134 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



especially that of southeastern Greenland and of Labrador, has been 

 developed. 



Thus the work of the last few years throws a new light on the whole 

 Eskimo problem and brings it near, it would seem, to its final solution. 



The work of the last two years indicates also much as to the future 

 of the Alaska Eskimo. He has a high mortality, but even higher 

 fecundity. He is not dying out and will not do so. But he is becoming 

 rapidly admixed with white blood. Part of this came from the Rus- 

 sians, part from marriages or unions of later whites with the attrac- 

 tive native women ; and the mixedbloods are diffusing the blood among 

 the rest of the people. In all probability no pureblood Eskimo will 

 be born a century from now. Thus as a pureblood the western Alaska 

 Eskimo will in a few generations become largely if not entirely a 

 matter of scientific history. But the Eskimo-white population promises 

 to increase rather than decrease. The tuberculous troubles are already 

 frequently assuming a chronic form, and there are many cases of 

 partial and even complete recovery. With increasing knowledge the 

 people will also be able to better care for themselves. Thus it may 

 safely be expected that the Eskimo population, though more or less 

 altered in blood, will remain to form the human backbone of these 

 far away coasts and rivers. With this in view, everything possible 

 should be done towards curing and safeguarding this good, happy, 

 tractable, and already fairly civilized people, from their one great 

 scourge, tuberculosis, which is of white man's introduction. 



