Northwest History. Alaska. Eskimos.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1935
• Subjects: mail order catalogs; Eskimos; Seattle; missionaries; Arctic Ocean; Bering Sea natives; Northland; Gambell; St. Lawrence island; religious services; University of California; Nome; Uncle Sam; ethnological expedition; W. K. Scammell; U. S. commissioner; Creighton college; Max Miller; Christmas; Santa Clauses; King island; mukluks; civilization; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Alaska; Arctic; Bering Sea; Creighton; King Island; Lawrence Island; Pacific; Barrow; eskimo*; St Lawrence Island; walrus*
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/90810

Mail Order Catalogs Help Civilize Eskimos. Mail Order Catalogs Help Civilize Eskimos SEATTLE, Nov. 21. (/P)—Missionaries and mail order catalogs are civilizing even the most isolated Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea natives out of all semblance to their traditional selves, coast guardsmen of the cutter Northland said here today. The big motorship arrived late yesterday after a 15,000-mile, six-month-and-ten-days patrol of the far northern waters. Gamhell, St. Lawrence Island, home of a vanished, ancient and little known race, now populated by a few hundred latter-day natives, has but one or two igloo-puks (big Igloos) of boards and bones and hides, roofed with walrus skins. And by next summer, they, too. will be replaced by knock-down shanties ordered by mail. The missionaries have induced the far northern clans to bury their dead below ground, and with religious services, but the graves still are surrounded by fences of walrus bones to ward off the evil spirits. "And I sat in a house in Barrow and had Scotch and ice water served by a graduate of the University of California." said one boyish ensign. "She was a sweet little thing. They tell down here that when she and her sister were in school, their mink coats were the envy of every coed. Well, they tell up north that when the girls got home, they cut those marvelous coats into native parkas." The Northland brought nine destitute white men "off the beach" at Nome. They had gone north expecting work - with about 500 other-and were left stranded nntif Uncle Sam provided them with a free ride home. The cutter, manned by 109 officers and men, acted as mail boat between isolated ports; carried medical and dental aid to native villagers; transported an Alaska university ethnological expedition to and from excavation work on St. Lawrence island. She arted as a floating court, wtth Capt W. K. Srarflmen as deputy U. S. commissioner, holding preliminary hearings, binding over prisoners in serious cases, sentencing some in misdemeanor convictions, and empowered to perform marriages. No natives asked the latter service this season. The vessel gavp Barrow Its first motion picture show—the native liked comedies best; carried a Creighton college specialist on a study of native ailments; had Max Miller, author, as passenger for a time, and delivered Christmas packages, some intended for Dec. 25. ,1934, to farflung Santa Clauses. One of the most interesting but uncomfortable cruises was to King island a few weeks ago, the officers said. The islanders arrived in Nome last spring to trade carved Jvory and rnukluks—moccasins—-for the luxuries and necessities of civilization. They made good stevedores and worked until the fall storms prevented them paddling home. The whole flock, men, women. children, dogs and skin ranoes were loaded on the quarter deck and "taxied" home. Because distances are so great and money scarce, natives are permitted to ride coast guard craft between ports.