Canada Orders
Radiation Probe
Officials of Canada’s Depart
ment of Northern Affairs has or
dered a program of radiation mea
surement and study in the Canadian
arctic.
A conservative biologist employed
by the Department of Northern Af
fairs in Edmunton, Soin McEwan,
said the problem of high radiation
in the caribou food chain is enough
to warrant a special federal study.
“Nobody knows for sure the ef
fect eating caribou has on humans.
This should be studied,” McEwan
said.
He called for the government to
establish a committee of biologists
to look into the matter.
“An analysis of bones should be
taken at the time of post mortem
in the north,” he said.
For several years, Northern Af
fairs officials have been worried
over “ecological hotspots” of radia
tion in Canada’s Far North. For
the past two years they have been
testing samples at Ottawa of cari
bou antlers, bones, and teeth of
other animals, and lichens, the prin
cipal foodstuff of caribou.
The studies have indicated that
the Stronium 90 content in the
bones has been higher than in other
animals in more southern regions.
Letters to Editor
Vancouver, B. C.
January 23, 1963
Dear Friend:
Thank you for your letter. It
was a very real pleasure to hear
from you.
This is written in haste to get
away the enclosed subscription.
I am recovering from a back in
jury and am short of funds at pre
sent. I will renew the subscription
soon.
I have many native friends here
in B. C. and am passing around
word of your paper to them.
Also I am in touch with some
radio stations and newjs outlets
that are interested in the problems
that arise when native people come
to my city.
There is also a paper here call
ed, The Native Voice. I am going
to bring your paper to their notice.
I am sure you will hqar from them
soon.
More when I have the time.
Yours is a fine organ which, I am
sure, will thrive as time goes by.
It fills such a crying need that no
person of goodwill can do less than
help in any way he can.
Good fortune to all of you.
Sincerely,
Vernon C. Price
Instituto Interamericano
Denton, Texas
January 25, 1963
Dear Editor:
We enclose $5.00 for a years sub
Specializing in
Stoker and Lump Coal
and Heating Oils
Phone
GL 2-2088
Johnny's
Express
WIFE TROUBLE
The Hunter Who Found
A Cure for Jealousy
By Howard Rock
Times Editor
Although what happened many,
many years ago on the Arctic coast
may never apply in the present
day scheme of things, one old-time
Eskimo found a fool-proof cure for
the green-eyed monster, jealousy.
In the old days in the Arctic,
men often had more than one wife,
especially good hunters. Young
ladies of the era considered mar
riage to a fine hunter a decided
position of prestige. In the house
hold where wives of a hunter liv
ed together, there was usually cre
ditable harmony in the home. But
once in a while little rifts develop
ed.
The marriage of a hunter to his
first wife was usually a love match.
Therefore, the first wife, usually,
had the undisputed position of
favorite of her husband. If he took
on more wives, it was with the
understanding that they were to
help run household duties.
The hunter who solved the jeal
ousy problem had married a second
wife. Things went on well for a
while, but soon friction began to
develop between the two wives.
The new wife began to have jeal
ous tendencies towards the first
wife.
Heated Argument
The hunter must have noticed
scription. Since you sent us all is
sues to December 17, inclusive, we
would appreciate it if you could
begin this subsecription with the
issue following December 17 so that
we can have a complete file.
We publish a newsletter 9 times
a year and our February issue will
have some items condensed from
the Tundra Times. We also gave
you a “commercial.” This usually
results in sales or subscriptions; wc
hope it does this time.
Regarding your article on Eskimo
tape recording in Vol. 1, No. 1: We
do a considerable amount of tape
recording and have a growing col
elction of ethno-music.
If any of your Eskimo. Indian or
Aleut tapers would care to send
us native music, we would recipro
cate with Japanese, Australian ab
original, Hawaiian. Mexican, Sioux
or whatever sort of material the
person might desire, if it is within
our resources.
The tapers would likely need to
understand and speak English,
though naturally all of your read
ers do.
Sincerely yours,
Carl B. Compton,
Director
this rift from time to time and
probably told his wives to behave
themselves, or else.
One day he came home to his
sod igloo with some game he had
caught. It was the usual custom
for his wives to meet him outside
the home upon his arrival, but
neither one of them showed up on
that particular day.
Feeling slighted, he entered the
igloo and found his wives in a heat
ed argument and the bone of con
tention was, of course, himself. The
rift had come to a seething head
with the new bride being the main
instigator. The first wife, being the
favorite, was not in a position to
lose her high standing and had
made energetic defense of her
honor.
This was too much for the hus
band to take and he promptly took
matters into his own hands and
proceeded to cure the girls of then
jealous tendencies.
In the old days in the Arctic,
coiffures of long braided tresses
were a mark of beauty and style.
The wives of the hunter wore their
hair in that precise style, which he
liked, of course.
A flurry of heated words were
exchanged among the three which
didn’t do the temper of the hus
band any good at all. At any rate,
the husband, being master of the
household got the situation well in
hand.
He had his wives lie back to back
on the floor and grimly started to
tie their long braids of hair in a
complex knot that was almost im
possible to untie.
The girls, of course, were fit to
be tied. The only way they could
get out of this tangled situation was
to take their ulus (woman’s knife)
and cut off their braids close to
the nape of their necks.
This was unheard of. Further
more, it would be a shameful dis
grace for the girls to cut off their
hair. They would become the laugh
ing stock of the whole village.
The women cajoled and pleaded,
but to no avail. Their husband was
determined to rid the girls of their
silly jealousies.
The inevitable took place and the
girls tearfully divested themselves
of their beautiful long braids. From
that day on, harmony prevailed in
the hunter's household.
Christmas Potlatch Brings Back i
Old Memories to Ft. Yukon Woman
By Hannah Solomon
Staff Writer
Well, another Christmas and New
Year's Day has come and gone.
It was a happy time for the young
er generation, but to us old folks
it brought back old memories.
I remember what happy days
they were for old and young people
alike. Folks came into town with
dogteams. It did not matter whether
it was cold or warm, families or
individuals, from near and far out
of town came in.
In those days we didn’t know
what the airplane was, so the people
traveled with dogteams.
In the old days we had big pot
latches and danced every day from
Christmas through the New Year.
How we enjoyed that!
Danced All Night
I was a little girl then and I, '
along with other children, would J
watch the dancers. Soon we would
become sleepy and would go tu
sleep in corners or under benches.
Sometimes my mother would put
me to bed and I could hear the
people dancing and shouting all
night. I would fall asleep and wake
up in the morning just in time to
see the people going home from
the dance.
AH those memories come to my
mind whenever holiday times ar
rive. They make me rather sad
when I should be happy instead.
In these days when we go to see
dances, all we see is the jitterbug
and twisting all over the floor.
Many years from now the young
| people will probably feel like we
--—— _.
old people think of the good old
days.
Villas© Guest
The village of Chalkytsik invit
ed me to visit them this past Chri.-t
mas. The weather was bad and I
couldn't go until the 26th of De
cember. Everybody came to meet
the plane and to greet me, saying,
“Merry Christmas."
The potlatch had already start
ed.
We had a dance at the BIA school
building that night. Old and young
people danced and I enjoyed it so
much. Now and then someone
would stand up and give a speech
in my honor. I was so thankful for
what they did for me.
Before the dance was over they
started to give me gifts. My good
ness. I received $50.25 in cash, be
sides many other nice things.
Children and Memories
When the dance was over, we
had coffee, tea, pies, cakes, and
doughnuts before going to bed.
It was so nice to see how those
nice people worked together in a
small village.
It is nice that we are living in a
modern way. but sometimes, I sure
miss the good old days.
I was born and raised here in
Fort Yukon. I raised my twelve
children and I am now helping to
raise my nineteen grandchildren,
I including my adopted 16-month old
j baby boy.
I’m getting older every year, but
! I still like to get out and dance
among my children and my grand*
children.
Wriglit Alaskan Parka
Pu ton tori and Domifgnad try X*au>vi Q. Wri#ht
U.S. Pat. No. 173177
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