THE ALASKA NATIVE
BROTHERHOOD AND
THE FOX FARMERS
There is a bill in Congress
providing for the granting of
long lease terms to fox farmers
in Alaska. The Juneau Empire
and the Ketchikan Chronicle
have both declared that the
Alaska Native Brotherhood op
posed the bill.
An Ordinary Lie
This is an ordinary and plain
lie in keeping with the polit
ical standards of both papers.
This lie was first expressed by
the Juneau Empire and second
by “Me Too” Morrissey.
The Brotherhood’s Position
The Natives of Alaska are
in favor of fox farming and
believe in encouraging those in
it. They favored the bill grant
ing long lease terms to fox
farmers.
What Natives Oppose
The Natives have opposed
those persons and companies
who have gone onto islands in
the actual possession of the
natives, in use as dwelling
places, garden spots, and hunt
ing grounds from which they
have made their living for
centuries. We are not talking
about the entire country but
of particular islands.
, At a number of places, In
dians have been dispossessed
with the aid of the Forestry
Department of the islands and
the islands given to others
who had no claim to them and
who had made false affidavits
stating that there were no In
dians thereon or claiming the
land.
Honorable White Man
A number of white men de
siring to engage in fox farm
ing have sought the Indian
qlaimants and have bought out
their claims. This is right and
joist. For such as these, the
Natives have the highest re
gard and respeot.
■ All this paper asks for is to
give the Natives of Alaska a
chance for self improvement.
Let him work out his own sal
vation without hindrance.
We are not advocating social
equality for that is a matter
to be determined by each and
every individual. We are talk
ing about rights guaranteed by
law and relate to the “pursuit
of life, liberty and happiness.”
We do not wish any rights
and privileges diminished; we
merely ask that they be made
EQUAL.
Schools
The natives of Alaska are
taxed to support our public
school system. The Territory
of Alaska and the incorporated
cities should provide educa
tional facilities EQUAL if not
IDENTICAL to that provided
for white children. EVERY
CHILD IN ALASKA IS EN
TITLED TO AN EDUCA
TION. We believe the pro
blem will be solved by admit
ting natives to the public
schools generally, but we re
cognize that under the law, if
EQUAL schools are provided,
IDENTICAL schools will not
be required. But let it be
something.
Mother's Pension Laws
For many years, the law
specially excluded from its
benefits any person not of pure
white descent or blood. In oth
er words, the public’s money
was for the special benefit of
white children only and white
mothers only. No one can or
tries to defend this unjust dis
crimination. The law has been
changed by striking out the
word “white” so that the law
covers all those who suffer and
need the aid of the Territory.
Old Age Pensions
The same discrimination was
made in the law providing for
old age pensions. It made no
difference what kind of a life
the “old pioneer” lived while
he had health and strength, he
was entitled to his pension,
but the old Indian or colored
person was not. There is still
a man in the Sitka Home for
Pioneers who brought the first
gambling set and the first group
of “sporting girls” (only they
were not called that by those
rugged and honest pioneers)
to Alaska. A friend of ours
once saw him sitting at a gam
bling table with over $75,000
worth of currency in front of
him. When he became old,
the Territory provides him
with a home, with servants to
wait on him and a doctor to
attend him.
-fc5ut old chiet Annahootz ot
Sitka, employed by several
governors as head of the In
dian Police of Sitka, sent out
on many dangerous missions,
shot at by white criminals, go
ing into dangerous places when
white officers refused to go,
this old chief, now blind and
helpless, may not receive help
from the Territory. He may
only feel of his old coat, with
its bullet holes made by crim
inals who shot at him, or touch
the scar on his body where
bullets just grazed him, and
think of the injustice of the
government which Alaska has
imposed on him. Of course
the law must be changed. It
has been changed, altho those
in authority still refuse to ap
prove the applications of such
as Annahootz.
ANCHORAGE REPUBLICANS
Contrary to what Stroller
White says, the Anchorage
Republicans are going down
the line for the entire Republi
can ticket, naming Dan Suth
erland. Arthur Frame is their
candidate for the Alaska Sen
ate.
Their tenth plank says “We
call the attention of the people
of Alaska to that element in
the Territory, who by reason
of their greed and selfishness,
have brought the name of the
people of Alaska into disrei
pute.”
The Anchorage Republicans
must have received a !copy of
the Valdez Grand Jury Report,
on which a member of the
family of Charlie Wilcox serv
ed. That report names those
selfish interests and says that
those interests are certain cor
porations who operate in the
Third Division.