THE ALASKA BROTHERHOOD DANCE. - by Sergeant George T.Masury.
On the evening of January 2nd. the local A.N'.3 held a vwey successful dance
at the A.3«Hall, the proceeds of the dance going to the finishing of the new AJ'JJ.
building. Between waltzes and fox-trots, old time square dances were given.
As the participants wore dressed in the olden Thingit costumes, the scene presents
was vivid and one long to be remembered by those fortunate enough to be present.
Among the many interesting costumes were three outstanding ones, first, a head
dress, the front, of which had the totemical carving inlaid, with mother of pearl,
this was attached to the head by means of a fur band, surmountin'* this were fea ^
while hanging downward in-the back was a mantle of forty eight ermine skins; it -
unnecessary to state that not only fot its intrinsic value but for its ancient
history, this headdress is almost priceless. The second outsyanding costume was
Chilkat blanket dress, with the totemical history woven in it from head to foot .
The third was a Chilkat blanket called "NAR KINE” in Thingit, which translated
means nfringe about the boady”* This had the killer whale design* The Chilkat
blanket is made from goat’s wool (it takes from 4 to 10 mountain goats to make or
the inner part of yellow cedar and sinew. The yellow cedar covered with goat's
wool is the wrap, goat’s wool is the woof and the ornamental parts are sev'ed on
with sinew* The wrap of the blanket is never colored. The coloring of the wo^f,
there are but three colors used, black, yellow and biue-groen, i3 accomplished
after th.e thread is spun. Th- block color was prepared from hemlock bark,the
yellow from moss taken from hemlock or spruce trees, the blue-peon from copper
ore or blue clavstone, both the latter producing the same shade of color.
The a.rt of wearing the Chilkat blankets rests with but -few of the present
generation a.nd are seldom for sale. Anciently those blankets were used in cer
emonial dances and funerals, if. used, in a dance they ceased to be private property
and belonged to the clan, therefore the privilege of viewing these at close x3txx&
quarters, the other evening, ms greatly appreciated... •
A luncheon was held, at 11:^0 o’clock P.M. and the dance broke up at one,,
evqrybodv leaving well satisfied with the enjoyment had.
POPULATION OF-ALASKA.
According to the census of 192C the total population of Alaska
was 55,036, representing an; apparent decrease of 9,320, or 14.5 per cent, since
1910, However, as the census was taken as of’January- 1st.., the depth of winter,
when only permanent residents could be enumerate'", these figures should probably
be augmentated by many thousands, representing the annual summer migration to
Alaska by miners, cannery employees, and others, but of course not including t-i
ists. 2ase^ Up0n gross area (590,884) square miles) the density of populat
or number of inhabitants per square mile of territory in Alaska was less tnan one
tenth of 1 in 1920; in other words, the density of population in 1920 was equiv
alent to an average of 10.7 square miles, or 6,871 acres, to each inhabitant, as
enumerated by the Bureau of the Census.
Of the total population of 55,036 in 1920, there were 34,539 males r -
20,407 females, or approximately 168 males to eacn ronr.ies • The disparity is f
more narked among’the white population of" 27,883, only7,297 of '"horn were females,
a ratio of 282 males to each 100 females. The Indian population of 26,558 w? s
about evenly divided,•with 13,474 males and 13,084 females.
Statistics of nativity of Alaska’s white population show that in
16,286, or $8 .4 per-cent, were bo”n in the United States and 11,597 were foreign
born. Twenty five of the states are represented by .at least ICO,persons, Wash
ington am1 California leading with .1,657 and 1,025, respectively, Norway, Canad
and Sweden' furnished the largest numbers of the foreign born, with representative
from 23 other countries specifically named.
(Taken from a Department of the Interior pamphlet, "General information
regarding The Territory of Alaska’0