FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 15 



and various racial traits on all sides among the laborers are the occa- 

 sion of a variety of complications. An occurrence this summer gave 

 evidence of the possibility of trouble that lies in failure to observe 

 the customs governing the Indians in their fishing operations. A 

 crew from the Sitka tribe fished for the Sitkoh Bay cannery in Redoubt 

 Bay, a short distance south of Sitka, until early in September, when 

 they stopped, giving the scarcity of fish as a cause. Upon this the 

 superintendent of the cannery sent over a crew t)f Killisnoo Indians 

 to fish the bay. The Sitka Indians, however, claim tlic exclusive 

 right to fish there and resented the coming of the Killisnoo crew, 

 who, fully cognizant of their situation, refused to remain in camp on 

 the bay, insisting on being carried back to the canner}^ with each 

 trip of the launch. But for this and the lateness of the season, dis- 

 order and possibly bloodshed could not have been averted. 



The Indian village of Uguiak, a few miles inside of the mouth of 

 Alitak Bay, was raided in June this year, when, as usual during the 

 canning season, the inhabitants were living in temporary quarters at 

 the cannery at the head of the bay some 1 5 miles distant. The raiders, 

 who were the crew of a Japanese sealing schooner, broke open and 

 looted the houses, carrying off furniture, bedding, clothing, etc., and 

 extended the outrage also to a Russian church in the village. Here 

 they had gathered the church vestments and ornaments into a pile 

 in the middle of the nave, preparatory to removing them, when the 

 appearance of several canoes containing Indians from the cannery 

 frightened them away. The schooner left before the Indians could 

 learn her name, which is most unfortunate, as there are a number of 

 Indian villages along the coasts of Alaska similarly deserted and 

 unprotected during the canning season, and the success of the first 

 raid may lead to a repetition of the crime. The safety of these vil- 

 lages is a matter of interest to cannery men as well as to the Indians 

 themselves. If the latter can not leave their property without fear 

 of depredation, they will remain at home to protect it; and not only 

 would their own earning capacity be thus seriously impaired, but the 

 cannery men would be compelled to bring in a larger force of other 

 labor, with all the difficulties and expense of transportation in addi- 

 tion to the cost in higher wages. 



The location of possible future hatcheries was a subject to which 

 attention was given during the inspection at favorable places, at 

 Chilkoot Lake especially. The observations are reported at length 

 in subsequent pages, with other notes regarding these localities. The 

 question of fishing with gaff hooks by Indians who sell their catch to 

 the canneries, a practice noted last year as existing in Chilkoot 

 River, still obtains. It likewise is discussed later in this report. 

 35670-08 3 



