Alaska Native Brotherhood Annual Convention
't'hru the storms, thru the gales,
thru the miles of hardship and
travel, the boats came on. It was
the gathering of the tribes to com
aider manner and means of be
coming better citizens of the
United States and of Alaska.
The delegates and visitors were
directed to the City Hall where a
delightful dinner had been prepared
by the Hydaburg Camp of the
Alaska Native Sisterhood. Promptly,
the hardships of travel was conv
pletely forgotten as the warm
comfort of food, friends and
Sisters possessed the guest’. Before
God’s blessing was pronounced
upon the gathering and upon the
food, the Hydaburg sisters sang
in happy voice the following song
to the tune of Rubinstein’s web
come Sweet Spring.
Welcome Hydaburg
Welcome, dear Sisters! We greet
you in song,
Welcome, Dear Brothers! All who
are here,
Hydaburg gives you the key to
the town.
Welcome from far and near.
Yakutat, Klukwan and Ketchikan
too,
Angoon and Hoonah, Douglas and
Kake,
Wrangell and Klawoek and Sitka
and Juneau,
Saxman, Kaasan and Haines.
We are so happy to see you here
tonight.
We welcome you with all of our
might,
Ah! How our hearts beat with
rapture anew,
As delegates gather our city to
view,
Welcome! dear Sisters! We greet
you in song,
Welcome! dear Brothers! All who
are here,
Hydaburg gives you the key to
the town,
Welcome from far and near.
Fisheries
The Natives sitting in convention
represented about 5,000 natives
of southeastern Alaska. Delegates
from fourteen camps were present.
There is no people who are better
informed on the subject of fisheries
than these people. After consider
able discussion the following resolu
tion was unanimously adopted:
RESOLUTION regarding
ALASKA FISHERIES
Practically every Indian resident
of southeastern Alaska is a fish
erman of many years experience,
having been born to the business
and making a living fishing, and
There is no person or group of
persons to whom the business of
fishing is more important, for which
reason, we affirm that the Na
tives of southeastern Alaska are
qualified to speak and have the
right to speak on the subject of
fishing and fish regulations;
THEREFORE WE HEREBY RE
SOLVE that the saving of the fast
disappearing salmon and the fast
decreasing white population of Alas
ka can only be stopped by the
adoption of the following principles
and rules;
1st; foremast and most neces
sary t the fish trap must be abolish
ed;
2nd, The seasonal closed season
must be abolished;
3rd, Escapement of the salmon
must be provided for by a weekly
closed season plan either of the
same duration as at present, to
wit, 3C> hours, or by an extension of
the same;
4th, A dis rimination must be
made between resident Ad ask an
and nonresident fishermen follow
ing: the regulations adopted by the
States of Washington and Oregon.
5th, The use of herring for fert
lizer must be prohibited.
6th, In the event the trap sys
tem is retained, no trap should
be permitted to hold or have there
in any fish whatever within one
hour after any closed period takes
effect.
ARGUMENT
The primary cause of the deple
tion of the salmon fisheries is the
fish trap with its 24 hours effi
ciency as against the daylight
efficiency of the seine and the
gill net, hence point No. 1 above.
In re 2nd: The seasonal closed
plan does not provide a proper or
scientific escapement of salmon and
brings a great danger to the salmon
industry of Alaska as proper
escapement for the; early run of
fish is not provided for. There is
great danger that in time, Alaska
will have but the late run of fish.
In re 3rd: The weekly closed
plan guarantees a uniform escape
ment of salmon thruout the en
tire season. With the abolishment
of the fish trap there would be
positive gain in the escapement
of salmon to spawning approxi
mating ten million salmon.
In re 4th: The great common
wealths of Washington and Oregon
to protect the resident population
have deemed it wise and necessary
to permit only residents of 12
months standing or more to fish
in their waters. If it is good for
these states, it is good for Alaska.
If the United States is really
wanting to stop the flight of the
white population of Alaska, a
measure of this kind must be
adopted.
In ro 5th: Herring is a food
fish and even under the present
law its use for fertilizer must ve
held to be wanton waste and
therefore unlawful.
In re Gth: This rule would
put seines and traps on an equal
basis.
Adopted November 20, 1925, at
Hydaburg, Alaska.
ALASKA NATIVE BROTHER
HOOD.
By Frank Price,
. Grand President
Attest: Gideon Duncan,
Grand Secretary
RESOLUTION RELATIVE TO |
GOVERNOR PARKS
WHEREAS the Natives of Alaska
form one half of the population
of Alaska and are taxed and bear
all the burdens imposed on any
other citizen, and
WHEREAS the said Natives are
the victims of both direct and in
direct discrimination on the part
of our official class, and,
WHEREAS we hold that we are
entitled to equal consideration of
the laws cf our public officials
and
WHEREAS this consideration has
been so uniformly withheld, that
where officials show themselves
guided by justice and fairminded
ness? we deem it our duty to com
mend such action,
We, the representatives of the
natives of southeastern Alaska wish
to extend our appreciation to
George A. Parks, Governor of
Alaska, for the start which he
made to extend to the Natives of
Alaska the equal consideration