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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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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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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