KIANA
ON THE"
KOBUK
The following interesting and wen
written feature story was written by
Orah Dee Clark was published in the
Woman’s Club Edition of lie Alaska
Press, published at Juneau. Miss
Clark was at one time a schoor teach
er at the Takotna school and, during
the past rear, has been teaching: at
Kiana, in the Kobuk re e-ion.
By ORAH PEE CLARK
Kiana on the Kobuk is a small, but
in its particular sphere, a very im
portant town, so much so in fact, that
a new $9,000 school building now
adorns one of the bluff-like hills
which overlooks the river at this
point. And 42 pupils of mixed and Es
kimo blood are enrolled in the school,
f: is so important that an independ
ent trader and the representatives of
two large trading companies find it
profitable to maintain trading posts
here. Three stores for a white popu
lation of less ihan 20 and a native
ffrpidation of. 125 indicates some
special industrial activity or some
advantage of location. The latter is
Kiana’s. It is located at the conflu
ffl-e of t,he Squirrel river and the
K'-b’ik river.
Th’s northern tributary of the Ko
buk, the Squire!, b ads to country im
portant as a mining center, but the
river is not navigable to the small
boats whi-h serve Kiana, requiring
even smaller ones, Kiana thus be
comes a depot for supplies and a
transfer pr'nt. much as is Takotna in
the Kuskokwim valley. These goods
are largely for the mines on Klery
creek, a branch of the Squirrel where
the most pretentious diggings are
conducted.
This region has been well known
tc Alaskan prospectors since 1898. In
191(1, there was a mild sort of stam
pede to the creek, but transportation
difficulties, a severe climate with ex
tremely short summers, and the then
known methods of handling such
boulder covered ground all tended to
Keep even the hardiest from trying to
develop the country’s mines.
But now relief afforded by airplane
service, newer and vastly improved
methods of operating and the present
pr'ces being paid for gold, with the
consequent hunting out of old pros
pects long since abandoned, Klery
the transfer point, have all more or
creek, the Squirrel river and Kiana.
less come into their own again, and
show signs of greater activity. A
company whose financial backing and
field persomel are from Portland,
Ore . has been actively operating
there for the past few seasons. They
nave six men there this winter and
plan on a very busy season for this
e-iming summer.
there are several “old timers” here
n who for the past 25 years have
ra^e their living by pick and shovel
in ’he Klery creek vicinity, for this
is a placer region. The nuggets are
large, one a Shun°Tiak weighing
enough to be worth $500.
Then there are the Eskimos who
live in the little village about a r’uar
ter of a mile ud the river from Kiana.
proper in their HtMe log houses, many
of which are tucked into the mouth
of a ravine-like opening as protection
from the Arctic winds. These Es
kimos are a prosperous people. There
has been no relief needed, none even
thought of, for this group during all
the depression period, for the rest of
the world. They have their reindeer
herds, their hunting and their fishing
to all of which industries they give
good heed. There is an abundant, sup
ply of spruce for their houses and for
fuel, and the dogs still satisfy their
need for speed, and for transporta
tion.
The muskrat trapping at the delta
of the Kobuk river is one of the chief
sources of income from furs. The na
tives live in camps during t,he open
season for muskrats and the entire
family engage in trapping and hunt
ing for these furry little creatures.
One 15-year-old boy got 99 with a .22
rifle. One of the local traders told me
that from 40,000 to 50,000 were taken
last season (19S51 alone, in or near
the delta of the Kobuk river.
In addition ter muskrats, there are
foxes, both red and silver-gray, mink
of exceptional quality, land otter, and
ermine, wolves, which are proving a
deadly menace to the reindeer herds,
all to be caught by the successful
hunters. Ducks and geese are com
Frank J. Guskey
NOTART PUBLIC
Takotna, Alaska.
mon in the spring and fall. and rab
bits and ptarmigan, caught by the
women with snares during the early
winter add much to the food supply
i of the family. The rabbit skins are
quite commonly used for children's
sleeping robes and for the lining of
mittens. Rabbit lined mittens are the
last word in Arctic hand comfort.
The parkas and mukluks are almost
invariably made from reindeer skin.
The mukluks usually have luftak
(seal skin) soles. A well made parka
of spotted fawn-skins, trimmed with
wolverine and wolf skins is valued
as high as $60 to $70, depending on
the fur mosaic work used.
Then, too, fish is plentiful on the
Kobuk although it is not a salmon
stream. There are several varieties
found only in Arctic waters. There is,
however, no commercial fishing and
there are no canneries. After the ice
forms in the river in October, there
comes a heavy run of several varieties
of white fish, one of which,
called by the Eskimo c o 1 o s a k.
is greatly esteemed as food by these
people who eat quantities of seal oil.
i his run of such vast numbers of fish
reminds one of the enormous runs of
eels on the lower Yukon1 river in Nov
ember. Here as there literally tons
are taken to be used as winter food
for people and dogs. The fishing on
the Kobuk is done by means of traps
operated through holes in the ice.
The fish are strung on willow branch-1
es about 30 to a branch, and in count
ing the day’s catch, they say so many
sticks have been taken.
Kiana is an “Arctic Village” 60
minutes north of the Circle, and 100
miles inland from the Bering sea
coast at Kotzebue.. But remember
that it has three trading stations.
One postoffice, one school with 40 pu
pils, one white woman, and one mis
sion under the auspices of the Friend?
Church. It has timber, it has an
abundance of native foods, it has ad
jacent mines, and it has had no aid
nor has it needed any during a world
depression.
No account of Kiana or of any Al
askan village would be complete
without something being told of the
beauty of river, mountain, sky,' etc.
Kiarra is surrounded by friendly lit
tle mountains offering their protec
tion to us mere mortals who choose
to stay within their shadows. The
landscape is not dead, drear white of
the coastal Arctic but the black and
white of a wood-cut picture, for the
little streaks and patches of spruce
trees look black in the indirect light
of an Arctic winter. The sky color
ings are such as only an artist has a
right to attempt to interpret. And
against these lights the friendly lit
tle mountains stand serrated. Am
“tiers, apricots, lavender, Nile greens
red white blues in. infinite shadings
are all so lavishly displayed during
our short days, and also our sunless
Be Sure to
STOP
At the
Little Store in McGrath
SHOES
for *11 ages and >
We Specialize in
CHILDREN S CLOTHING
In fart, everything to wear and
good things to eat.
We will be glad to see you.
MAIL ORDERS
given special atteaitoo
MRS. THOMAS H.
M’LEAN
McGrath, alasKa'
(*2ft
BRANCH POOL FALL
FIAT, ALASKA.
HOT LUNCHES
Served Anytime
o •
EVERYTHING FIRST CLASS
"Where Sociability Reigns’*
ANDREW MISCOVICH - CHARLES YOST
BEER
WIRES
CARDIES
CARD TABLES
BARBER SHOP
j TAKOTNA i
; SCHOOL NOTES |
SCHOOL IS ott:
EVERYBODY PASSED!
Freddie Earns Most -Stars—
Freddie earned the most ‘Stars’
since Christmas, 426. ■ and 'all receive
the first prize. Henry will receive
the second prize, having: earned 396
Stars’ and Yilma, who we* just three
•Slats’ behind Henry, will receive the
th'rd prize. Freddie won the first
pri-e at Christmas time-also, and Vil
ma idle third prize .
0'TTalloran Cirls Win Honor'—
Vesta, Viima and Vida O'llallcran
have not been absent n r tardy dur
ing the school term and wi'l r'eeive
perfect attendance certificates from
Mr. Karses in Juneau.
Clean l"p Yard—
We spent cur last afterrocmnc.csn
ing up the yard.
Henry Makes Trip to McCrrrb—
Henry has gone ta M:G-athV h j '
father on beard the “Al.siaT, ”
were sorry he missed our piv
Finishes Exams Tuesday—■
Freddie finished wr ‘ rg : =
nations Tuesday afte
hrough them a!! -
Freddie Take< Tibhj —
Tibby, our s h< . .
ive with Fred be dii!.*- '
Still Feeling The L*!' *• —
Our picnic is n w ;ast h'sto y but
we still feel the effects of it.
The Last School Notes—
These will - be our last “School'
Notes” for this school tern b -t w«
hope that you will want to hecr'abouu
us again next fall.
Wherever you may be located,
send in whatever news you may
.ieve and help us to produce a reai
newsy newspaper. Ser.d seme t - day '
ones, that they become but cc*rr®n-i
place of every day.
As for the “Northern Lights,” only
a Service with words or a Lawrence
with paints can give even a vague i
idea of their splendor as they cover!
' the northern heavens and seemingly:
Truly Kiana is in a land of beauty ••
wanton with the stars and moon. j
and plenty.
HEWITT’S
PHOTO SHOP
6MGHCRA6E, &L&SXA
* —
* ? r* -P, nt
• inr** 24-boor tilr? Ferric*.
a
DEVELOPING - PRINTING
ENLARGING
Underwood Portable* a nd'
Royal Standard Typewriter*
—Stationary — Kodak* and
Accessories—Eastman Deal
ers.
»|
Wo Fin
BA!LORDERS
Promptly ai*« ESciestly
.V
'jh.
CALLING A * L;H t'SB \SOS
LOS ANGELES—A blende, well
dressed woman—victim of amnesia—
sat in police headquarters trying to
remember who she was. A radio was
turned on and her face brightened.
‘That’s it,” she exclaimed. “My hus
band works in' a radio station^' ’ A1
station was called and George Car
ruthirs came down and claimed his
wife, Muriel, 36.'.
MANY FI R FARMS
Two hundred seventy - five fur
ranches are operated in Alaska. The
largest number are blue fox farms,
of which there are 150. Mink ranches
are next : .ost plentiful with 60. Then
corre silver, black, cross and red fox
wi h 42; white fox, eicht; marten,
six; muskret. four; beaver, two and
one each of the following: fitch, rac
coon, and land otter.
CTRTOt S ESKIMO BELIEF
A curious belief of the Eskimo
r*>fees was to the effect that if a
man or woman died through violence
owsoicide, his future existence would
be a pleasant one some place where
there was an abundance of fresh wat
er and game and an utter absence of
cold and snow, but there are no re
ords available to show whether ot
not this belief proved to be any in
ducement to suicide.
Among the Eskimoes the Ongutkuk
(medicine men) were credited with
haring intercourse not only with the
.evil spirits but also with the souls of
the departed ones. The old time Esr
kimo did believe that the only connec
tions the Ongutkuks had were with
evil spirit*.
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KUSKO TIMES today.
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• •
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anchorage;
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kum
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LIQUOR & CIGAR STORE !
RUBY McCORMICK and JOE SIBONA, Proprietors
A Wide Variety Of
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By The Quart.Or. Gallon
Located Ip The DubowfioiWinf
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