THE ESKIMOS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 281, 30 November 1935, Page 10

THE ESKIMOS

A VANISHING PEOPLE LEARNING NEW WAYS The Eskimo is as much a stranger to the average Canadian as to citizens of other countries. He lives in an Arctic waste, separated from civilisation Lby many hundreds of miles. His’ only contact with the Government that controls his destiny is an occasional glimpse of the 'scarlet coats of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or a visit to one or other of the scores of trading posts which now dot the Canadian Arctic. His origin is claimed to be identical with that of the North Amercan Indian. Ages ago both came from Mongolia, crossing from Asia to the American continent at the northern extremity. How close together these migrations were is not known, but it is the fact that the two races cannot get along together. They regard each other with deep distrust, and to-day, when Indians are invading the Actic in pursuit pf fur-bearing animals, the police experience difficulty in preventing outbreaks of race hatred. The Eskimos differ greatly from the Indians. They arc born optimists. All who have lived with them speak of their light-heartedness and jollity. They are fishermen by instinct, and, while they now do a good deal of trapping, they are not as efficient in this regard as either the Indian or the white man. They live, by choice, along the sea coast, and their staple diet is seal meat. They are nomads, having no permanent places of residence. In the summer they live in tents; in winter they make snow houses. Their only means of transporation arc their boats —kayaks—and dog teams. They have no use for money, as such, requiring only the simplest of articles for their material comfort. These articles—rifles and ammunition, fishing equipment and so on—they obtain from trading posts. They make no endeavour to provide for the future, depending upon the resources of the country for their needs. Family Life. The Eskimos live in families. A number of families may spend a year or two together, but there is nothing binding about the arrangement. They do not recognise tribal divisions, and they have no chiefs. As human beings their most notable characteristic is love of children. The marital tie is not regarded as nearly as sacred or binding as it is with more civilised peoples. Thus Eskimos have been known to send their wives to friends, and they frequently change their mates. Eskimo life is based upon possession of full strength and vitality. They are notably indifferent to old people, frequently leaving them unprovided for, to die from want or exposure. The mentality of the Eskimo is rated : by officials at Ottawa as distinctly superior to that of the Indian. They : show remarkable intelligence in their natural pursuits. They are excellent fishermen and sound navigators. In fact, the Hudson Bay Company operates a vessel in the Arctic waters manned entirely by Eskimos, and they invariably act as pilots to Government ships in entering dangerous harbours te service police posts. In recent years , they have acquired many gasoline ; launches, and their ability to keep ( these motors in operation is remarkable. The 1931 census revealed an Eskimo population of 6470, but as the returns were by no means complete, it is prob- , able that there is at least 7000 of them. They inhabit the Arctic islands and the coastal region running from Labrador to Alaska. The natural increase in population is substantial, but the Eskimo is particularly susceptible to certain diseases, notably influenza ana periodic epidemics take many lives. The influenza outbreak of 1919 literally decimated them, and the total population to-day is not as great as 2'J Nears ago. Citizens by Right. Under Canadian law the Eskimo stands upon a different footing to the Indian. The Indian is a ward of the State, debarred as such from citizenship. Not unless the Indian forsakes his reserve and forswears “treaty” payment is he entitled to the ballot. The law declares that the Crown can never make “treaty” with the Eskimo. He is a citizen in his own right. Since the development of the aeroplane and the short-wave radio broadcasting, considerable progress has been made in extending the influence of Goverment and Governmental agencies throughout the Arctic. Along the Mackenzie River, where wood is available, the Eskimos are beginning to conform to the white man’s mode of living. They are building permanent homes of wood, and are sending their children to schools. Elsewhere the workings of civilisation are slowly spreading. Education and medicine are largely in the hands of missionary organisations supported by the religious denominations. The Government, also, is showing a much keener concern in the welfare of the Eskimo. While able to look after their own food requirements, • they are subject to all the dangers of a nomadic people* For clothing, and, to a minor degree, for food, they depend upon the caribou, which still abound, although'in reduced numbers. It is hoped, however, that the reindeer introduced from Alaska will soon provide the Eskimos with the necessities of life.