Report on the Work of the .Bureau of Education for the Natives of Alaska, 1 91 2 -13
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UNITED STATES BUREAU OF EDUCATION' BULLETIN. 1914, NO. 31 WHOLE NUMBER 605 REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE .BUREAU OF EDUCATION FOR THE NATIVES OF ALASKA, 1 91 2 -13 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE \j 1914 BUREAU OF EDUCATION BULLETIN, 1114, NO 11PLATE 1 low e : I?., g y t G.,vernment b-AlA TYPICAL fA1,0,1,11n REINDEER newly halt HERD. ;1nilt ry w mwrt-q,0,f r1,,- I ADDITIONAL COPIES I or TEES PUBLICATION MAY EL PROCURED PROM TILE SUPERINTENDE-NT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OIRICE V/ANSINGTON, D. C. AT 26 CENTS PER COPY V gel CONTENTS.. PART I.GENERAL SUMMARY. Fags. Report on education 5 Character of the nark 5 Medical work 6 Reservations 8 Economic aid to natives 8 Legislation 10 Recommendations List of persons in the Alaska school service 13 Summary of expenditures 17 . Report on the reindeer service 17 Growth of the dnterpriso 17 Administration 18 Distribution IS A native industry 18 Summary of expenditures 19 Statistical tables IQ PART II.DETAILED REPORTS. Section 1. Reports by superintendents 25 \ Report of Supt. A. N. Evans 25 Report of Supt. Walter C. Shields 28 Section 2. Reports by teachers 32 The school at Barrow, the northernmost school in the world 32 The school at Wainwright, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean 35 The school at Kiva lina, a coast village north of Bering Strait 38 The school at Noatak, on a tributary of the Arctic Ocean 41 The school at Solawik, under the Arctic Circle 42 The school at Atka, an island in the Aleutian chain . 45 The school at Seldovia, in southwestern Alas k a 47 The school at Sitka, in southeastern Alaska \+e 48 Section 3. Reports on health conditions 50 Report on health conditions in the native villages along the 'retie coast, by Dr. Emil Krulish, Public Health Service 50 Report on health conditions in U.., native villages in southeastern Alaska, by Dr. Emil Kruliah, Public Health Service 53 Report on an epidemic of measles at Kenai, in southwestern Alaska, by Mrs. W. E. Kupp lor and Miss Alice M. Dolan, teachers 56 section 4. Special reports 56 The Hydaburg colony 86 59 3 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Plate 1. A typical reindeer herd Frontispiece 2. A, United States public school, hairow; B. United. States publi/ school, Shungnak 3. A, The U. S. S. "Bear" in ice pack, Arctic Ocean August, 1913; B, The United States hospital, Kotzebue, Arctic Alaska 4. A, Icy Cape Village, Arctic Alaska; B, Eskimos on the Arctic coast. 16 5. A, Eskimo girls; B, Teachers and pupils, Wainwright, Arctic Alaska. 16 6. A, The superintendent of the northesternekhool district on a tour of inspection; B, Reindeer and herdem at Akiak. on !ht Kuskokwim Rivar, in western Alaska 24 7. A, Eskimo in clothing made of reindeek skin ;B, Aleutian basket weaver 8. A, Natives of Atka, one of the Aleutian Islands; B, Landirig supplies for the cooperative store, Atka ;12 9. A, Oats on the school farm, Klukwan, southeastern Alaska; B, Drying fish at summer camp, southwestern Alaska 32 10. A, 'Klukwan, southeastern Alaska; B, Seldovia, southwestern Alaska. 40 11. A, Haines, southeastern Alaska; B, Native band,. Rake village, k southeast& Ala 40 12. A, Clinic in schools B, Cleaning ulcers and wounds 48 13. One of the physicians on a tour of inspection in a native village 48 ]lap of Alaska 112 4 .1 REP THE WORE OF THE 13UREAC OF EDUCATION FOR THE NATIVES OF ALASKA, 1912-13. PART 1. GENERAL SUMMARY. REPORT ON EDUCATION. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1913, the field force of the Alaska school sere ice consisted of 5 superintendents, 100 teachers, 11 physicians (1 of whom also filled another position). 9nurses, and 3 hospital attendants.Seventy-seven schools were maintained, with an enrollment of 3.563, and an average attendance of 1,797. CHARACTER OF Ti! E WORK., In Alaska there are, approximately,. '4000 nativesin villages ranging from 30 or 40 up to 300 or 400persons, scattered along thousands'of miles of coast lint andon the great rivers.Some of the villages on remote islands or on the frozenocean are brought into touch with the outside world only onceor twice a year, when visited by a United States revenue lcutter on its annual cruiseor by the supply vessel sent by the Bureau of Education. During eight months of the year all of the villwes in Alaska, with the exception of those on the southern coast, are reached only by trails over the snow-cov- ered land or frozen rivers. In spite of the difficulties of the problem a United States. public school has been established in each of 77 villages.In many instances the school is the only elevatingpower in the native community. Every teacher is a social worker, who, in additionto performing Itho routine work in the scho9lroom, strives inevery possible way to promote the physical, moral, and indlistrialwelfare ofthe natives, adults as well as children. In the schoolrooms the endeavor ismade to impart to the children such' instructionas will enable them to live comfortably !Lad to deal intelligently with those withwhom they . in contact; instruction in carpentry, cooking, and sewing\is emphasized.. Each schoolhbuse is k social center for theaccom- plishment 'pragical ends:Many of the buildings containt_ in addition to the reffiAtiOn room, an industrial, room, ldtchen,guartbrs 6 WORK OF THE BUREAU OF EDUCATION FOR ALASI4A. / of the teacher, and a laundry and baths for the use of the native community. The schoolroom is available for public meetings for discussion of affairs of the village or, occasionally, for socialpur- poses. In the native villages the teachers and nurses endeavor to establish proper sanitary conditions by inspecting the houses, by insisting upon proper disposal of garbage, and by giving instruction in sani'- tary methods of living. Natives are encouraged to replace their filthy , huts by neat, well-ventilated houses.In some sections the natives have been taught to raise vegetables. which are a healthful- addition to their usual diet of fish and meat. There are extensive regions in which the services ofa physician are not obtainable.Accordingly. it often becomes the duty of a teacher 'to treat minor ailments, to render first aid to the injured, or to care for a patient through the course of a serious illness. In its endeavor to safeguard the health of the natives of Alaska, the Bureau of Education maintains four small hospitals in important centers of native population; contracts with three hospitals for the treatment of diseased natives; employs traveling physicians who devote their entire time to medical and sanitary work among the natives in theirrespective districts; employs nurses who assist the physicians and do exceedingly valuable work among the children and in the villages; and provides medical supplies and textbooks to the teachers to enable them to treat minor ailments and intelligently to supervise hygienic measures. The entire medical and sanitary work of theBureau of Education ini Alas44es a is under the supervision of an officer of the Public Health Service pecial detail. For the immediate supervision of its Wort: among the natives of Alaska, the Bureau of Education depends upon its five district super- intendents, men of _proved ability and fidelity, who under the pro- visions of the rules re,gulating the service, have the greatest freedom of action consistent with the ultimate responsibility of the Commis- sioner of Education. c . MEDICAL WORK,. NI, Among the most urgent needs of the natives of Alaska is protection against the diseases which prevail'among them to an alarming extent. There is no specific/appropriation for the support of medical work among the natives of Alaska. For several years the Bureau of Edu- cation has been striving, without success, to secure funds for the establishment-of .well-equipped hospitals and for the employment of a sufficient number of physicians and nurses. Under the terms of the appropriation for " Education of natives of Alaska" the Bureau of. Eduaation can employ physicians and nurses, for work among the 611111.11111.11M/W REPORT ON EDUCATION. Alaska natives, but it can not erect the hospitals whichare greatly needed. Of the appropriation for the education of natives of Alaska for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913, $31,758.13was expended for medical work, including: (1) The inaintehatice of hospitals in rented buildings at Juneau and Nushagak; (2) the maintenance of impro- vised hospitals in school buildings at Na lato and. Kotzebue;(3) pay- ments under contract with the Holy Cross Hospital at Nome, with the FairhaVen Hospital at Candle, and with the Cordova Hospitalfor the treatment' of diseased natives upon the application ofa superintend- ent, physician, or teacher in the Alaska school service; (4) theem- ployment of physicians and nurses in the hospitals and in fieldwork in their respective districts; and (;'";furnishing medicines and med- ical books to the teachers for use in relieving minor ailments. Nearly 1,800 cases were treated in the hospitals at Juneau, Nusliagak, Nulato, and Kotzebue during 1912-13.The most prevalent diseases were tuberlilosis, trachoma, rheumatism, and venereal diseases ;.the surgi- cal operations included excisions for tubercular diseases of thebones, the removal Of tubercular glands, laparotomies, curetting ofl ulcers, setting broken bones, sewing up recent wounds, and excisions of hemorrhOrds, cataracts, abscesses, tonsils,and adenoids. During the year epidemics of infantile paralysis at St. Michael and of diphtheria at Nulato were checked by physicians employed by the Bureau of Education. At Nulato, under the piovisions of the health law passed by the Alaska Territorial Legislature at its first session, Dr.Bruce H. Brown established effective quarantine.