_Auk Point._--Thanks to Father Kashevaroff and Mr. Charles H. Flory,
the district forester, an excursion was arranged one day to Auk Point,
approximately 15 miles distant, a picturesque wooded little promontory
near which there used to be a settlement of the Auk Indians. On the
point were several burials of shamans and a chief of the tribe (all
other dead being cremated), and near the graves stood until a short
time ago a moderate-sized totem pole. Of all this we found but bare
remnants. The burials of three shamans and one chief had been in huge
boxes above ground; but they had all been broken into and most of the
contents belonging to the dead were taken away, including the skulls.
The skeletal parts of two of the bodies and a few bones of the chief
remained, however, with a few objects the vandals had overlooked. The
latter were placed in the Juneau Museum while the bones, showing some
features of interest, were collected and sent to Washington. A large
painted board near the graves of the shamans remained, though damaged.
The totem pole, however, had been cut down the year before by a young
man from Juneau, who then severed the head, which he carried home,
and left the rest on the beach, from where it was soon washed away.
Thus a group of burials, the only ones known of the once good-sized Auk
tribe, have been despoiled and their record lost to science. And such a
fate is, according to all accounts, rapidly overtaking similar remains
everywhere in southeastern Alaska.
_Rare stone lamp (?)._--At the museum one of the first and most
interesting objects shown the writer by Father Kashevaroff was a
large, heavy, finely sculptured oblong bowl, made of hard, dark
crystalline stone, decorated in relief on the rim and with a squatting
stone figure, cut from the same piece, near one of the ends. The
bowl looks like a ceremonial lamp, though showing no trace of oil or
carbon. Subsequently four other bowls of this same remarkable type
and workmanship were learned of, two, the best of the lot, in the
University Museum at Philadelphia; one in the Museum of the American
Indian, New York; and one, somewhat inferior and of reddish stone, in
the possession of Mr. Müller, the trader at Kaltag, on the Yukon (later
in that of Mr. Lynn Smith, marshal at Fairbanks). The localities where
the five remarkable and high-grade specimens have been found range
from the Kenai Peninsula in southwestern Alaska to the lower Yukon.
The Juneau specimen comes from Fish Creek, near Kuik, Cook Inlet (see
Descriptive Booklet Alaska Hist. Mus., Juneau, 1922, pp. 26, 27); that
in the Heye Museum is from the same locality; the one in Philadelphia
was found in the Kenai Peninsula; while that at Kaltag came from an old
Indian site on the Kaiuh slough of the Yukon. Locally, there is much
inclination to regard these specimens as Asiatic, especially Japanese,
and a bronze Japanese Temple medal has been found near that now at
Juneau. On the other hand, a strong suggestion of similarity to these
dishes is presented by some undecorated large stone lamps from Alaska,
and by a class of pottery bowls with a human figure perched on the
rim at one end from some of the Arkansas mounds, Mexico, and farther
southward. (See Mason, J. A. A remarkable stone lamp from Alaska. The
Museum Jour., Phila., 1928, 170-194.)
_Copper mask._--Shortly before leaving Juneau I became acquainted with
Mr. Robert Simpson, manager of the "Nugget" curio shop, and found in
his possession a number of interesting specimens made in the past by
the Tlingit Indians. An outstanding piece was an old copper mask, which
was purchased for the National Museum. Mr. Simpson obtained it years
ago from a native of Yakutat and stored it with native furs and other
articles of value. It originally belonged to a shaman of the Yakutat
tribe and was said to have been worn by him in sacrificial slave
killings, the shaman with the mask representing some mythical being. It
is an exceedingly good and rare piece of native workmanship.
_Copper "shield."_--Another interesting article secured from Mr.
Simpson is a large old shieldlike plate of beaten copper, decorated on
one side with a characteristic Tlingit engraved design. Mr. Simpson,
in a letter to Doctor Hough, dated June 26, 1926, says: "The shield,
or to speak more correctly the copper plate--for it was not used as a
shield--was the most valuable possession of the Tlingits. They were
usually valued in slaves, this one, at the last known exchange, having
been traded for three slaves. The possessor of four or five such plates
was a man of the utmost wealth. Some claim that they got these copper
plates from the early New England traders and others that they came
from the Copper River. Either is possible. Lots of the Copper River
nuggets were very large and flat and could have readily been hammered
into plate form. I bought this in the village of Klawak on the west
coast of Prince of Wales Island. I do not know of another one around
here. All of the local elderly natives are familiar with its previous
value, and when they have wandered into my shop to sell things they
always made deep obeisance to this plate."
_Talks._--While in Juneau the writer spoke before the Rotarians, who
honored him with a lunch; and later, in the auditorium of the fine new
high school, gave a public lecture on "The Peopling of America," etc.
The object of these and the many subsequent talks in Alaska was, on
the one hand, to reciprocate as far as possible the kindness and help
received on all sides, and on the other to leave wholesome information
and stimulus in things anthropological. The audience was invariably
all that a lecturer could desire, and many were left everywhere eager
for help and cooperation. The aid of some of these men, including
prospectors, miners, settlers, engineers, foresters, and various
officials, may some day prove of much value in the search for Alaskan
antiquities.
_Juneau--Seward._--June 8, leave Juneau. It has been raining every day,
with one exception, and is misting now, depriving us of a view of most
of the coast. Wherever there is a glimpse of it, however, it is seen to
be mountainous, wooded below, snowy and icy higher up, inhospitable,
forbidding.
June 10, arrive at Cordova, a former native and Russian settlement
of some importance. Will stay here large part of the day and go
to see about Indians, old sites, burials, and specimens, the main
hotel keeper, the assistant superintendent of the local railway, the
postmaster, the supervisor of the forests, and Dr. William Chase, who
has been connected with the work of the Biological Survey in these
regions. Mr. W. J. McDonald, the forester, takes me out some miles
into the very rugged country, where there are still plenty of bear and
mountain goat. After which Doctor Chase takes me to the old Russian
and Indian cemetery. There are many graves, mostly Indian, but also a
few whites, and even a Chinaman. Russian crosses are still common. The
older Indian part could be easily excavated. Learn of skulls and bones
on "mummy" island in Prince William Sound.
_Indians._--See quite a few. Nearly all appear more or less mixed;
color in these more or less pronounced tan with red in cheeks and
some tendency to paleness. Heads still all brachycephalic and of only
moderate height; faces broad, noses not prominent, in males tend to
large.
Two adult men, evidently full-bloods--pure Indian type of the
brachycephalic form, head moderate in size, medium short, face not
very large, nose slightly or moderately convex, not prominent, but
all Indian. Color of skin submedium to near medium brown, no trace of
whitish or pink. Stature and build medium; feet rather small; hair
typical Indian, black, straight; beard sparse and short; mustache
sparse, no hair on sides of the face.
The boat makes two or three more commercial and passenger stops
before reaching Seward, the main one at Valdez, the terminal of the
Richardson Trail to the interior. These stops permit us to see some
fish canneries, which are of both general and anthropological interest.
These establishments employ Japanese, Philippine, and Chinese labor,
and it was found to be quite a task to distinguish these, and to tell
them from the coast Indians. The Chinamen can be distinguished most
often, though not always, the Japanese less so, while the Filipino
usually can not be told from the Indian, even by an expert. Here was a
striking practical lesson in relationships.
_Seward--Anchorage._--Seward found to be a fine little town, full of
the same good brand of people that one finds everywhere in Alaska and
who go so far to restore one's faith in humanity. It is the terminus of
the Government railroad to Fairbanks and a port of some importance.
_Indian basketry._--No Indians were seen here, though some come
occasionally. But several of the stores, including that of the Seward
Drug Co. (Mr. Elwyn Swestmann), have an unexpectedly good supply of
decorated Alaska Indian baskets. It was found later, in fact, that the
Alaskan Indians, with the Aleutians, compare well in basketry with
those of Arizona and California.
_Anchorage._--June 12-13. Anchorage, on Cook's Inlet, is a good-sized
town for Alaska and the headquarters of the railroad. Here were met
some very good friends, particularly Mr. Noel W. Smith, general manager
of the railroad; Dr. J. H. Romig, formerly of the Kuskokwim; and Mr.
B. B. Mozee, the Indian supervisor. Here, at Ellis Hall, I lectured
on "The Origin and Racial Affiliations of the Indians," and the large
audience included seven male (some full blood) and two female (mix
blood) Indians--of the latter, one very pretty, approaching a Spanish
type of beauty. Near town I also visited with a launch two small Indian
fishing camps. From Doctor Romig information was obtained about the
Indians and some old sites of the Kuskokwim; and through the kindness
of Messrs. Smith and Mozee I was enabled to visit the Indian school at
Eklutna. Here at Anchorage I also was given the first and rather rare
old Indian stone implement.
The Indians at the camps included 6 full bloods--4 men, 2 women. One of
the men tested on chest. Typical full-blood results.
Type of full bloods: Color slightly submedium to medium brown, never
darker; heads, subbrachycephalic to full brachycephalic, rather small;
forehead in men more or less sloping in two; face, not large, Indian;
nose tends to convex but not high. Indian in features and behavior, but
features not as pronounced as general in the States tribes.
The full bloods in town: Medium to short stature, not massive frames,
moderate-sized faces, Indian type, but not the pronounced form; head
brachycephalic; hair all black; mustache and beard scarce, as in
Indians in general; color of skin submedium brown. Children in camp
(up to about 5 years) were striking by a relatively considerable
interorbital breadth, otherwise typical Indian.
_Birch-bark dishes._--At Anchorage, in several of the stores, but
particularly at one small store, were seen many nicely decorated
birch-bark dishes or receptacles. They are made by inland Indians, are
prettily decorated with colored porcupine quills, and evidently take
the place of the baskets of other tribes. It was difficult to learn
just what Indians made the best or most, though the Tanana people were
mentioned. No such fine assortment of these dishes was seen after
leaving Anchorage.
_Eklutna._--Sixteen miles from Anchorage, along the railroad, is the
Indian village and school Eklutna. Mr. Smith made it possible for me to
reach this place on a freight and to be picked up later the same day by
the passenger train.
At Eklutna was found an isolated but prettily located and well-kept
Indian school, with about fifty children from many parts of
southwestern Alaska. More than half of these children showed more
or less admixture of white blood, but there was a minority of
unquestionable full bloods. There were two children from Kodiak Island
and two or three southern Eskimo. The main impression after a detailed
look at the children was that, while they all showed clear Indian
affinities and some were typically Indian, yet on the whole there
was a prevalent trace of something Eskimoid in the physiognomies--an
observation that was to be repeated more than once in other parts of
Indian Alaska.
_Burials._--At a few minutes' walk from the school at Eklutna there
is in a clearing of the forest a small Indian village, with a late
graveyard showing Russian influence. A short distance farther, however,
according to the Indians, there is an old burial place of some
magnitude, with traces of graves, although quite obliterated.
_Eklutna--Fairbanks._--Since reaching Seward the almost incessant
drizzles have ceased and the weather has been fine and pleasantly warm.
Everything is green, grass is luxuriant, and there are many flowers.
The railroad journey is a regular scenic tour, with its crowning
point a glorious view of Mount McKinley. The trains run only in the
daytime. For the night a stop is made at a railroad hotel, in a quiet,
picturesque location, at the edge of a good-sized river. They have
foxes in cages here and a tame reindeer. There are no natives in this
vicinity.
There are two interesting passengers on the train, with both of whom I
became well acquainted. One is Joe Bernard, an explorer and collector
(besides his other occupations) in Alaska and Siberia. He furnishes
me with some valuable pictures and much information. The other man is
Captain Wilkins, the flier of Point Barrow fame, who strikes me as an
able and modest man.
The next day, as the train stops at Nenana, I am met, thanks to a word
sent by Mr. Noel W. Smith, by Chief Thomas and a group of his people.
These behave kindly and tell me of a potlatch to be held at Tanana
"after some days," where they will visit. The chief impresses me with
his rather refined though thoroughly Indian countenance.
_Fairbanks._--Before reaching Fairbanks, the inland capital of Alaska,
I am met by Prof. C. E. Bunnell, head of the Alaska Agricultural
College. This college, located on an elevation about 4 miles out of
the city, I visit with Professor Bunnell soon after arrival, to find
there some interesting paleontological and archeological collections.
Here are fair beginnings which well deserve the good will of the
Alaskans. Unfortunately the college has not yet the means for any
substantial progress or research in these lines, and the collections
are housed in a frame building where they are in serious danger from
fire. But their presence will aid, doubtless, in the saving of other
material of similar nature from the Tanana region, and specimens of
special scientific importance will doubtless be referred to scientific
institutions outside.
Fairbanks is a good-sized town, built on the wide flats of the Tanana
River. Its population, now reduced, includes some civilized natives,
most of whom, however, are mix breeds. A large petrified mammoth
tusk on the porch of one of the semi-log houses shows that these
are regions of more than ordinary biological interest. And there is
soon an occurrence which demonstrates this further. Mr. John Buckley,
the deputy marshal, takes me to an old Japanese resident, now a
rooming-house keeper, who has had a hobby of collecting fossils, and
who in the end is happy to donate to the National Museum a fine skull
of a fossil Alaskan horse, together with some other specimens, refusing
all payment. Such is the human Alaska, or at least the most of it.
Here, too, to a full hall in the library, a lecture is given on "The
Peopling of Alaska and America," after which follows a return to Nenana
to catch a steamer to the Yukon.