Metlakatla Allowed
To Continue Using
Fish Traps in 1963
Acting upon the recommendation
of a special task force which visited
Alaskan native villages this past
summer, Secretary of the Interior
Stewart L. Udall recently announced
that the 'l'simpshian Indians of the
island community of Metlakatla will
be permitted to continue using their
fish traps during the 1963 fishing
season.
Since 1915, by Secretarial regula
tion, the Metlakatlans have been al
lowed to fish with traps. Early in
1962, the U S. Supreme Court ruled
than an Alaskan law prohibiting
traps does not apply to the Annette
Island Reservation within which
Metlakatla is situated.
In making his announcement,
Secretary Udall pointed out that the
members of the task force felt it
was desirable to hold off changing
the 1915 regulations to bring them
into harmony with State law' until
suitable alternatives to the use of
traps have been developed, so that
Metlakatla can maintain the level
of fish production upon which its
salmon cannery depends. The can
nery is the principal industry in the
community, providing employment
for Indians during the summer and
income with which to finance pub
lic works programs which supply
jobs for local residents during the
remainder of the year.
Secretary Udall remarked that
members of his staff will investi
gate alternatives to trap production
of fish, and that he will make a
further announcement when their
comments are received.
Metlakatla was established in 1887
by an Anglican missionary. Father
William Duncan, who led a group
of his Indian followers from “Old
Metlakatla” in British Columbia to
the Annette Islands just south of
Ketchikan. Alaska. In 1891, Con
gress set the area aside for the
Tsimpshians. Since that time, the
Indians have developed a progres
sive community, whose economy is
built around the fishing industry
and the salmon cannery. In addi
tion to their traps, the Metlakatlans
have a fleet of fishing boats.
The task force on Alaska native
affairs included William W. Keeler
of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Princi
pal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
and Chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Phillips Petrol
eum Company; Hugh J. Wade. Sec
retary of State of Alaska; and James
E. Officer. Associate Commissioner
of Indian Affairs. Keeler, who head
ed a similar task force making a
broader study of Indian problems
early in 1961, was also chairman of
the Alaska group.
The complete report of the Alaska
task force is in the final stages
of preparation and will likely be
submitted to Secretary Udall and
Governor Egan early in 1963.
Correction
In the story headlined “Christmas
Industry Possible” in the December
17 issue of the Tundra Times, due
to a misunderstanding between a
news source and writer, an inad
vertent error was made. The Alaska
Arctic Resources, Inc. has not se
cured a lease to harvest black
spruce on a 2 million acre tract of
public domain land, as was stated
in the article.
Kelly’s
Firestone
ONE STOP
SERVICE ;
269 Illinois Av*.
... Fairbanks
Ancient Right Upheld...
(Continued from Page 1) ’
costs returned. Justice Sissons even
ordered the man’s shotgun and the
duck he had killed returned to him.
But the controversial case is not
over yet. The Crown has appealed
the decision. No date has been set
for the appeal.
Alaska Case
The case which has been legally
decided in Canada is very similar
to the Pt. Barrow duck controversy,
which started in late May, 1960,
and consumed several months but
was never decided with a concrete
legal decision.
This is how the case exploded.
On May 20, 1960, a Barrow Eskimo,
Tom Pikok, was apprehended by
U. S. Fish and Wildlife agents and
charged with illegally taking three
geese.
Shortly after his arrest, State
Representative John Nusunginya
(D-Barrow) was apprehended with
a duck in his possession.
Two nights later, 138, each carry
ing an eider duck, converged on
the Top of the World Hotel where.
two game wardens were staying. All
signed statements they had taken.
ducks and the fowl were confiscat
' ed.
Stew Thickens
The cotftrovetrsy (that followed
was one of the hottest ever to
sweep the Arctic. It brewed for
months getting hotter as politics
and religion were added to the
stew.
On one side were the Eskimos
with mounting support from state
politicians, churchmen, and the
overwhelming public opinion of Al
askan citizens. On the other side
was the Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Interior Department, and the
Justice Department.
The U. S. Government officials
claimed the law was on their side.
The Eskimos claimed justice was on
their side.
"Since this is a violation of in
ternational treaty, this matter will
be studied in great detail before
the U. S. Attorney’s office makes
any decision as to what action it
will take,” said Assistant U. S. At
torney Jerry Shortell, in Fairbanks.
At one point the 3-million strong
Presbyterian Church came out in
support of the Eskimo in the con
troversy.
Publte Opinion
By and large, the Alaska press,
deluged with articles, editorials, and
letters to the editor regarding the
controversy, favored the Eskimos
and blasted the action of the game
wardens in making the arrests.
Governor William A. Egan, U. S.
Representative Ralph Rivers, and
Senator Ernest Gruening, all came
out strongly in support of the Es
kimos in the dispute.
Petitioned President
In a petition to President Ken
nedy, the 138 Barrow men protested
arrest under the treaty act as “im
proper and discriminatory.”
“This law deprives us of our ab
original rights. For hundreds of
years we have been taking birds for
food without interference. Present
circumstances do not warrant a
change in this status,” they wrote.
“We also believe that proper rep
resentation from this part of the
country was not obtained when the
treaty was formulated.”
At one point Secretary of the In
terior Stewart Udall was quoted
from Seattle as saying, “The law is
the law; and the Eskimo must abide
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by it.” Later, however, the state- ;
ment was retracted somewhat and !
it was explained the matter would
be handled by the Justice Depart
ment.
Charges Dropped
After several months, the Just
ice Department announced it was
dropping charges against the 138
men but issued a warning that
further taking of ducks and geese
out of season would be prosecuted.
In November, 1961, delegates from
widely separated Eskimo villages
met at Barrow in the first great
gathering of Eskimos. At the meet
ing they asserted their Inupiat Pai
tot, or "People's heritage" and chief
among Eskimo heritage cited was
the right to hunt ducks and geese
while they were in the Arctic.
Renegotiation Opposed
The pressure of public opinion
mounted to renegotiate the interna
lional treaty and correct an "unjust
situation.” But many government
officials indicated renegotiating the
treaty was not advisable as the U. S.
might be given the concession for
Eskimos to hunt ducks and geese
but in turn would have to concede
other things to members of the
treaty convention.
Sanction Given
Finally, U. S. Commissioner of
the Fish and Wildlife Service Clar
ence Pautzke and Secretary of the
Interior Stewart Udall in Washing- 1
ton, D. C. quietly gave sanction to
Eskimos taking ducks and geese
for food anytime of year. But they
advised that Eskimos should not
openly give game wardens cause
to arrest them under the law. This
sanction was reported in the Alaska
press.
Since the report, however, many
Eskimos have indicated they did
not hear of it. Others who said
they did receive it were not satis
fied with the arrangement. Many
indicated they still feared to take
ducks outside the season, and op
posed taking in secret what they
felt they had a right to take openly.
Important Ruling
The recent Canadian court deci
sion concerning the ancient right
has already been heralded by many
natives as a just settlement.
A Fairbanks attorney, Charlie
Cole, who is representing without
charge an Indian charged with
hunting waterfowl out of season,
has indicated the decision will like
ly be important in clearing his
client of charges.
In Justice Sissons 13-page deci
sion, he cites an off-quoted story
as a case in point of the problem.
The story tells of a government
official who spoke to one of the In
dian chiefs at Yellowknife and
pointed out to him that shooting
ducks in spring was contrary to
the Migratory Birds Convention
Act.
The chief asked what this con
vention was and was told it was a
treaty between Canada and the
United States.
“Did the Indians sign the treaty?"
he asked.
The reply was, “No.”
“Then,” the chief declared, “We
shoot ducks.”
Justice Sissons contended that
there should be as much or more
sanctity to a treaty between Can
ada and its Indians as to a treaty
between Canada and the United
States.
Gold Parka . . .
(Continued From Pg. 1)
mother wanted a certain color but
the daughter another color. A argu
ment ensued as to which color the
parka would be. The girl emphatic- i
ally stated her heart was set on her
color and that she would have no
other.
That is. until she saw an auto
graphed picture of Elvis Presley in
Mrs. Wright's shop.
‘‘Elvis has even ordered a parka,”
Mrs. Wright pointed out.
“What color did he get?” the
young girl quickly asked.
"Gold," Mrs. Wright replied.
Changes Mind
The girl just sat there for a few
moments and ^tared into space.
‘‘That just makes me sick," she said.
But a little while later, the girl and
her parents departed the shop with
the order in for a gold parka.
‘‘Before Elvis ordered the gold
parka, I hardly ever got an order
for one," Mrs. Wright said.
Mrs. Wright is the sister of the
late William E. Beltz. first president
of Alaska's State Senate. The smil
ing Eskimo woman who will say
only she is “pushing sixty” has 22
grandchildren.
Extremely talented and versatile,
Mrs. Wright at one time was
employed by the Post Office De
partment to carry the mails by dog
sled. But all her life, she has been
interested in sewing.
| In 1951, she started experimenting ,
by making parkas out of material
' other than fur, particularly velve
j teen. Fur parkas must be made by
: hand, she pointed out, while velve
i teen parkas could be made much
; faster with machines. Besides, they
| are lightweight and warm.
Has Patents
She began to design parkas, j
| Courts have awarded patents to her
i for many of her exclusive creations.
1 Her parkas are noted particularly
j for their destinctive ornamental
design. In addition, she is known
; for inventing the parka bunt, which
i zips onto the bottom of baby parkas.
| "When the baby outgrows the
bunting, one can zip it out and the
j child can still use the parka. When
| another baby comes, it can use the
parka and the bunting zipped back
in," she says.
Sewing Shop
Mrs. Wright now has three Es
kimo seamstresses working in hef
shop at the corner of Cushman
Street and Ninth Avenue in Fair
banks and has plans for expanding
her shop because of steadily increas
ing business.
Two of her employees are from
Barrow, Mrs. Mary Suganna and
Mrs. Mabel Hopson. Mrs. Suganna,
mother of eleven children, makes
all her family's clothing as well ag
work at the shop. Her husband, is 9
carpenter.
Mrs. Hopson, granddaughter ot
Charles Brower (author of ‘‘Fifty
Years Below Zero”), has five chil
dren. Her husband works in the
cargo department of Wien Alaska
Airlines.
Mrs. Alta Ranum, of Selawic, also
works at the shop. Her husband is
employed by the Alaska Railroad.
Winter Parka Too
In addition to the summer p9rka,
Mrs. Wright indicated she was also
going to make a winter parka for
Presley of gold storm cloth and
quilted satin lining, with wolf and
wolverine.
Mrs. Wright's parkas are used by
Wien Airlines to lend to tourists
when they deboard planes at Kotze
bue and Barrow. They have become
well known and orders for them
have come in from all over the
world, Spain. Iceland, Holland,
Switzerland, Australia, even the
Persian Gulf. Last year, she had
fourteen orders from Germany
alone.
Mrs. Wright has made parkas for
many famous people including
movie stars, senators, governors,
and priests. “But Elvis's order is the
first to cause so much excitement,’*
she said.
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All those who ordered Yukon Stoves (with or
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