It should be noted that in the areas where the Eskimos have come 

 into closest contact with the white man they have become increas- 

 ingly dependent upon the white man for food, clothing, and equip- 

 ment, and have adopted many of the white man's ways. The 

 Eskimos of the Western Canadian Arctic (between 1,500 and 1,700 

 in number) have become most closely identified with the white 

 man's ways and views, while those of the central mainland area 

 remain the most primitive. The eastern arctic native falls well in 

 between these two positions. It is in the western arctic that the fur 

 trade has its greatest development and plays the greatest part in 

 the native economy. The Government's attempt to interest some 

 of these natives in reindeer herding has not been too successful. 



It is a matter of military importance to have an understanding 

 of the culture and capabilities of the Eskimos, along with major 

 health problems endemic to the area. The natives are susceptible 

 to trichinosis, rabies, respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, and ven- 

 ereal diseases. 



GEOGRAPHY OF ARCTIC ALASKA AND WESTERN CANADA 



In western Canada, the treeline swings north, approaching the 

 coast at the delta of the Mackenzie River, and continuing across 

 Alaska along the southern foothills of the Brooks Range. Using 

 this as a delimitation of the Arctic, it is seen that only a relatively 

 small area in western North America can be considered true arc- 

 tic, as compared with the eastern portions. Most of the Yukon and 

 Alaska are subarctic. Summer isotherms tend northwest to south- 

 east. There is a gulf of warmth from Hudson Bay to Aklawik. 



ALASKAN ARCTIC 



The arctic slope of Alaska widens west of the Yukon upland 

 region. The coastal plain is flat to gently rolling, bordered on the 

 seaward edge by beaches and lagoons separated from the ocean by 

 bars and spits. Numerous small islands fringe the shore. The 

 plain is drained by many small rivers and the larger Meade, Col- 

 ville, and Noatak Rivers. West of the valley of the Colville, the 

 coastal plain is dotted by many lakes. The main settlement of this 

 area is at Point Barrow, with smaller Eskimo villages and trading 

 posts at Wainwright, Point Hope, and Kotzebue. 



Between the arctic slope and the drainage basin of the Yukon 

 River lies the Brooks Range. This is a relatively low mountain 

 system in comparison with other Alaskan ranges. It rises to 

 elevations of 9,000 to 10,000 feet in only a few peaks. The range 



51 



