.Cuntrra Ctnifs
Indian I ftc
Pena Nena HenasU The Land Speaks I
Aleut
Unungang Toonooktakuk The Aleuts Speak
Vol. 1, No. 5_ Monday, Dec. 3, 1962 Fairbanks, Alaska
SCIENIISTSSTUDY
Indian Charged
With Hunting
Eider Ducks
An Indian man, Andy Ludecker,
331 Clay St.. Fairbanks, pleaded in
nocent in Federal Court Wednesday
to hunting eider ducks out of sea
son.
He also pleaded not guilty of
hunting without a duck stamp.
Ludecker was arrested this past
summer and arraigned on the
charges in the state magistrate court
here but the court held it did not
have jurisdiction and the case was
transferred to federal court.
Attorney Charlie Cole, who is
representing Ludecker without fee,
said the Indian man was hunting
the ducks for food at the time.
Cole said he intended to fight
to the end the right of Natives to
hunt ducks for subsistence at any
time of year.
Because much legal research is
required. Cole said Judge Raymond
Plummer made no trial date set
ting.
Secretary of the Interior Stewart
Udall previously made the state
ment natives could hunt ducks for
(continued on Page 8)
_
Harpers Applauds
Tundra Times
Harper’s Magazine exp resses
Christmas greetings to the Tundra
Times in its December issue now
on the newstands.
In an article by John Fischer en
titled “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentle
men, Ladies, and a Few Others"
the Tundra Times is said to provide
“unique coverage of news.”
“While its reporting is not quite
so professional as that of the New
York Times, it has a lot more
charm,” wrote Fischer.
Illustrating this was quoted a por
tion of an article by Charles Tuck
field, of Point Hope, that appeared
in the October 1 issue.
Several newspapers, including the
Christian Science Monitor, has writ
ten articles pertaining to the Tundra
Times.
THE SPLENDOR OF THE ARCTIC—The spectacular Aurora Borealis, without doubt, is typical of I
the beauty of Alaska. Scientists at the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute say auroras
are caused by tiny charged particles from the sun that come into the earth's upper atmosphere, be
come oxidized and produce the brilliant northern I ights. —Photo by Victor P. Hessler
Many Wonder
Can You Hear an Aurora?
By Thomas Snapp
Times Staff Writer
Can you hear the northern lights?
Does an aurora sound like rustling
silk or the swishing of woman walk
ing by in a taffeta dress?
Does an aurora have a crackling
sound like crumbling paper?
In short, do the northern lights
make any sound at all?
These are questions that a young
scientist. Gene Wescott, of the Uni
Editorial
Shortage of Wives
There is a unique problem arising in many native
communities that native young women can solve. Further
more, it is creating a social problem in the communities
involved.
The problem is, native young men are running short
of marriagable native young women.
It has come to our attention that the young ladies are
being drawn to populated centers in search of husbands
who are non-native. Populated centers with many young
men in military services are drawing the young ladies.
Once there, the girls seem to be quite adept at hus
band hunting and therefore are highly successful. That
leaves quite a problem for the unfortunate native young
men at home.
(Continued on Page 2)
[ versity of Alaska's Geophysical In
stitute is trying to answer.
Sensitive Mikes
For the past six weeks. Wescott
has had two separate stations of
delicate tape recorders and sensi
I tive microphones tuned toward
| auroras hoping to pick up a sound.
But so far only other noises, not
from the auroras, has been reccrded.
For years Arctic residents have
; maintained that during still winter
| nights sometimes the brilliant
I northern lights can be heard.
The National Science Foundation
was so interested in having the
question answered that this fall it
granted $22,800 for a study with *he
view of having captured if possible,
the elusive sounds on tape.
Two Stations
Six weeks ago Wescott installed
a high quality condenser micro
phone with a 30-inch parabolic re
flector at a station on the Chena
Hot Springs Road, near Fairbanks.
And at the same time started op
erating a second sensitive micro
phone at the big 85-foot dish at the
National Space Agency’s Gilmore
Creek installation at Fox.
The microphones are attached to
quality tape recorders that are au
tomatically cut on whenever the
intensity of auroras reach a certain
level. Photometers measure the
light and when it becomes intense,
switch on the tape recorders which
run for 48 minutes at a time.
Each day the equipment is
checked to be sure it is in excellent
working order. Around the clock,
the silent robots with great “hear
ing” ability keep vigil listening for
aurora sounds. And so far only ex
traneous noise has been heard.
Noise Only
“We hope the noise problem will
decrease when it gets quieter this
winter,” Wescott said.
Wants Mai!
The young scientist is also inter
ested in getting letters from persons
who have heard auroras in the past.
Since the study was begun, he has
heard from many persons by le'ter
or phone from places as far away
as Mexico and California.
Two descriptions are prevalent in
the responses. One. the sound of
rustling silk. two. the crackling
sound of crumbling paper.
These could be the same sound
at different intensities, Wescott
points out.
Most informants say the sound is
associated with movement or they
heard the noise after an aurora
moved.
Wescott is interested in getting
letters from persons who have heard
an aurora in order to know what
frequencies for which to listen.
(Continued on Page 8)
University Gets
First Grant
For Astronomy
Particles From Sun,
Auroras, Blackouts
To Be Probed
Scientists at the University of
Alaska's Geophysical Institute are
starting work on a long-range basic
study of the physics of the sun.
The 'important study is being
made possible through a $115,700
grant from the National Science
Foundation, the first such grant the
University has received for basic
research in astronomy.
The two-year project which will
literally include the study of the
face of the sun typifies the strides
which the University of Alaska is
making in the field of space science
research.
The chief of the project is Dr.
Leif Owren. who was recently ap
pointed head of the Department of
Physics at the University.
Scientists at the Geophysical In
stitute wil be principally studying
the effects of charged hydrogen par
tides from the sun on the earth's
upper atmosphere.
1 They will study the particles as
they are emitted from the sun and
again as they enter the ionishpere.
They will observe and record the
radio waves which the particles
from the sun generate, hoping to
learn what part they play in caus
ing auroras, magnetic storms, and.
radio communication blackouts.
Since streams of the charged par
ticles move through the sun's at
mosphere at high speed generating
radio signals, studies of the sun at
very high and ultra-high frequen
cies wil be another way of studying
how the particles are ejected from
the sun.
(Continued on Page 71
Aurora Voodoo
Keeps Children
Home at Night
“If you whistle the aurora will
swoop down on you. cut your head
off and play football with it.” soma
Eskimo parents warned their chil
dren.
Although this warning was taken
seriously by the youngsters, it was
the parent's way to keep the chil
dren home at night.
Nevertheless children played out
even when the skies were swarming
with brilliantly colored aurora bor
ealis that darted and shimmered
overhead.
The children played many kinds
of games, generally making all kinds
of din. but never a whistle wa3
heard.
Once in a while one of the “big
boys” would let out a shrill whistle.
The children would look skyward
and shout derisive remarks to the
guilty whistler, “I hope the aurora
will take your head off!”
All at once each child would dart
off towards his home as fast as his
young legs would carry him.
When the children got home, it
was usually time for the rest of
night.