THANKSGIVING FEAST—Sam Taalak, newly elected president of
the Burrow City Council is shown cutting whale muktuk in his home
Just prior to Thanksgiving. Taalak's whaling crew killed a big bow
head whale off I*t. Barrow this fall, and as the crew’s sponsor it was
his job to distribute muktuk to all the villagers for Thanksgiving.
—Tundra Times Photo
I
Letter to Editor
Institute of American Indian Arts
Cerriilos Road
San Fe, New Mexico
November 12, 1963
Dear Sir:
This is my acknowledgement to
your letter of Nevember 5 and for
the second prize money which you
awarded me for my entry “Tundra
At Spring Time” in your Native
Talent Contest.
It was a great honor and joy for
me to accept your second prize
money in the amount of thirty-five
dollars ($35). Winning the second
prize of the first contest that I have
ever entered, made me feel more
certain and encouraged to go on
with my studies seriously in the
field of art. And I think I'm going
to the right school.
This is my second year here at
the Institute of American Indian
Arts. I feel that this is the finest
art school that anyone could ever
go to. Here, in this school, you are
given some freedom to experiment
on your own traditional techniques.
And every Indian artist should be
familiar with his own tribal way
of producing art products.
I have two more years to complete
Many Improvements Coming to Barrow;
But Eskimos Will Keen Independence
BARROW (Special) — This farth
est north Eskimo city is undergoing
great physical changes in appear
ance and efficiency of needed utili
ty services.
Despite adverse weather, and
what at times appears to be bitter
wrangling, from within and with
out. over the philosophy of gov
ernment participation in the
changes, the work is going especial
ly smooth.
The Bureau of Land Management
completed a townsite survey earlier
this winter, and a map has been
brought to town. Townspeople are
now busy picking surveyed lots for
homesites, and in many cases, either
building a new home to fit the lot,
or moving older homes from other
locations.
Streets have been designated on
the map, and houses and ice cellars
lying within the streets are now
being removed. Work on the main
thoroughfares of this fourth class
Alaska city will probably begin
next spring. The streets are 60 feet
wide.
Electricity is now becoming a de
pendable reality in Barrow. Sev
eral power plants have operated,
sometimes intermittingly in the
past.
Golden Valley Electric Co-op of
Fairbanks is now generating power
from one 75 kilowatt and two 50
kilowatt diesel interim generators.
In addition, GVEA is using a ma
chine owned by the Barrow Native
Co-op store to generate power,
which altogether gives the villagers
150 kilowatts of firm power.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is
planning to establish a 450 kilowatt
generator to make power for the
federal agencies in Barrow. Al
though this has brought bitter de
nunciation from some quarters, both
the BIA and GVEA are cooperating
well on the local level to get elec
tricity on the line efficiently and
soon.
It seems certain that GVEA will
be granted a city franchise to dis
tribute electricity in the municipal
area, though the “battle” over gen
eration for the federal agencies, is
not yet setled.
Minimum charge for electricity
for the townspeople will be $9 per
month. The kilowatt charges range
from 15 cents per kilowatt hour
down to eight cents per kwh for
users consuming 1,000 or more kwh
per month.
The distributioft system in the
town is all but completed, with
most homes already sporting meters.
The new Barrow airport, on which
construction has ceased for the win
ter, is progressing nicely. Central
Construction Co. has compacted
half of the 5,000 foot field, and it
is available for limited daylight
emergency use. A 3.5 mile road to
the water lake, paid for from state
Pioneer Access Road funds, is half
done. The first “real road” on the
north slope of the Brooks Mountain
Range.
More money will be needed to
complete the road, possibly next
summer. It has cost about $160,000
to date.
An overall city and utility plan,
conducted by Dr. E. F. Rice of the
University of Alaska, under BIA
contract, will be completed in late
February.
The plan is expected to resolve
many physical and philosophical
problems concerning the growth of
Barrow. In addition to being a pro
fessionally done job, it will be sub
mitted to the people of Barrow for
final approval.
Two big things are planned for
the immediate future of this top
of the world hunting, trading and
tourist area. The most
eagerly anticipated is the coming of
natural gas from the adjacent Naval
Petroleum Reserve.
The Navy has let the well drill
ing contract to the Air Force, which
in turn has given the job to its con
tractor, the Vinnell Corp., which
does DEWline maintenance.
The well is expected to be start
ed soon after the first of the year,
according to informed sources.
The second is the establishment
of a new and up to date post office
facility. It is hoped that the postal
housing contract will spark addi
tional building that can be used for
commercial purposes.
The natural gas will be used for
many things, including heating and
power generations. How this will
be done is a thorny problem, ex
pected to spark renewed controver
sies.
Some quarters favor the BIA as
the primary gas handling agency.
Some want to start a new commu
nity service, and others would like
to contact a qualified private group
to handle it.
The problem will not be an easy
one to solve. But it will be solved
Barrow is by no means a “one
man," or "one-group” city. It is
split and factioned on philosophy
and methods. But, it is united in
one very important way. The Bar
rowites like Barrow. They are for
improvements, where improvements!
will truly help the people. Collec
tively they say: “Education is ap
preciated and needed. Social jus
tice is necessary. Material and com
fort producing projects are desir
ed. Improvmeents arc inevitable.”
Exactly how these improvements
will materialize is unknown at this
time. They could come primarily
from the BIA, in the form of a
“model Arctic city.” They could
come through private funds garner
ed by Barrowutes from their own
and outside sources.
But most likely they will come
from a combination of federal and
state aid. mixed and matched with
funds and ideas outlined and ap
proved by the Barrow people them
selves.
Independence won't die easily
among the hunters of Barrow. They
give one the impression that they
are willing to help the government,
and that they expect certain help
in return.
They very vociferously proclaim
they will not be dominated. Coop
eration means much in the Arctic.
Domination means little.
With this spirit, the largest Es
kimo city of 1,600 is physically
growing, while keeping its basic
tenets of Eskimo culture.
Changes will come, as they do to
all men, and all places. But one
who visits here gets the idea, that
no matter how long it will be until
he returns . . . He will always be
returning to an “Eskimo Barrow."
Adler's Book Shop
Out-of-town orders solicited
and filled promptly
Box 1159, Fairbanks
CONSTRUCTION AND
GENERAL LABORERS
Local 942, AF of L
dmund N. Orbeck, President
Joel Wiegert
Secretary-Treasurer
205 Noble St
Meetings Every 2nd Frida.,
7:30 F.M.
•lal GL 6-4582
North Coast Rapidly Changing
Reports ARL Pilot Bob Fisher
Maps of the north coast of Alas
ka will have to be changed follow
ing the Oct. 3 storm that hit Point
Barrow, making the famed farthest
north point of the United States in
to several islands.
However, one veteran arctic pilot
who should know, says the maps
were due for a change anyway, as
the entire coastline has been chang
ing rapidly in recent years.
Bob Fisher, chief pilot for the
Arctic Research Lab, who lives at
Barrow, says not only has the north
coastline been changing, but so has
much of the inland area of the north
slope.
Fisher says several large tundra
the requirements I need to get on
my own. After two yars I'm plan
ning to open a small art studio in
Bethel. There I hope to sell some
of my paintings and printed textiles.
I would like to conclude wishing
you a lot of good news in your fu
ture Tundra Times.
Sincerely yours,
Joseph L. Chikoyak
" UFP?barbershop
423 2nd Ave.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Cliff Cundy
lakes have disappeared in recent
years, and that creeks and drainage
patterns have started where there
were none.
He says he believes some of the
change has been wrought by man.
He notes that whenever the construc
| tion crews drove tractor trains over
the tundra, that the land has sunk
in the tracks, and water now flows
along them. He also notes that the
area around Barrow village, where
big wheeled trucks and tracked ve
hicles have been operated, has slow
ly turned into a morass in summer
time.
Fisher doesn’t venture to give the
reasons for nature's changes in the
| arctic, except to note that the pow
i erful forces of water, ice, perma
1 frost and wind, are certainly acting
| strongly on the unconsolidated
j soils of the region. “Sometimes I
| have to look twice to see where
I’m at when I fly," he said.
It is not truth, but opinion that
can travel the world without a
passport. — Sir Walter Raleigh
SKINS
j Lowest prices for all your skin need'
. Rabbit, calf, wolverine, wolf. etc.
i Write for free price list
JON AS BROS, OF ALASKA
1507- 12th Avc. Seattle 22, Wn
I-!
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES
KOTZEBUE . Twice Daily
*(Noatak-Kivalina-Pt. Hope
I Cape Lisburne) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
* (Noorvik-Kiana-Selaw ik.) . Tues., Thur., Sat.
*(Sliungnak-Kobuk-Ambler) . Thur.
"•(Buckland) . Tues. Sa.t
NOME . Twice Daily
"•(White Mountain-Golovin-Elim
Moses Pt.-Koyuk) . Mon., Wed., Fr.i
* (Shaktoolik-Unalakleet) . Mon., Fri. ■
"•(Teller-Teller Mission-Port Clarence
Tin City-W'ales-Shismaref . Tues., Thur., Sat.
"•(Granite Mtn-Candle-Deering) . Tues., Sat.
"•Kotzebue-Barrow) . Tues., Thur., Sat.
* (Gambcll-Savoonga
— Nortneast (jape) . iuon., neo., rn.
FORT YUKON . Daily
•(Barter Island) . Sun.
•Beaver-Stevens Village) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Rampart-Tanana) . Mon.
•(Venetie-Arctic Village) . Tues., Sat.
•(Old Crow) . 3rd Thur.
•(Chalkyitsik-Shuman House-Canyon Village) . Fri.
•(Birch Creek) . Tues.
PT. BARROW . Daily
•(Umiat) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Wainwright) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
*<Pt. Lay) .—. Wed.
'(Meade River) . Tues.
•(Coleville) . 1st & 3rd Thur.
TANANA . Daily ex. Sun.
HUGHES . Tues., Thur., Sat.
♦(Utopia) (also served out of Betties, see below) . Tues., Thur.
•(Hogatza, Huslia) . Thur.
SETTLES . Tues., Thur., Sat.
•(Utopia) . Sat.
•(Allakaket, Hughes) . Tues., Thur., Sat.
•(Chandelar) .,. Sat.
•(Big Lake) . 1st & 3rd Sat.
•(Wiseman) . Wed.
•(Porcupine Creek .... Once per mo. on Wed., conditions permitting
* (ANAKTUVUK Pass) . Thur.
•(Ruby Creek-Kobuk) . Tues.
GALENA . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Koyukuk-Nulato-Kaltag-Kalakaket) . Mon., Wed., Fri.
•(Ruby,) . Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat.
j ‘(Huslia) . Mon.
•(Kokrines) . Service by boat from Ruby every Mon.
CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS-CIRCLE . Tues.. Sat.
RAMPART . Tues., Fri.
LIVENGOOD . Fri.
WOODCHOPPER-EAGLE . Mon., Wed., Fri.
BOUNDARY-CHICKEN . Wed.
MINTO-MANLEY HOT SPRINGS . Tues., Fri.
CHEN A HOT SPRINGS . Tues.
UTOPIA-HUGHES-HOGATZA-KOBUK
KIANA-KOTZEBUt.. Mon.
| CHARTERS available anywhere utilizin'' the following equipment:
Cessna 180, Cessna 185, Pilatus, Beaver, Porter, Norseman, Twin
Beechcraft, DC-3, Supei 46 and F-27. We invite youv inquiry.
•NOT’",: Connections are made with bush aircraft to communities
in parenthesis.
j 3rd Ave. A Lacey Street PHONE 452-3555 452-3115
! Hours — 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Dally Except Sunday