CuttUra €mus
Owned, controlled and edited bv 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 class matter under
the Act of March 3, 1879. __
Tundra Times, Inc., publisher (Howard Rock. Martha Teeluk, and Alfred Ketzlert ;
HOWARD ROCK, editor; Thomas Snapp. assistant editor; Vivian P. Spurgin. office
manager; contributing editors, Guy Okakok, Martha Teeluk, and Alfred Ketzlcr.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
G months $ 2.50
Regular Mail, State . 1 year 5.00
Mailed to Other States . G months 3.00
1 year G.00
Air Mail to States . 6 months G.00
Less than 6 months, 36c per issue . 1 year 12.00
Editorial
Heartening Statement
(Continued from Page 1)
nature that concern the welfare of the natives, and other
peoples, who are exposed to dangers of radiation.
The statement of Senator Bartlett is indicative of a
public servant who cares for those he serves. Natives of
Alaska should show their appreciation by dropping him a
line giving him support on the serious need of study of
radiation in Alaska.
EDITORIAL
Sharing Philosophy
Sharing of good things in Indian and Eskimo com
munities in Alaska is indeed a fine old custom. When our
ancestors established sharing they left a fine old tradition
that has benefited the natives immensely. Any attempt to
quash this generous habit should never come to pass.
Instead, it should be encouraged. But, the staff of the
Tundra Times is not sure how to express its opinion con
cerning the sharing of its publication.
The other day an Eskimo friend of ours from Kotze
bue, came to our office to chat. One of the staff members
asked our friend, "Have you read the Tundra Times?" "All
the time," said our friend. "Oh, you subscribed," said the
staff member. "No," said our friend. "I get it from a friend
who had gotten it from his friend."
We're finding out from reliable sources that this is a
widespread practice in many villages. We are very flat
tered that Tundra Times is a widely read paper. What pub
lication would find a cause to be unhappy about a situa
tion like that?
We, of the Tundra Times, are the least unhappy, but
we can't help but wish that more natives would subscribe
so they won't have to bother borrowing the paper from
their friends.
EDITORIAL
Education
To native students and parents:
Once again, I will try to encourage you to improve
your education. As we all know, the elementary, high
school, and college year is just about to end. Many of the*
boys and girls will say, "I am glad school is over." And
maybe, they have made up their minds to quit school.
Dear student friends, if this is so, you are thinking
wrong thoughts because you will need that know-how in
your later years. Not only will you need it, but your family,*
friends, your country, will need it. Your education is
needed in helping to develop Alaska.
As I have said before—without education, we fall;
with education, we stand. Inventors of the past are gone
and present ones will soon be gone. As the old saying,
"Let by-gones be by-gones," but we should not entirely.
Nowadays there are new inventors for many things com
ing to fore.
With education, one might be a new inventor, not only
inventor of machines, but an inventor of thoughts and
reasons. You can help your relatives and friends to be
educated.
So don't leave your work at school; take your work
home with you. Review it and consider it throughout the
summer. Thank you.
-MARKLE EWAN, Chairman,
4 ANB Education Committee, Gulkana, Alaska
l .
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.)
“I heard of the crash that day.
George. I’m sorry to have lost one
hand for us and others. He did his
duty to the people,” John Kulowoyi,
of Savoonga. wrote George Mark
ham upon learning of the death of
Jack E. Davis, Sanitation Aide Su
pervisor for the Bethel Area for the
State of Alaska's Department of
Health and Welfare. Jack Davis died
in a plane crash during a whiteout
while returning to Bethel from a
field trip.
John Kulowiyi has reflected the |
profound feelings of the natives
upon the loss of a public servant
whose dedicated efforts were so
valuable in bettering the living
conditions in native villages.
Jack Davis had something more
to offer besides the work he was
doing. He had respect for people
he worked with and for the natives
for whom he worked to help. This
quality could not but help him gain
genuine respect from his fellow
workers and from the natives.
The Sanitation Aide, publication
of Division of Public Health, sani
tation section, had there words to
say of Jack E. Davis:
“It is not out of order to con
sider some of the reasons for this
respect and affection. Jack had a
sincere respect for others—their
rights were important in anything
he planned. He was conscientious
in carrying out his duties but not
only those he was expected to do
but also those where he could lend
a hand.
“Jack was well qualified in a
professional way for the work he
was doing as a Sanitarian. And it
was this combination of qualities
and skill which fitted him so well
for his work.
“Jack Davis left a mark against
which all of us will do well to
measure ourselves. The best tribute
that we can pay to his memory will
be to carry on the work he left us
in the same spirit of service and
love of his fellow man.”
And so to Jack E. Davis, loved by
those he served, whose dedicated
service in behalf of the natives, as
well as others, whose vital service
in the betterment of sanitation in
villages, whose untimely death
ended a fine humanitarian career,
goes the Tundra Times North Star
Award dedicated to his memory
and the unselfish services he gave
for the benefit of the people of
Alaska.
Poem
Frozen Heart
JEdatox’s note—The following
poem tied for first place in non
student class category of the po
etry contest held at the Festival
of Arts, University of Alaska,
April 7, 1963.)
By Louise C. Gore
Anchorage, Alaska
My heart is an arctic wasteland,
Frozen, hard and bleak;
Permafrost of grief.
My Heart is a long, long winter.
Night is never gone,
Hidden is the sun.
My heart is a barren glacier.
Pressured, bitter, cold.
Windswept, is my soul.
Mary’s Lamb
Goes to School
(Reprinted from Channel Light,
Mt. Edgecumbe School student
newspaper.)
Mary had a little lamb.
Her daddy shot it dead.
And now it goes to school with her
Between two hunks of bread.
Editorial
Native Customs
"We almost lost it," said an Athabascan Indian not
long ago. He was talking about Indian dancing. He and
many others had been watching the Minto village dancers.
Many of the natives had not seen an Indian dance for many
years and seeing it again made them realize 1 hat there was
something fine—something beautiful in native dancing.
The poignancy of the remark, "We almost lost it,"
cannot help but make many of us feel quietly thankful
that there remains a spark of desire to keep alive a fine
tradition—the dance of the Athabascan.
There seems to be a new awareness among the na
iives of the interior that the dance can certainly provide an
important and integral part at a function such as a potlatch.
This was pointed out significantly last March at the Fair
banks potlatch and more recently at Minto Winter Carnival
and the Gulkana potlatch.
At each of these events the dance was more than
enthusiastically received. At the conclusion of each a de
sire to have more dances has been expressed.
We will always be Indians and we will always be
Eskimos or Aleuts. Since we will always be, we should
retain our identity by keeping alive our fine old traditions.
We have seen, without a doubt, that our young people
fully enjoy some of our fine old customs. That is an indica
tion that we will not have any difficulty in passing down
our fine traditions to future generations.
It won't be hard to have ham and eggs for breakfast
and native dances at night.
Editorial
Winter Tourism
We all admit that Nome has a wonderful winter
tourist potential that is unique and could attract winter
tourists and organized winter tours. What good is a poten
tial if we don't do something about promoting it? It doesn t
have to be subsidized, it doesn't require a bonding issue,
we don't have to vote on it. All it needs is a little planning
and promoting.
This past week several people have passed through
Nome who wanted to do something different than they
could do back in the lower forty-eight and talk about and
some of them couldn't even get a dog team ride. Then
there was one gracious white-haired lady, who wanted to
accomplish something worthwhile while on the farthest
west peninsula of North America and being the kind of a
person she was, she planned her own tour and is seeing
things and doing things other visitors wish they might
have done, and has set an example of what should be
available for all visitors.
What did she do? She rented a Sno-Traveler and was
taken to Anvil Creek where gold was discovered at the
turn of the century; she had a dog team ride; she went
fishing; she will see the Iron Curtain from St. Lawrence
Island; she went to Diomede Island, but she did it on her
own initiative.
There should be some place in our community where
dog team owners are registered, and prices set for dog
rides to various places; where Snow-Traveler rentals are
available to the foothills or on the Bering Sea; where a
tom-cod line can be rented; where information can be ob
tained on side trips to St. Lawrence Island or Diomede,
or Teller.
All this information must be available at some busi
ness house in town if tourism is to be promoted. Dog rides
mean income for families that could use it. Umiak rides
mean extra income for Eskimo families next month, but
there must be a central place for people who want to do
things to make a contact.
Whose job is it? Why hasn't it been done? Why don't
we change this potential into pleased, enthusiastic guests
who leave Nome to tell of the exciting and unusual ex
periences they had in the best known city of Alaska.
WHY? ? ?
—THE NOME NUGGET, Nome, Alaska