ASL-MS-0107-38-001-35
L.E.C.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON
November 1, 1910.
Honorable James Wickersham,
Fairbanks, Alaska.
Dear Sir:
I beg to acknowledge receipt, by reference
from the Office of Indian Affairs, of your letter,
dated September 9, 1910, enclosing a letter from
Chief Charlie requesting that assistance be furnished
to certain destitute natives In the vicinity of Nenana,
Alaska.
In reply I beg to state that Mr. George E.
Boulter, our Superintendent of the Upper Yukon District,
whose headquarters are at Tanana, Alaska, has charge
of the furnishing of relief to natives in his district
which includes Nenana and vicinity. I have sent Mr.
Boultar a copy of your letter, and of the letter from
Chief Charlie with instructions to investigate the
situation at Nenana referred to by Chief Charlie, and
to render assistance during the present winter to such
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Hon. James Wickersham. 2.
natives who are destitute and who are in need of such
assistance.
Mr. Boulter has a limited amount at his
disposal for the relief of destitute natives in his
district, and in case of absolute necessity this amount
can be increased.
I am, believe me,
Very truly yours,
[signed] Elmer E. Brown
Commissioner.
ASL-MS107-038-001-36
L.B.C. 8-300 Copy – 3815.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF EDUCATION
ALASKA DIVISION
Tanana, Alaska,
January 31st, 1911.
The Commissioner of Education,
Washington, D. C.
Sir:
Referring to your letter dated November let, 1910, I beg
to say that I have just returned from Nenana and Tolovana,
where I fully investigated the condition of the natives
especially those who were mentioned in Chief Charlie's letter
to Mr. Wickersham.
Upon my arrival at Tolovana, I found but few natives, as
most of the Tolovana and Minto natives had not returned from
Nennna, where they had been spending the Christmas holidays.
Between Minto and Nenana, I met Chief Charlie and about
forty natives, with whom I had a long talk. I have known
Chief Charlie for some years, and know him to be possessed of
lazy and dissolute habits. The mission people too, know him
to be a man who would, rather live by begging than by work.
The letter to Mr. Wickersham on Chief Charlie's behalf,
was written by Mrs. Vachon at Tolovana. Mrs. Vachon is the
wife of the trader at that point, and at the time of her writing
the letter, both she and her husband had had little or no ex-
perience with the natives. She told me, when we were conversing
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-2-
about the matter, that, if she had known more about Chief Charlie
and the other natives than she did when she wrote the letter,
it would never have been written.
At the very time that Chief Charlie had the letter written
on his behalf to Mr. Wickersham, he had over $600.00 worth of
fur in his possession. This fur included a black fox, a silver
grey fox, and a number of mink. The money obtained, from the
sale of the furs was soon squandered, partly by paying other
natives $1.00 per hour to make alterations to his cabin. Chief
Charlie is possessed, of a watch and chain, which is probably
worth fifty dollars. From information gathered while I was
traveling, this man is constantly asking people to sell him
whisky, for payment of which he always has money. He is about
thirty-five years of age, and is apparently in good health.
If I were going to select the fattest and sleekest native from
among the Tolovana, Minto, and Nenana natives, I should, un-
hesitatingly select Chief Charlie. It is true that, at the
present time, his funds are somewhat low, but such is the man's
antipathy to work, that he has lately refused some wood cutting,
which Duke, the trader at Nenana, offered him. I admonished
Chief Charlie with regard to his begging letters, and I do not
think we shall be bothered by him for some time to come. He
took my admonition however with ill grace, and was very sulky
over it.
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-3-
When I was at Nenana, Chief Thomas (Chief of the Nenana
natives) came to me with a long story concerning the destitu-
tion among his people. I ascertained, that, at Christmas time,
this same man gave a “potlatch" to all the natives who were
gathered there at that time. The presents which he distributed
among the natives on that occasion must have cost him several
hundred dollars. These presents consisted of rifles, shot-guns,
and smaller articles such as mocassins, knives, snow-shoes, etc.
After having spent his money in this manner, he hoped that the
Government would render him assistance, and when I informed him
to the contrary, he was very crestfallen.
Owing to there being a saloon quite close to the Indian
village, it is comparatively easy for the natives, through the
medium of unscrupulous whites, to obtain whisky, for payment
of which, they invariably have ready cash. It is no uncommon
occurrence for the whole village to be under the influence of
liquor.
Last year's fishing season was a very good one, and the fur-
bearing animals, although not numerous, are not yet extinct, and
can be trapped were the natives energetic enough to leave the
village for a time and go into the hills. Moose and caribou
are somewhat scarce at Nenana, and the natives at that point
have to travel from eighty to ninety miles to hunt then. At
Tolovana, moose and caribou can be hunted within fifteen miles.
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-4-
When I asked the supposedly destitute natives why they
did not go hunting, they replied that they had no cartridges.
Such is the want of forethought among these people, that, on
New Year's night, they each fired off box after box of cartridges,
thus following a time-honored custom among them.
The natives at Nenana will, towards the end of the winter,
be on short rations, and will probably regret having wasted so
much money at the beginning of the winter. I found the con-
dition of the natives at Nenana to be very different from those
at Allachaket two years ago. There, they were suffering from
a previous bad fishing season,— lack of game and fur in the
country,—and little chance of work. Such were the conditions
at Nenana, that I did not feel called, upon to offer them general
relief. The only cases of real destitution at Nenana, were
three blind women (mother and two daughters), and a sick man who
had been on his back for over six months. On behalf of these
cases, I purchased $60.00 worth of food. This food will be
given to these people from time to time by Miss Green, the
Bureau of Education's teacher at Nenana.
To render assistance to n few of the men who really needed,
work, I gave Miss Green a sub-authorization for $100.00 for the
purpose of having some wood cut for the school. The only
stipulation I made with regard to this wood was, that Chief
Charlie was not to participate in the work.
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-5-
I would respectfully suggest that, in the future, any
begging telegram or letter sent to you by the natives, should
not be treated too seriously. One native informed me with
great glee that, as soon as he had sold some moccasins for
which he was to receive some ready cash, he was going to send
a "big telegram" to Washington asking for assistance. This
native was by no means destitute, and I most emphatically forbade
him to send the proposed telegram.
This letter writing, telegram sending, and the forwarding
of petitions, are habits which the natives are cultivating, and
ones which we would do well to keep in check. The natives have
been urged to send them by irresponsible white people, who do
not understand the natives as we ourselves do. Some of these
irresponsible people have been telling the natives that the
Government has furnished the natives in the States with rations,
and that the same system should be applied to the Alaskan natives.
The desire on the part of our natives to be fed without
their having to work in return for the food—and not their
destitution—is the cause of such letters as Chief Charlie’s
being written.
I remain,
Yours very respectfully,
GEO. E. BOULTER
Supt. of Schools,
Upper Yukon Dist.
ASL-MS107-038-001-37
2933—D.E.T.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON
March 15, 1911.
Honorable James Wickersham,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
Referring to the letter from the Commissioner of
Education to you, dated November 1, 1910, stating that the
letter from "Chief Charlie", dated August 30, 1910, asking
assistance for the natives in the vicinity of Nenana,
Alaska, had been sent to Mr. George E. Boulter, Superintendent
of Schools in the Upper Yukon District, with instructions to
Investigate the situation at Nenana, I respectfully enclose
herewith a copy of Mr. Boulter's report, dated January 31,
1911, in which he states that Chief Charlie is by no means
destitute, that there are only four persons at Nenana who
are really destitute, and that he has made provision for them.
Mr. Boulter also gives general information regarding
the improvident habits of the natives of that region,
Very respectfully,
[signed] L.A. Kalbach
Acting Commissioner.
Enclosure.
ASL-MS107-42
2933—D.E.T.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON
March 15, 1911.
Honorable James Wickersham,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
Referring to the letter from the Commissioner of
Education to you, dated November 1, 1910, stating that the
letter from "Chief Charlie", dated August 30, 1910, asking
assistance for the natives in the vicinity of Nenana,
Alaska, had been sent to Mr. George E. Boulter, Superintendent
of Schools in the Upper Yukon District, with instructions to
Investigate the situation at Nenana, I respectfully enclose
herewith a copy of Mr. Boulter's report, dated January 31,
1911, in which he states that Chief Charlie is by no means
destitute, that there are only four persons at Nenana who
are really destitute, and that he has made provision for them.
Mr. Boulter also gives general information regarding
the improvident habits of the natives of that region,
Very respectfully,
[signed] L.A. Kalbach
Acting Commissioner.
Enclosure.
ASL-MS107-038-001-43
April 10, 1911.
Commissioner of Bureau of Education,
Alaska Division,
Washington, D. C.
Sir:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of March 15th, in relation to the application
of "Chief Charley" of Tolovana. You forwarded me a
copy of a letter signed by Mr. Boulter, Superintendent of
the Schools of the Upper Yukon District, and I very much
fear that Mr. Boulter's statement of the situation is
correct.
Respectfully,
Delegate from Alaska.
ASL-MS107-038-001-44
317
E.B.R.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON
October 2, 1915.
My dear Mr. Wickersham:
Upon my return to Washington, your letter of
July 22nd to Secretary Lane, containing the proceedings
of the meeting with the Indian Chiefs at Tanana during
July, has been brought to my attention, and, I am giving
careful consideration to the important matters con-
tained therein.
I am in favor of reservations for the natives,
not for the purpose of confining them to the reservations
but in order to afford them protection.
I expect that Mr. Lopp will return to Washing-
ton during this month; he has just completed a visit to
the Yukon region during which he has given special at-
tention to the subject of reservations for the Indians,
and I shall consider with him very seriously the subject
of making a reservation in the Tanana region and the
establishment of an industrial school within it, if we
find that we can set aside enough money to support such
a school.
Yours sincerely,
[signed] P.P. Cloxton
Commissioner.
Honorable James Wickersham,
Delegate from Alaska,
Fairbanks, Alaska.
ASL-MS107-038-001-45
1030
Nenana Alaska
Oct 23rd 1915
My dear Mr. Wickersham
I am sorry that I have
not been able to write to you
before this time, but it has been
because I have found no one
that could write for me.
I wish I had a fishwheel I
think some times; and it is with
the same kind of desire that I want to
talk with you
I want to tell you about
Mr. Vachon who has a store down at
Tolovana. His process are too high for
us. At other stores along the River
the store –keepers pay us well for
fish fur and meat but
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Vachon does not and he tries us
very much. Could you help us
in any way.
It is in grief that I
am writing. When you saw me
last I had a boy whom you saw
Herbert- who had a sister Ida.
This sister is dead. And I have
brought her body into here for burial
and am here resting it being Sunday
today. Tomorrow we will bury it
The white men at Tolovana made the
coffin for me. I asked Mr. Madara to
come down and he came and we
are here together. I thought of you
very much. I hope by God
mercy we may live to see each
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other again soon.
I am very tired. After we bury
the body I am going back to Tolovana.
I would write to you oftener but
I have no one to write for me.
I wish you would by to do
something for me about the matter I
mentioned before. It is these matters
that concern out living, that I ask your
aid. I think I shall adopt a child
I think of God very much.
Your friend,
Chief Alexander
of Tolvana
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