INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 11 



Table IV shows that the number of male deer sold is not in excess 

 of the efficiency of the herd. 



In the establishment of reindeer stations in central and northwest- 

 ern Alaska in 1892, the Bureau of Education found that in order to 

 secure the best results and greatest permanency to the herds and 

 largest success among' the natives it was necessary to avail itself of 

 the existing mission stations. 



These mission stations have been located, in the light of a great 

 deal of experience, at such places as furnish natural centers for the 

 native population and at the same time afford the best facilities for 

 communication with the United States in the short summer season. 



They not only have the advantage of being located in important 

 centers of the native population in the north and west, but they 

 bring with them certain other advantages which the Government 

 may use for its purposes of instructing the natives in the English lan- 

 guage and in the arts of civilized life. In the first place, the mission 

 station is a very effective center for the spread of the use of the English 

 language among the natives, educating not only the children who 

 come to its schools, but also the adult population attending its relig- 

 ious services or coming into any business relation with it whatever. 



At each mission station there is constantly going on a process of 

 selecting the trustworthy natives, those ambitious to learn the civ- 

 ilization of the white men, those ambitious to hold and increase prop- 

 erty. The missions are able at any time to furnish a list of the natives 

 in their vicinities noted for good character. At each of these stations 

 20 or 30 youth, selected from a village population of 300 or more, can 

 be put in training as herdsmen and teamsters. No matter how large 

 the Government appropriation should be, it would be necessary to 

 connect the reindeer instruction and the establishment of permanent 

 herds in northwest Alaska with these missionary stations. 



In view of the above advantages, small herds of 100 reindeer each 

 have been loaned to several stations belonging to different denom- 

 inations as a Government aid in the nature of an outfit of industrial 

 apparatus. The report of the Indian Bureau shows that the United 

 States Government furnished 10,000 head of stock for the period of 

 1890-1896 for one Indian agency (the Blackfeet), and that seeds, 

 implements, stock, wagons, harness, in large amounts, have been fur- 

 nished to other agencies. These donations are certainly more justi- 

 fiable than donations made to prevent the savage peoples from starv- 

 ing, for they are given, in the form of apparatus, for the instruction 

 of these peoples in the industrial arts and in the practice of thrift. 

 AU these tilings prevent starvation. Just as in the agricultural col- 

 leges of the several States, the Government money is used to pa}" for 

 the stock of the model farm, which is used as the apparatus for the 

 instruction of the pupils, so the reindeer herd is used as apparatus 



