THE ESKIMOS AND THE MISSION 



when they wear their native dress, and eagerly listen 

 to pointed sermons addressed specially to themselves ; 

 modern hymn-tunes have not yet supplanted the 

 majestic old chorales. 



The people have their own little customs : a 

 young girl ties her plaited hair with a pink ribbon ; 

 a married woman uses blue ; a widow, white. The 

 plaits at the sides hang down in front of the girl's 

 ears, dangling in neat little knots; but when she 

 becomes a full member of the church, attending the 

 communion service and this she may not do until 

 she has reached the sensible age of seventeen she 

 loops her side plaits under her ears and fastens them 

 at the back of her head. These are innocent little 

 things, which appeal strongly to the Eskimo love of 

 the picturesque, and suit their simple minds. 



The practical control of the Eskimos has been 

 left in the hands of the Mission ; and the Mission, 

 in turn, has taken the wise course of appointing a 

 number of the people, generally three or four men 

 and the same number of women, to act as helpers 

 in the maintenance of law and order in the villages. 

 These helpers are called " Kivgat " (literally 

 " servants "), and their first duty is the care of the 

 church ; but they are the virtual leaders of the 

 village life. Though they are "chapel-servants," 

 their post is one of honour : they are chosen because 

 of trusty and sterling character, and their service 

 is for life. The least lapse from moral uprightness 

 would mean deposal, but I have only once known 

 such a thing to happen. It seemed strange to me, 

 when I thought of the old Eskimo custom of making 

 the best hunter the leader, regardless of his character, 



to see our Okak people listening with respect and 



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