give the I-omen Reindeer Cor
poration all the product to
store, lighter and transport; to
sell on commission in the States
at a distance of from 3000 to
5000 miles.
The Committee found that
two of the grazing areas, Teller
and Buckland should be evacu
ated by the Lomen Corporation
and their deer removed. The
matter of the accounting for
the handling of the herds of the
native owners was not passed
upon. The Golovin range was
given to the Lomens.
New Corporation Formed
Meantime a sub-corporation
had been formed, called the
Alaska Livestock and Packing
Company, subsidiary to the
Lomen Reindeer Company, to
which the cold storages of the
parent company, the reindeer
claimed to be 250,000 in number,
and the ranges recently applied
for and mentioned above, were
transferred. These were stated
to be worth the sum of $4,400,
000 and the Capital Stock placed
accordingly. This placed the
reindeer at an average of $17.25
per head for males, females and
fawns. The reindeer of the na
tives had been just previously
intrigued at, on the price of
$3.00 per head. The largest
number the Corporation have
ever counted of reindeer in their
mark had been between 40,000
and 45,000. In 1929 their count
had stood at 32,097, while this
incorporation was formed in
1930. The winter of 1929-1930
the corporation is stated to have
butchered 16,000 reindeer and to
have driven 3000 to Canada on
the “World’s greatest drive of
reindeer.”
The Reindeer Committee ad
journed and a Council was ap
pointed to meet at Nome, Alas
ka, to have the oversight of the
reindeer. The Council met at
Nome in July, 1931. The minutes
ci the meetings are not avail
able although asked for at once
cn the adjournment. It is not
known that any effort to vacate
the native ranges mentioned
above was made. It is believed
that the Lomen who was seated
on the Council opposed it. It
does not appear that any effort
was made to secure the ac
counting of the holding of the
native herds for the past ten to
fifteen years was considered. No
endeavor seems to have been
made to return the reindeer of
the native owners to them .
Where is the tribunal to
v/hich the native can appeal?
On the Bench of the 2nd
Judicial Division was Hon. G. J.
Lomen, the man who presided
ever the Corporation that took
the reindeer of the natives.
On the Council sits Alfred J.
Lomen who assisted in prevent
ing the Government Superin
tendent handling the reindeer
or the natives.
The Register of tne L.ana ur
fice that passes on the titles of
the grazing lands of the natives
is the Clerk of the Court, the
appointee of Hon. G. J. Lomen.
The report of the examiners
of the land office has been held
“CONFIDENTIAL” and is with
held from the knowledge of the
native or his friends.
The President of the Reindeer
Corporation, Carl J. Lomen was
on the Interdepartmental Com
mittee in Washington.
Leonard D. Baldwin, an at
torney from New York, a Di
rector of the Lomen Reindeer
Company sat on the Interde
partmental Committee on Rein
deer in Washington, D. C.
Alfred J. Lomen has a seat in
the Senate of the Territory of
Alaska.
The Council not only did not
clear the native lands of Cor
poration deer and return the
native deer to the owners, but
it passed rules similar to those
presented in Washington to the
Committee, and of which Carl
J. Lomen, said, “Those were
written by myself, Carl J, Lo
men, president of the Lomen
Reindeer Corporation.” (2nd
Hearing of the Reindeer Com
mittee, p. 7.)
These Rules, dated Junp 23,
1931, provide as follows:
“The STANDARD HERDING
FEE per head per year for each
adult female will be based on
the cost of herding prorated
against the co-owners on the
basis of ownership of adult fe
male deer in the herd as count
ed during the current marking
season except when a written
agreement has been entered
into.” (Rule 21.)
This seems to provide for a
continuation of the holding of
the reindeer of the natives in
the Lomen herds under the
same conditions as before the
petitions were filed for the re
lease of the native deer.
Rule 11. “WITHDRAWAL OF
DEER. Anyone desiring to with
his deer from a herd must ap
ply in writing to the General
Superintendent through the
local Board of Directors. The
separation can only be made
during the period between Oc
tober 1st and February 28 and
at the expense of the party
wishing to withdraw and with
the approval of the general
Reindeer Superintendent.”
This rule seems to have been
provided to prevent the taking
cut of the Corporation reindeer
from the native range. The cor
poration does not “wish to
withdraw,” evidently, for they
have been holding to both the
native ranges and the native
deer for years and preventing
any relief for the native. Now
they will not apply to with
draw. If the native asks to
withdraw (from his own home)
the native must pay the cost of
the roundup, to get out of the
scrape the Corporation has
forced him into, and withdraw,
which means vacating the lands
himself, instead of the Corpora