and defeated through Delegate
Dan Sutherland, the “Fishery
Reservation System” promulgat
ed by Henry O’Malley at the in
stigation of the Alaska Packers’
Association in San Francisco, at
a banquet tendered by them. It
opposed the trap system as a
scientific machine of destruction
that was too efficient in its de
struction of the fisheries; it
opposed the discriminatory re
gulations of the Bureau of Fish
eries-discriminations which have
led to the elimination of resident
fishermen from the industry.
Which elimination takes from
resident business more than 75
percent trade worth and hands
it over to non-resident trap
owners and watchmen. The re
sident seiners were allowed such
crumbs as fell from the tables
during the wild orgy of the can
ning season.
Is this demand for an econo
mic existence an effort to be
condemned by the packing in
dustry itself which has been
driving on the rocks of self
destruction? Is this demand for
financial betterment an effort to
destroy business in the Terri
tory? Is it worth any support?
There have not been many
business men who will contradict
our assertion that we are work
ing for a better territory—But,
not many have the courage of
their convictions.
To secure these ends, this or
ganization has had to enter
politics. But what organization
is NOT in politics in Alaska.
What public function is not a
part of politics in any country—
what development can any group
of people effect without political
action? So in politics went th<3
organization for which it was
damned—is being damned—will
continue to be damned—until it
changes its brand of party. Then
it will be damned again by i^.s
former colleages (?) and so the
, organization will continue in
politics until it has secured for
itself and the Territory, those
benefits which will make the
Territory a better place to live in.
The white population, in a
large measure has not had the
courage of its convictions. I,
yells but when it comes to politi
cal or any other action—they
want the Indians to do it.
Perhaps there may be another
“tea party,” only in Alaska if we
judge correctly, it will be a “trap
party” unless the powers that be
give heed to the pleas of these
citizens of Alaska to secure a
decent, educational wage.
-X
Indians Taught
Evolution
—-x——
(Indian Leader, Kansas)
Tennessee may cling to her
anti-evolution law, thus official
ly protesting against new-fangl
ed scientific theories; yet long
before Darwin, native Americans
of the Southwest were teaching
their children evolutionary ideas
as a matter of course. This chap
ter of the ancient history of
evolution in America is pointed
out by Arthur Woodward, cura
tor of history at the Los Angeles
Museum. For centuries the Zuni
Indians have believed in evolu
tion. The evidence is their crea
tion myths, and also ancient
fetishes of stone carved in the
form of animals. “Frank Cushing
that immortal ethnologist and
primal recorder of Zuni folk-lore
set down the Zuni tale of “The
Drying of the World’ and the
evolution of the Zuni from small,
reptile-like forms to men who
walked upright and lived as
men,” said Mr. Woodward. “Ac
cording to the Zuni, in early
days men, or at least the ances
tors of men, lived in the bottom
most of four caves beneath the
earth. Then, the Two Culture
Heroes, sons of the great Sun
Father, tool: pity on the people
and by means of cane ladders
permitted them to crawl from
the lowest level to the next cave.
Here it was a bit lighter and the
people began to assume upright
forms. They multiplied and be
came restless, seeking higher
levels. In this second cave they
learned more of speech and be
gan assuming a tribal identity.
By means of a third ladder they
ascended to the third cave which
was brighter, and here they be
gan to long for the outer world.
Tn each climbing some were left
behind. In the fourth cave, those
who could crawl up the cane
ladder became full-fledged Zuni,
having been taught the arts by
the Twin Culture Heroes. How
ever, the earth was then very
moist, and strange creatures and
man-eating animals roamed the
wet surface. To protect men
from the fierce monsters, the
Culture Heroes shot magic ar
rows of lightning. Some of the
huge beasts died where they
stood and their bones turned to
stone and were buried in the
earth. The Zuni are not surprised
when fossil remains are found
nowadays. They know those gi
gantic animals roamed the earth
when it was new. They know
men evolved slowly from lower
forms. The two Culture Heroes
allowed the spirits of the giant
beasts to linger in the fossil re
mains. These powerful forces, the
ancient Zuni hunters converted
to their use ih hunting and war.
They did it by making little
stone fetishes representing the
animals. By feeding and propi
tiating the little stone figures,
they could call upon the spirits
for aid. The first evolutionists of
America were practical as well
as theoretical,” Mr. Woodward
observes.—El Palacio, University
of New Mexico, l