the well ha Dut Ar. ate ed Ir. a st 10 T t questioned as to why we didn't get the pipe. He recalled something about it but didn't know the facts. After more discussion on the subject it was brought out that the Navy pipe was available and all we had to do was to get it in order to complete the water project which was proposed some time ago. Mr. O'Brien was satisfied that the water project could be completed. Many laughed and someone said now that the O'Brien water project is completed now lets start on the O'Brien gas project. Everyone laughed. Mr. Taylor raised the question as to how many children came home after attending high school at Mount Edgecumbe. The answer was that most of them never return. Mr. Penrod pointed out that it was due to their finding a place for their skills as we do, thus the children seek jobs in the cities and settle there. Chairman O'Brien pointed to both Fred and Johnny and said, "You have some good material here." Mr. Ipalook stated that neither of them had gone beyond the seventh grade. Mr. Croell, principal of the Barrow Day School, spoke on the overcrowded rooms. Stated that 9 teachers were carrying a 12-teacher load; that they had to remodel an old warehouse this year to accommodate so many children. He stated it was a combination of the increased population and the increased jobs available by Federal projects. He emphasized the need for better housing for teachers and said we now have inadequate quarters. Mr. Penrod said they were taking into consideration all the needs for better schooling at Barrow including quarters for the teachers. Mr. Dawson, Congressman from Utah said that the situation was typically American, that even the schools in Utah were having classes in three shifts a day. Chairman O'Brien agreed that this situation was prevalent throughout the country but added that education must continue to fight for improvement. Mr. Croell continued to say that quarters were needed desperately for teachers and that next year there would be another 25 to 30 starting into the first grade. Reverend Wartes added that his wife who is an efficiency expert and had compiled figures and had found that there were about 154 junior high age youngsters and that a sizable number of them should be going to high school. He tried to impress the subcommittee members of the great need for better schooling in Barrow and for a high school. Chairman O'Brien thanked everyone present. He said they would carry the suggestions back to Washington and added how very wonderful it was that we could all sit down together and discuss these problems. He suggested that we write up all the details and make a statement of facts for the committee record. It was agreed that those who spoke and anyone wanting to make a statement on the three issues should do so in writing and turn them over to the council at which time a formal statement would be prepared and sent to Washington with a copy to Mr. Bob Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett came up to the writer and asked her to give him a list of the names of those on the Barrow Native Council. Subsequently the following statements were submitted by the Native Council, Fred K. Ipalook, Rev. William C. Wartes, Thomas P. Brower, and Sterling G. Croell. (The statements referred to above follow:) 70587-56-pt. 1- --16 Re: Local needs-Barrow UNITED STATES CONGRESS, BARROW VILLAGE COUNCIL, Barrow, Alaska, October 7, 1955. House of Representatives, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, (Attention: Hon. Mr. O'Brien, chairman.) DEAR MR. O'BRIEN: At a meeting held on the 22d of September it was decided by this council that a combined statement be made concerning the three major items of need in this community which had been brought to the attention of Territorial and Insular Affairs Committee from Washington, D. C. After a short survey made by this council, it was found that 15 individuals were interested in buying material for a complete new home and 26 would order material for addition to their homes. Since this survey was not at all complete due to the fact that it was taken without actual personal contact with all who might be interested, this council feels that at least 5 more might have put in for a complete new home and 15 to 20 who might order for additions to homes. This council also feels that the problem of housing in this community is a very important necessity since the growth of families and need for better homes warrants it. The cost of shipping this material from stateside has always been a problem of expense and even now when the economic situation in this community has been at its best one can only hope to order material without having to pay so much freight. After all, a man is still trying his best to spend as little as possible and trying to make ends meet on $190 per week average. After the cost of groceries, like milk for 25 cents per can, a loaf of bread from 40 to 60 cents per loaf and coffee at $1.50 per pound, there isn't much left you can save when you want to keep warm too with coal selling for $42 to $44 per ton. Stove oil will only cost you 60 cents per gallon but that oil heater has to be on 24 hours per day during winter months. White gas price now is $1 per gallon. So you see there isn't really much left to pay the high cost of freight after you have taken care of the essentials for yourself. However, if this request for freight-free materials should come through it will encourage many and the living conditions will have been bettered 100 percent for the individuals who are ordering new homes. It has long been the desire of this community to use the natural gas fuel for heating and lighting but up till now have not been able to get approval from certain Government agencies. This council wishes at this time to stress the need for sufficient electricity in this community and can see no reason why it should not be harnessed to generate electricity whereby we could distribute to every home and agencies. If for some reason the use of natural gas for heating and lighting could not be approved, the council would like to make clear that should this happen, we would then ask that it be at least harnessed to generate electricity for the whole community. The fact that it would be dangerous to release for the use of heating the community has placed a damaging evidence in the past. However, only as second choice we wish to make clear that it be used to generate electricity. Obtaining a powerplant through the REA would be a minor problem if the approval was given to use natural gas for power. The present rate of electricity by the way is $5 flat rate for each 100-watt bulb per month. In other words, if a family were using 350 watts every month they would pay $17.50 per month. Many homes are using this kind of electricity because it's the only kind available. Educational problem here is also in the prime for betterment. Higher education is more than ever wanted and the children who are at this age and grades are just dropping out of school because they cannot get higher education. Children who are in the 7th and 8th grades and who know that they do not stand a chance of getting higher education just lose interest and eventually drop out, where on the other hand, if they knew that they would go right on to high school would have gained and not lost interest and continue on to high school. The fortunate few whose parents can afford to pay airplane tickets to Mount Edgecumbe and Sheldon Jackson Schools go there every year for high school. At any rate a junior high school would be a great step and a hope for bigger and full high school in the future. The three major foregoing needs in Barrow-namely: (1) housing, (2) gas and light plant for Barrow, and (3) education—are essential needs in our community. We do greatly appreciate your help and consideration on the needs for improvement in our economic living in our community. Sincerely, Attest: EBEN HOPSON, President. VICTOR KOONALOAK, Vice President. STERLING G. CROELL, ANS Adviser. Re: Congressional Subcommittee on Insular and Territorial Affairs-Local needs, BARROW VILLAGE COUNCIL, Barrow, Alaska. DEAR SIR: One of the essential needs in our community, that we presented before the Congressional Subcommittee of Insular and Territorial Affairs was the housing problem. The last housing project for the natives of Barrow was handled in the year 1949-50 through the Alaska Native Service, in which the natives paid for house materials at Seattle, Wash. The big part that the Department of the Interior, through its agency, The Alaska Native Service, did help was to haul the building materials from Seattle to the beach at Barrow on the supply boat, The North Star. In this way, the natives in spite of high cost of living were enabled or helped to obtain proper housing. (Elsewhere the price of coal hauied from Meade River a distance of 85 miles to Barrow was quoted at $42 a ton. I believe, we who are living in Barrow are fortunate to have coal at this price. If Meade River coal mine was not operating and we have to have coal shipped from Seattle $42 would not even cover the transportation on coal per ton. Therefore, it can be seen what we mean of high cost of living in Barrow.) During the last housing project the native population here was about 900. Since then the population has increased rapidly to about 1,200. Therefore, the housing for this number of people is getting to be serious again. The younger couples are living with their parents. I shall give one example of a young man, who has a family of his own and who, as I said before, in spite of high cost of living, managed to save $3,000 for house materials. He mailed his order to Seattle in the spring and found out that the materials would cost him not less than $5,000 landed. So, this young man had to go without a home this year. Hoping that the housing problem that is confronting our younger generation can be solved, I am Yours sincerely, FRED K. IPALOOK. PRESBYTERIAN MISSION, Re Congressional Subcommittee on Territorial Affairs (local needs-Barrow) DEAR SIRS: Thank you for your request that I put in writing the various points Among other things mentioned in the public meeting, I indicated our church's opposition to any further use of the Indian reservation system, whether with the Eskimos or Indians. This type of program would be to reverse the development of all local initiative and responsible citizenship and would undermine years of work to bring native people into their rightful place in the national community. Until recently we have had no peace officer stationed in Barrow and the whole picture of law enforcement and the full development of this need with reference to the powers and responsibilities of the Barrow Village Council need complete review. Perhaps the village should be incorporated on a modest scale. The medical situation is greatly improved over what is was 2 or 3 years ago and the need is being met better than ever before, and the means for continued improvements are in view. The activities of some of the military and contractor personnel on the Dewline project continue to cause considerable anxiety over their right to come into this village bringing their immorality and VD. Many of these people continue to violate the expressed wish and democratic ruling of the local village people by bringing in liquor, appearing drunk on our streets, molesting property, and endangering lives. Certainly this situation calls for action in placing this village off limits to those undesirables who have no real interest in or care for the welfare of the Eskimo people nor their rights, interests, or feelings. The Barter Island people have made their position clear to the military and their desire not to have their village rules broken. The military people and contractors there have been most cooperative on this. Why should Barrow be different? Educational needs: It is clear to all of us that our young people need to have the fullest possible educational preparation for life, even if they plan to spend all of their lives right here in Barrow. It is the position of our church that education is good for everyone and is not wasted on people who continue, if they so desire, to live largely a native way of life. Even an elderly person may want to go on learning and using his mind to the fullest. This is to be admired. We know that in Barrow many drop out of school due to lack of interest and a feeling that they will not be able to go on to complete their schooling anyway. It is rather clear that many would be encouraged by more complete schooling available locally, and they would not be tempted to drop out in the seventh and eighth grades if they saw more of the older children continuing in school right here. There are many very good reasons for not sending children out to school. In most cases they would do better here. I will not go into this extensively, but stress the immediate need for the ninth and tenth grades here and a full high school in the near future. Note these statistics: Barrow young people who are 15, 16, and 17 years old... In high school at Mount Edgecumbe or Sheldon Jackson (more than half of the rest have dropped out of school).. Barrow children who are 5, 6, and 7 years of age_ LOCAL NATURAL GAS Although certain governmental agencies and individuals have been slow to give their approval for the release of the natural gas which is already accessible and in good supply here, there are many who do not see any good reason for not releasing the gas for village use. Regardless of the plan used-whether to generate electrical power for local use in quantity or to pipe in the gas-there is still good and sufficient reason for the native people to have the resources that are available locally under their domain. As it is now even during times of employment, many homes are cold too many days out of the year, leading to excessive sickness and added burdens for hospital care and treatment. My personal opinion in discussing the use of the gas well would divide the need into two separate parts. With all the Government agencies here running their own light plants night and day—ACS, the Bureau of Standards, Weather Bureau, and Public Health Service hospital which also supplies the schoolit appears to me as a taxpayer that we have a responsibility to have a common power source for them. We buy power from the Government now and we would hope to continue this and we would like to see that the village has access to a good source of power to fill the need for villagewide use. The matter of using the gas well for general heating is another issue and a big one. I cannot speak for the other churches which are new in the village since 1954 and do not have our extensive program, but we spent over $5,000 on fuel last year. In this present year, we have budgeted $5,900 for fuel. This should give some idea of the present expenditures on fuel in the Government installations, all but one of which have a great deal bigger heating requirement than we do. It is clear that the ANS has sponsored the Meade River coal mine project and that this does give some employment to local people. If this was for the greatest good for the most people in the long run, we would like to see it continue. Instead it means that the school and hospital are run at a tremendous cost to the taxpayer, and money that could well be spent on more needful things goes to pay extremely high prices for coal ($42 a ton) and stove oil, deisel oil, and gasoline ($30 to $50 per 50-gallon drum). If there was no natural gas available, there would be little choice but to continue carrying the tremendous financial burden for fuel); however, under the present availability of the gas, it seems unbelievable that anyone would favor bringing coal 85 miles by cat-train and oil all the way from Seattle by ship. wline this le to e by en lage fare There is no question in my mind but that our ability to serve this community would be greatly augmented both from the standpoint of our budget and staff, not to mention the saving in maintenance labor and upkeep, if we could use natural gas instead of coal and oil. Sincerely yours, WM. C. WARTES. Re Public education, vocational training. BARROW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, BARROW VILLAGE COUNCIL, Barrow, Alaska. DEAR SIRS: To speak on behalf of the local needs on education, I feel qualified to do so from the standpoint of residence sufficient in length (4 months) to understand the people and their needs in this regard through Christian education in the church. Also, I hold a bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Washington at Seattle. The facilities of the public school at Barrow have greatly improved over what they were a number of years ago before the Second World War and have expanded to barely keep up with an increasing population of school-age children. The specific problem which I would like to see reviewed is the objective of the school curriculum. The general education at Barrow is fine; however, it is my feeling that a vocational program should be added which would give the Eskimo people some badly needed practical training. Business training in home finance and budgeting, homemaking, maintenance (tools, guns, and equipment), carpentry, engine mechanics, electricity (home wiring), and leather tanning (for women) to meet present day standards are the areas which need attention if the Eskimo people are to adequately meet the inroads of our mechanized culture based on a money economy which they did not have 5 to 15 years ago. Each year has seen more building, increased use of vehicles such as jeeps and weasels, motorboats, modern home appliances, and other innovations of stateside culture. If the Eskimo people are to adjust to this tremendous change, it will require the type of education which can be met only by vocational courses. This underlines the need for a ninth grade immediately. Such training would create interest and need for standard curriculum. I think this recommendation is a necessary step to help the Eskimo people become responsible citizens in the Territory, contributiong to the potential of Alaska as a peer among States. Here, too, is the possibility of working out solutions which would have a direct bearing on the overall Indian problems in the States to pioneer action in support of the eventual elimination of the reservation system (which does not exist here). Respectfully submitted. WILLIAM ZEIGER. CAPE SMYTHE WHALING AND TRADING Co., Barrow, Alaska. Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: As a citizen of the village of Barrow listening in on the three major items being presented to the committee by the village council: 3. Education. I was in favor of all, and the records shown in the minutes of the Barrow Village Council should clarify all points. However, I would like to make this statement on issue No. 3 (No. 2) natural gas and light plant. In view of the high cost bringing in from Seattle diesel fuel and gasoline. I recommended that a turbine capable of operating on natural gas situated at the well site piping in power 7 miles to Barrow would be a blessing to Barrow. Natural Gas which could be used as power being of unlimited supply, would give much-needed space on the supply vessel for project No. 1-Housing. I hope this statement be given consideration as I have brought this out in 1954 to other hearing committee, checking the health of our community. Sincerely, THOMAS P. BROWER. |