expressed in many ways, was that
of receptivity to all helpful sugges
tions.
THE VERSTOVIAN suspects that
the significance of such conventions
as the one just held isn't fully ap
preciated. The encourageing feat
ure in all the addresses and actions
was the evidence of careful and per
sistent thought regarding the big
things affecting the citizenship of
Alaska: Commerce, Religion, Educa
tion, Politics. The delegates to the
Angoon convention are not “wards
of the nation” but citizens, qualified
for suffrage, and invested with the
right to vote. They will be found
in the coming election and in in
creasing numbers at future elec
tions. as they more largely qualify
for citizenship. Whatever may be
the bias or prejudice regarding na
tives, the stubborn fact remains that
they are now a prominent factor in
our political affairs and destined to
become more so as the influence of
school and missions is more fully
realized in their mental development
THE VERSTOVIAN will welcome
the day when a larger recognition
is accorded this worthy organization,
representing as it does an important
potentiality in citizenship. And this
is the part of wisdom.
The Annual Convention of the
Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sis
terhood was held in the native vil
lage of Angoon during the week of
November 14th to 21st. 0no hun
dred and sixteen voting delegates
representing approximately five
thousand people, were present from
fifteen towns and villages in South
eastern Alaska.
There are four planks in the plat
form of the A. N. B.: Religion, tudu
cation, Commerce, andPolitics. There
were subjects for earnest considera
tion and deliberative procedure dur
ing the convention. As a result a
number of resolutions regarding ed
ucation and commerce were drawn
up and 3©nt to various government
official* and department*.
It was interesting to the repre
sentative from the Sheldon Jackson
School to note a large proportion of
former students present at the con
vention. More than one half of the
delegates, as well as a large num
ber of the visitors had at one time
or another attended our school. Dur
ing the discussion on education there
were many expressions of apprecia
tion from these old students for the
Christian training and education
which they had received at Sitka.
The A. N. B. and the A. N. S. or
ganizations, founded as they are on
the Christian faith and representing
so large a group of citizens, are a
strong constructive force in the af
fairs of the territory. It is our pre
diction that these organizations will
reach higher levels of achievement.
Followng is a list of the new
Grand Camp officers, elected during
the convention:
Grand Officers, A. N. B.
President, Louis F. Paul, Peters
burg.
Vice President, Andrew Hope.
Sitka.
Secretary, Sandy A. Stevens, Doug
las.
Treasurer, William H. Lewis,
Wrangell.
Grand Officers, A. N. S.
President, Mrs. Elizabeth James, of
Sitka.
Vice President, Mrs. Bessie Miller,
of Juneau.
Secretary. Mrs. Louise Martin, of
Haines. >
Treasurer, Mrs. James Grant, of
Hoonah.
DOESN’T GO MUCH ON TRAPS
Speaking of the recent knock-oui
of 30 per cent of the Alaska traps
by the Bureau of Fisheries, the Ev
erett News has this to say: “The
proposed action of the Federal auth
orities 3hould be a subject of serious
thought to the Washington Sti'e
Fisheries Board. Traps in Pug t
Sound account for a great preponder
ance of the salmon taken In these
waters annually.”
And the Everett Herald comes to
bat with this: “It is clearly estab
lished that the Federal Department
in charge of commercial fishing <n
Alaska looks upo^ f sh traps as par
ticularly destr I'-ttve gear. That fact
has already be**:? established in Bri
tish Columbia where there are no
fish traps excepting a scant few in
the Fraser River country, while ihe
American traps clutter up the waters
south of the lia.. All testimony on
the salmon fishing question clen iy
and consistently i e veals the destru*l*
iveness of traps anti has been as
consistntly iguo d 1 i.i the State of
Washington.
Fear of Witchcraft
Every so often, the anti-Indian
newspapers of Juneau publish widely
witchcraft cases arising among one
or two Indian communities. This
is to show that the Indians are not
fit for citizenship.
Of (course superstition ^exists
among all people in one form or
another. So we re-print the follow
ing (from the Fairbanks News-Min
er) :
“FEAR OF WITCHCRAFT BLAMED
FOR MURDER”
Dark age superstition and the fear
of the evil eye of witches hasn’t en
tirely left us. An instances of this
is printed in Paris papers for a
murder in the village of Ballots
in northwestern France.
“Father” Auguste Guillot lived in
the village for 78 years, until he was
finally beaten to death by those who
feared him.
The villagers held that animals
shunned Guillot, that a baby who
touched him had convulsions, and
that a curse was upon him. They
called him the “thrower of spells.”
Last fall as lie passed through a field
Angele, an 18-year-old shepherdess,
was convinced that the calves and
lambs were terrified, so she set up
on him with her staff. Her broth
ers came to her aid, and they left