Northwest History. Alaska, Health Conditions. United States.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1936
• Subjects: Point Barrow; Eskimos; Alaska; Dr. Henry W. Greist; igloos; Juneau; Presbyterian mission; Indian bureau; the Arctic winter; whale; Charles W. Hawkesworth; the bureau of Indian affairs; crude petroleum; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Arctic; Indian; Pacific; Barrow; eskimo*; walrus*
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/92125

Mumps Spreading At Point Barrow: Shortage Of Food And Fuel Causes Hardships Among Eskimos. MUMPS SPREADING AT POINT BARROW Shortage of Food and Fuel Causes Hardships Among Eskimos BARROW, Alaska, Feb. 10. (/P) -- Mumps in virulent form threatened to spread among Eskimos today while stricken families ate spoiled walrus meat and hauddled together for warmth in their fireless igloos. Dr. Henry W. Greist, in charge of the Presbyterian mission, blamed Indian bureau authorities at Juneau for the lack of supplies. He said wireless messages asking for helpf brought only replies of refusal. "The wireless from Juneau told the natives to go out and kill whale or seal and burn blubber," Dr. Greist said. "With the temperatures far below zero outside, the sole heat in many igloos is merely that generated by the bodies of the inmate." He described the situation as similar to the influenza epidemic of last summer when "Juneau allowed us $120 to be used with great care" among 50 familiy. Eskimos went into the Arctic winter short of fuel and food due to their failure to kill hwale. They dug fuel from the oil lakes south of the settlement and hauled it to Barrow. During the reindeer roundup, Dr. Greist said, they killed insufficient animals to keep them supplied for the winter. JUNEAU, Alaska, Feb. 10. (/P) -- Charles W. Hawkesworth, assistant director of the bureau of Indian affairs, today said it was imporssible for the government to ship fuel to Eskimos in the Barrow district described by Dr. Henry W. Greist as sick, cold and hungry. Hawkesworth said he wirelessed Dr. Greist to this effect last night following a plea for government funds to aid in taking care of the Eskimos, many of whom are reported with the mumps. Hawkesworth added he asked why some of the estimated 30,000 reindeer at Point Barrow could not supply necessary food. Of the charge the Eskimos were without heat in their igloos, Hawkesworth said: "Most of the Eskmos now live in frame buildings. It is impossible for them to keep warm unless they use them to keep warm unless they use deposits of crude petroleum which they are expected to gather. When they lived in igloos their oil lamps kept them warm, but the lamps will not keep frame buildings warm."