richard Frank. 36-year-old chief
of the Indian village of Minto,
amazed a group of sportsmen, bio
logists, conservationists, and fish
and game agents in Fairbanks Tues
day with a vivid, detailed argument
opposing a planned road to Minto
Flat*.
The audience was so quiet one
could hear a pin drop as the chief
explained how Minto Flats is the
traditional hunting area of his peo
ple. how they depend upon the area
for a livelihood and how his people,
if the road were to be built, would
be driven to the welfare rolls.
His argument appeared to hit
home when he challenged the group
to name one benefit the road would
mean for his people
Chief Frank, appeared as a spec
ial guest of the Alaska Conservation
Society, which presented the public
discussion at the proposed road pro
ject of the Alaska Department of I
Fish and Game. The meeting was
held at Fairbanks Chamber of Com
merce building.
Dr. Hobert B. Weeden, a research
biologist with the Fish and Game
Dept, presented the plan which he
said had been 10-years in the mak
ing to open the Minto Lakes area
up as a “summer-time outdoor rec
reation area.”
Plan Presented
lie said the Minto Lakes area was
a vast storehouse of resources in
cluding the best duck hunting in
interior Alaska, fur trapping, and
gieat potential to Alaskans and
their visitors for recreation, includ
ing boating, picnicing, and the en
joying of scenery, quietness, and
wildlife. He also said the area along
the road would be opened to home
steading and timber cutting.
To provide access to the restricted
area, Dr. Weeden said he and other
members of the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game had proposed a
plan to build a road to the edge of
Minto Lakes. Last year, he said, the
Legislature had allocated $25,000
from moneys accuring to the state
from sports licenses for building
the road.
The research biologist went on
to explain the federal government
would match the amount. 3 to 1. or
Provide $75,000 toward the first
phase of the road project, eventually
slated to cost $200,000.
Protest Filed
Then Dr. Weeden pointed out
there was oil activity in the Nc
nana area, and that the state ap
plied to the Federal Bureau of Land
Management for selecting the near
by Minto Lakes area apparently be
lieving there was oil underneath it.
Minto natives then filed a protest
asserting their claim to the area
through traditional use, he said.
Until the U. S. Interior Depart
ment makes a decision on the native
rights assertion protest, he said
plans for the road and the large
state selection is blocked.
(Continued on Page 6'
STATE-BIA WORKING ON
j OVER-ALL EDUCATION PLAN
(Tfei* is the second in a series
Of article* on the visit to Alaska
of BfA Commissioner Philieo ’
Nash.)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs will
work its educational expansion pro
gram in accordance with an over-all
plan for the development of edu
cational facilities by the state.
So told Philieo Nash, commis- :
sionev of the Bureau of Indian Af- |
fairs, to members of the “Ice Block” j
tho opening day of the state legis- j
Vat ure.
Nash said there was no request in j
the budget now before Congress for '
assistance in the building of the j
Nome Vocational School because
the BTA was awaiting the comple
tion of the state over-all education
plan.
The BIA Chief explained that
there was some controversy when j
the BIA announced plans for study- j
ir,g the building of a school at Fair
banks shortly after the voters of
the state passed a $1'^ million bond
issue for the Nome school.
I “Some seemed to feel that the BIA
| should assist with that project and
I believe Secretary Udall indicated
that we would help. Nash said.
When the controversy came up,
the BIA and state officials had a
conference and worked out a policy
agreement, he said. One of the pro
visions was for the state to work
out an over-all education plan and
then the BIA would fit its efforts
into the plan.
Robert L, Bennett, area director
of the BIA. Dr. Charles Ray, head
of the education department of the
University of Alaska. Paul Isaacs,
acting commissioner of education,
and a member of the State Board
of Education comprise the commit
tee working on the plan. Their
next meeting is on February 11.
When the controversy arose over
the money being allocated for the
proposed Fairbanks school, the
project was temporarily dropped
and the planning money diverted
to other purposes.
IThe proposed Fairbanks school
was to have been operated in con
junction with the University of
Alaska in an effort to train teachers
for the outlying communities.