Lomen Corporation had applied
for 3,500,000 acres, or there -
about, on the Seward Peninsula,
covering the lands occupied by
the reindeer of these natives
above mentioned, and other
lands. The Register of the Land
Office at Nome is the Clerk of
the Court of Judge G. J. Lomen.
Judge G. J. Lomen, when presi
dent of the Lomen Corporation;
Lomen and Company, was the
man who negotiated the taking
of lands and deer of the mis
sions, and also of the natives
attached to those missions, and
ci those who were on the
Buckland range, which was in
vaded by Lapps, under the same
procedure as jumping claims is
done in mining, and from those
Lapps the Lomen Corporation
bought the deer injected into
the native Buckland Range. A
report was made of the result
of this examination by the ex
aminers, and this report was
kept “Confidential.” The na
tives are unable at this time to
find what report was made on
their lands.
The Hearings of the Rein
deer Committee were chiefly
occupied with considering a
PROPOSED PLAN of the Lomen
Corporation for mixing their
deer with those of the natives,
and the Corporation taking
charge of all the native products
to sell on a commission basis.
Mr. Sutherland, outgoing De
legate from Alaska., and Mr.
Wickersham, the incoming Dele
gate from Alaska, both opposed
the PROPOSED PLAN. (See
First and Eighth Hearings of
the Reindeer Committee).
Mr. Kendrick, the Chairman
said: “The way to satisfactory
progress here is not through the
sale of these deer on a percent
age basis, but it is through the
plan of direct sale of your com
pany with cash payment on
delivery.” (9th Hearing, p.12).
The Committee advised the
Lomen Corporation vacating the
Teller range and the Buckland
range, but advised that the re
maining natives in the Golovin
range remove to other lands and
leave the Lomen Corporation in
possession.
The Golovin range had about
forty native owners when the
Lomen Corporation took posses
sion. At present there are only
four or five, or thereabout, tne
rest having disappeared.
Then the Secretary appointed
a Council to convene at Nome
and take charge of the reindeer
matters under instructions issu
ed by him which have been
given publicity through the
press.
The Council met in June 1931.
It has not been possible to get
the minutes of the meeting t i
find if certain matters complain
ed of by the natives were ‘con -
sidered or not. It is probable
that they were not in such a way
as to promote tne vacating o.
the Buckland and Teller ranges
by the Lomen Corporation. A
Lomen, Alfred J., sat as a mem
ber of the council, thus making
if: difficult for the native side of
the situation to be discussed
■with him sitting as a member to
try his own case.
A set of Rules were adopted,
almost identical with those
placed before the Committee in
Washington as a part of the
Proposed Plan, and of which
Mr. Carl J. Lomen said: “These
were written by himself, Carl J.
I.omen, president of the Lomen
Iteindeer Corporation.” (2nd
Hearing. R. D. Com. p. 7).
The Corporation seemed to be
possessed by an insatiable de
sire to get hold of and to keep
hold of the native deer and to
control the handling of them.
Mr. Baldwin, of the Corporation
said: “That is why we want
them put through our own abat
toirs and under our control.”
(3rd Hg. p. 25).
N While the Committee was sit
ting they intrigued the natives
into bringing their deer down
and turning them over to the
Corporation to lighter, store,
transport, and sell under the
percentage plan that Mr. Kend
rick said was not the proper
one.
The plan now seems to be to
place each district under a
manager who will be appointed
by the Secretary, and who will
be paid by the Government. It
is not known if from an appro
priation for the aid of the na
tives, or not, but presumably so.
It is not so stated, but it is pro
bably intended for each district
to have in it one Lomen herd.
Thus the Lomen Corporation
will get their deer supervised at
the expense of the Government.
Following this the plan seems
to be to turn the butchering,
sioring, ngntering, snipping,
and selling over to the Lomen
Corporation, the native to take
what remains after all this is
paid. It is not known if the na
tive will be liable for a deficien
cy if the sales do not equal the
costs.
One member of the Council
writes: “I see no way whereby
the Reindeer Council can go in
to matters pertaining to the in
dustry prior to the time of ds
organization.”
This would mean that all of
the mishandling of the native
deer for the past ten to seven
teen years would be ignored and
the slate wiped. There is seem -
ingly no recourse for the native.
I have for two years been try
ing to get the Eskimos of the
:hree herds mentioned, the Go
lovin, the Teller, and the Buck
land herds to recover their pro
perty in reindeer, and to get
a proper accounting for them. It.
seems to be difficult to do so. A
suit for replevin of the deer, and
for an accounting would seem
in order, but with the Judge of
the Court being the man who
took the possession of the deer
for his company, that recourse
seems barred, and the native
has not the funds with which to
procure a change of venue.