tion vacating as advised by the
Committee.
Where is the native to get
justice in this matter? How will
he get his deer? How will he
get his lands? What did the
Council do toward it? How can
he get a settlement for the
years he has been deprived of
his property?
It appears that the herds are
to be divided into UNITS or
districts, five in number, and
there are five Lomen herds,
these Units aio to be supervised
or managed by an officer of the
Government, paid by the Gov
ernment. Thus the Government
will provide the management of
the Lomen herds and save them
that overhead. Will this be
charged to the appropriation
for the benefit of the native?
If so, why so? They have had a
Lapp overseer and a superin
tendent at their five herds. The
Lapp overseer in some cases
received $2000 per year. Super
intendent’s salary unknown.
This arrangement would relieve
the Lomen Corporation of much
expense and would be from what
appropriation?
The Lomen Corporation seem
to want control all the native
product, and on a commission
basis. Nearly all the meat ship
ped by the Lomen transporta
tion line ini 1931 was native
meat, killed last January and
February, a time of year that
game is forbidden to be killed,
and when the animals have
been declining for months. It
was secured under one agree
ment, then the native was
forced into another under pres
sure, according to native state
ments. The expense of the drive
is being paid for, as far as sup
plies are concerned, at 8% in
terest on cost price to the Lo
men stores. The returns are not,
yet in to the natives, although
ten months have passed. The
account at the store, with in
terest, the storage, ligtherage,
transportation on Lomen ships,
storage at Seattle, with 10%
commission on sale of meats
and 15 % on the hides is to be
deducted. What the native will
receive on his meat is unknown.
Mr. Kendrick said, 9th Hear
ing of Reindeer Committee, p.
12: “The way to satisfactory
progress here is not through
the sale of these deer on a per
centage basis, but it is through
the plan of direct sale to your
company with cash payment on
delivery.”
The intent of the Lomen
corporation is shown in the 3rd
Hearing of the Committee, p. 25,
when after making some ex
planation Mr. Baldwin, the fin
ancial backer of the Lomen
Corporation said: “That is why
we want them put through our
own abattoirs and under our
control.”
I object to all of this.
The first thing to do is to
separate native and corporation
reindeer, promptly and abso
lutely. Let the natives have
their own property, just as
white men and all others have
in the United States.
Second: Make public the re
port of Mr. Carlisle, now held
“Confidential in the Land office
in Washington—incommunica
do, it might be termed, as far as
the native is concerned, pro
bably known to the Register of
the Land Office at Nome, Clerk
of Judge Lomen’s Court. Then
apportion the native ranges
under the law passed by Con
gress for the purpose. It has
been asked for for over fifteen
years by the Reindeer Service of
Alaska, begged for year after
year.
This will make a base for the
native to go ahead. Then pro
ceed on all hands, independent
ly, to produce good, sweet, clean
meat and give the native a fair
break in the market without
monopoly and not under a
commission basis.
The meat of the reindeer is a
fine, good sweet, tender meat.
It must be put on the market at
once upon being prepared, not
killed in February and held at
varying temperatures till the
next August.
The supply will never be
great, after the needs of the
native for food, clothing, and
the natural losses are consider
ed. It is not great in Sweden,
Norway, Finland, or Siberia,
where the reindeer has been
domesticated for centuries. It
will not stand commercializing
with high overhead and inflated
capitalization. The native will
always have a surplus . Let him
sell it to the highest bidder, and
let the Government give him a
little aid in handling it.
The native has not been beg
ging tor cnarity. The clamor
has been from the Corporation.
All that was asked in the first
place was the right to his pro
perty and to his hereditary
lands, then a settlement openly
and above board for the de
tention of his property in the
years past.
The new ship of the Bureau
of Education will provide trans
portation for the surplus from
outlying herds in the northwest
for several years and the trans
portation will carry all or more
than the present depressed
markets will consume for some
years. It is not best to try to
force the markets at the present
The natives are not suffering if
they can get the property legal
ly and rightfully belonging to
them.
Let their surplus be sold in
the open market. If jealous
enemies of the native object to
the Government giving him cost
transportation on the new ship,
let a fair rate of freight he
charged.
The Government should look
into the matter of lighterage.