ALASKA TO LOSE HER GRAND OLD MAN:
DR. S. HALL YOUNG, who has held high the banner of the Cross in Alaska
for almost fifty ^ars, having come to the country in 1876 and when yet a
young man, has been relieved by the Mission Board from his present office,
that of Superintendent of Presbyterian Missions in Alaska; and will be free
to live where he pleases and pursue hiswork of writing, lecturing and preabh
ing As his heart may dictate. Not that Dr. Young is being dropped by the
board; he will continue on the payrollas usual, as but a slight token of
the esteem in which he is held oy the board for the wonderful work he has
done in this land where, coming as a young man, he has spent his life and
attained to the threshold of his 77th anniversary. .
When Dr. Young first came to -Alaska the Indians who constituted 90/» of
•Alaska's population, were mostly savages and a man practically took hislife
in his hands when he went among them. Tribs warred against tribe and blood
and death raly atoned for wrongs, real and imaginary• But the fearless mis
sionary never considered personal danger and the result was that he won ohe
respect, admiration and love of the Indians hnd the improvement which has
marked their condition in the past half century is much more largely due to
Dr. 1oung's wonderful influence over them than to all other agencies combin
ed. In the meantime he has found time to write many interesting books and
during brief vacations spent on the outside has delivered many lectures. He
has always been a profound student of conditions and of men, and while not
as active physically now as in former years, his mental condition has never
shown even the slightest symptom of weakening. Dr. foung is Alaska's Grand
uld Man, old in years only.
Dr. Young, accompanied by his daughter, Mrs. Kleinschmidt, and her three
daughters, will have Juneau and Alaska within the next few weeks with the
expectation of making their future home in Seattle. — (Tne Stroller's Weekly)
Dr. Young, it will be remembered, visited this post last rail, and
talked of pioneer days in Alaska to Company E and Do the officers and their
families. He defeated ail the local chess experts in several games.
DISCONTINUE THE /ORD
The Stroller, of Juneau, objects editorially to continuing the use of
the word ’’Native1' to discribe the Indian population of Alaska^ on the groudu
that many white children born in this territory are as much natives of Alaska
as the Ilingits and other Indian peoples.
We believe the Stroller* s position is very well taken. Diese white
boys and girls are, and should be, proud of oeing native-jorn Axaskans, and
can rightly object to havi.ig the word Native monopolized oy their -ndian
f ellow-Alaskans.
The correct scientific term for the aboriginal American races is Amer
ind, which is probably too cumbersome for common use. The word ’’Indian”,
however, is commonly accepted throughout the "/hole country and can not be
confused with the, people of inula, whom we co;amonly call "Hindus’, from
their word for their country, "Ind.”
It is believed that the use of "Native'-’ as designating the aboriginal
inhabitants of Alaska came about through a misunderstanding on the part of
these people, who thought "Indian" was a term of disrespect. The whites, not
wishing to offend, began to call these people "Natives”* Of course the term
"Indian” was never one of reproach, but simply a race-name, as ’’Caucasian
is with us whites.
We suggest that the time has come to call the "Natives” by their proper
tribal name, a§ Ilingits, Haidas, etc., or if it is wished to designate
them all, simply "Indies” which the great progress made by them in fifty
years has made a tern which they may well oe proud*