REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION 



APPENDIX No. XI 



LAPP IMMIGRATION TO NORTHERN CANADA AND LAPPS AS 

 HERDERS OF REINDEER 



Memorandum prepared by Mr. Commissioner Harkin, embodying excerpts from 

 letters addressed by Dr. Grenfell to Mr. Jose Machado, Secretary of the Cana- 

 dian Branch of the International Grenfell Association, also from, certain 

 correspondence passing between Mr. W. Kjellmann, of Los Angeles, California, 

 and the National Parks Branch of the Department of the Interior. 



April 21, 1921. 

 Memorandum: 



A suggestion has been made that the development of the reindeer industry 

 in Canada could be promoted by arrangements by which reindeer-owning-Lapps 

 in Alaska and Lapland could be located on suitable areas in that part of Ungava 

 bordering on the northeast coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The suggestion 

 was first made by Wm. Kjellmann, of Los Angeles, California, who was 

 associated for a time in United States Government reindeer enterprises in 

 Alaska. He made the suggestion to Dr. Grenfell, of the Labrador Medical 

 Mission, and it was transmitted by him thorugh Mr. Jose Machado, Secretary, 

 Canadian Branch of the International Grenfell Association, to the Department 

 of the Interior. 



The following is an extract from a letter writen by Dr. Grenfell on Februarv 

 24, 1921, to Mr. Machado:— 



"I wish you would at once put the Department of the Government 

 in touch with this man. It is exactly what we want in Canadian Labrador. 

 The land north of Harrington and all the way along that coast from Cape 

 Whittle to St. Augustine is just perfect for deer raising. I wish the 

 Canadians would at once get in touch with the Lapps and get them to 

 come over and bring a whole heap of deer. It would well repay outlay 

 of their transportation in time, for natives would then get herds. There 

 are millions of miles of reindeer moss barrens, and other adaptable vegeta- 

 tion. I feel sure Labrador, especially Canadian Labrador, is the best 

 adapted country for deer food in the Dominion." 



The following is an extract from a further letter written by Dr. Grenfell 

 on March 21, 1921, to Mr. Machado:— 



"Re Kjellmann: He is really intensely interested in the deer. He 

 knows the Lapps well. He says all the reindeer ground in both Sweden 

 and Norway is now taken up. Herds can't expand for want of mileage. 

 The Lapps have written him they want to bring herds over. It would 

 be ideal for Canada, and I think the Federal Government should certainly 

 help them with transportation. He says the markets also are too far 

 from Lapland, and that big companies have to buy 10,000 to 20,000 and 

 kill and freeze them for export. He says one Lapp friend of his in Alaska 

 took on loan 100 deer from the United States Government in 1901, and 

 up to date has sold 7,000 deer from them, at average value of $22. 



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