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About Newberg graphic. (Newberg, Or.) 1888-1993 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1892)
NEWBERG GRAPHIC SUPPLEMENT. FRIDAY, JANUARY S, 1SD1» ALASKA I.K T T K K . the limits of savagery and grotesqueness. These close flank the village at either en«l, as if ihe friends an«l relatives desire«! to keep the departed as near as possible. The modern thus has tor his next «lour neighbor an ancestor of the long ago. What ever may be the influence of these neighborly influences, one tiling is cer tain, the Indian of to day is very little advanced beyond bis progenitor, in the s« ale of civilization. Near tlit* center of the village is a house of more pretentions than the rest. Over the door, printed in large letters am the Knglish wor«ls, ‘ *i i«*f of the Kake’s IVilie Nagau Yanataku.” This is where ‘Uhief Tom’ resides. Ilis present house is lull «»f himher. II«» has bt*en suttees* fu) in amassing blankets etc., and in- tends U> pu'l <lown and build larger. The men of the village will assist him to erect the structure and then all will have a grand time at his ‘ house warming' an«! of course at his expense «•oats, brass buttons, Uidges and etc ., anything calculated t«> ruak*» a «lisplay. Your first acquaintance with one of these Kake Village is situate«! about mulway dignitaries is by a pa«tkage of these paper tlie seaward si«le of Kuprianof Islam!. It credtntials, letters of introduction fr«un is on a gravelly beach formed from the «{«»capitated car|H»t naggers, who have debris deposited bv tlie swish of the wa passed tbrougli Sitka on their way to join ters. A good beach is a prime requisite the unknown ranks of presidential ap with the Indian. The sea being his high point era. way and his canoe his vehicle, he desires We bad be«»n a month at Kake, long such a slope of bottom and depth of wa «»nougb to satisfy the most rigid etiquette, ter as will enable him to launch his w hen Chief Tom naid us a visit. I* was “ yawk,” as he calls it, easily. This in til«» school room when I was startled beach is all that could Ire desired being by tbr«»e sounding raps on tli«» door. (hi neither too steep for the hauling in of ca opening it, l recognize«! in the sobher noes nor of too gradual descent f«>r put coat, brass buttons, marine cap, polisbe«! ting them afloat. A reef of rocks breaks cane and (i. A. K Badge, Nagau Yana the force of tlie northern blasts, while a taku, Chief of the Cakes. lie stepped point of laml shields from the fury of the into the room with dignity and extended east wind. The village consists of twenty bis baud which I grasped in (.¿uuker houses, most of them very poor structures style. It is vte y rare for Indians to h«» indeed. Only twm have store windows, effusive in tlu»ir greetings and for a chief windows of glass. They are built in loose to be so, would im very nndignilied. We shed fashion and many of tnem covered were scarcely seated when bis son, a la«! with bark. It is no wonder the denizens C H IE F TOM V ISIT S. of some thirteen years entered, bearing leave as soon as warm weather approaeh- Democracy in its purest form exists two lore quarters ol venison, which the es, and remain nomandic «Iwellers in among the Alaska Indians. It is hardly father signified was a present. A right tents as long as possible. Their summer • projier to say D«*mocra«*y either, f«>r they royal gift it was to«>, fat and timely dress- houses are much more desirable and have never reached that p«iint of advance e«l. 11«« t i «* ii presented liis bundle of pa- pers wliicli I r«*ad and about which I cleanly than their winter abodes, because ment in which that body politic, ‘ the (putstion«»«! him. lie then pro«recd«*il to of almost daily change. will ot the majority,” «»xists. True th«*y tell some of the troubles of the “ In a l When he had In 1809 the Kake Indians murdered have a sort of tribal relation, hut n»i that wears tin* crown.” finished. 1 asked him it the real trouble two white traders. The territory of Alas i councils, n«j rules, no laws. Every man was n«>t in making nootchinoo. II«* ka being then under military control, is tlieiefore a law unto himself. A Thlin a«-knowdc'lged that it was the “ root of all Davis the commander at Sitka sailed to get Chief has very little authority. 1 suggested the advisability of Ilis evil ” Kake Village to demand the murderers. ¡«osition is accorded him more as a r«* calling a coutn il and voting out hootchi- The Indians fearing the vengeance likely ward for the number and magnittkle of i,oo. 1 1 you can’t have prohibition local option’ is next best., lit* spoke of schotjl to follow bad fled and the irate ma tbe fiotlatcb or gift distributions lie ha* and lliougliL it would be a good thing, rine found only vacant houses. These he mad«», each successive one raising him lie said I bad com«» to t«»ll the people bow ordered the Saginau to bombard, and a step in the social s«*ale. It is a sort of to do right and ho ex|>octed to have a 1 shot and shell left abundant ventilation an aristocracy of squand«*m«l wealth un<! rest. 1 tol'i him that would not «In. had only (Mine to help. lie named me in roof an«! wall. the chief a bright an«l shining example of “ Esther of tin* Kakes.” Possessing quite “ Who do these houses belong to?” I a spendthrift. The title of chief, as the a youthful physiognomy, I consider this asked one Indian. “ Oh nobody," said . |>osHession of property, <le*<rends collater title as a reward for having taken the he. “ The men who built them have all ally, the nephew, son of the oldest sister Vow of the Nazarite. I told him it were hett«»r Tor me to Ire a brother. 11«; said died and we just live in them ." It is inheriting the «lignite. the Indians wante«| a store at which they very evident from the lack of nee«led re When the United ^States came into could hoy paint tools, etc., and fix up pairs, that the “ tenant rent fres“ system l»osH<‘ssioii of Alaska, these petty chiefs their houses, but sa'd cfiipliatieallx . “ We don’t want any eolasses.” When he rose is a failure. sought the ofli< ials and secured from to go ! thank«»«! him for the venison, t** 1 - A «lead Thlinget has a house all to him them letters patent, “ skookum paper,*’ ling him it was “ strong food ’ ’ That I self, while a living one must share his 1 confirming them in their position It is in return woulu present iiim some white with twenty or thirty others There are said that some cjf them paid roun<)ly l«>i mail’s fruit, very sw«*»*t, at the sain«» twenty-one «lead houses of all styles of these paper «•«•rtith ates, the officers pock time handing him two cans of poaches. He gave m«» th«» Indian’s koo loo «-bisli. architecture, realizing by enclosures, de- eting the fees as perquisites. In addition thank you, shook my hand warmly an I corations an«! symbols, every idea within to the letters, the chiefs sought soldiers i depaited.. C. II. E iiwards l in k « * V i l l a g e .
