Reindeer in Alaska 



141 



REINDEER LOANED BY THE GOVERN- 

 MENT 



The U. S. Government loans a cer- 

 tain number of the reindeer to the 

 mission stations, or to individuals who 

 have shown their ability, reserving the 

 right, after three or five years, of call- 

 ing upon the mission station or the indi- 

 vidual for the same number of deer as 

 •composed the original 

 herd loaned. In 1894 

 the Congregational mis- 

 sion at Cape Prince of 

 Wales was granted the 

 loan of 100 deer. The 

 mission has since paid 

 back the loan, and now 

 possesses in its own right 

 one thousand head. 



A few of the herds, 

 ■notably that at Cape 

 Prince of Wales, have 

 grown so large that the 

 owners are able to kill off 

 some of the extra males 

 for food for the families 

 •of the herders, and to sell 

 others to the butchers in 

 the neighboring mining 

 camps. Last year deer 

 for slaughter brought 

 from $60 to $100 each, 

 while for male deer train- 

 ed to harness miners gave 

 as much as $150 apiece. 

 The herders at this same 

 station earned last winter 

 $600 in gold for freight- 

 ing with their reindeer to 

 the mining camps. The 

 ■deer were worked in dou- 

 ble trace harness like 

 horses, and hauled on sleds 790 pounds 

 •each. 



Of the 60 individual owners of do- 

 mestic reindeer in Alaska today, 44 are 

 Eskimo. Most of them have served a 

 five-year apprenticeship, and having 

 earned their deer are competent to care 

 for them. 



Each owner has his own individual 

 mark, which is branded on the left or 

 right ear of each of his deer. 



IMPORTANCE OF REINDEER 

 MISSION STATIONS 



TO 



The Bureau of Education hopes that 

 in time each mission station will possess 

 a herd of at least 5,000 head. A rein- 



Lieutenant Bertholf Mounted on Reindeer, Showing 

 the Ability of the Reindeer to Carry 210 Pounds 



deer herd at a mission station in arctic 

 or subarctic Alaska means, says Dr 

 Jackson : 



First. The permanence of the mis- 

 sion. Without it the natives are away 

 from home a larger portion of the year 

 in search of food, and, since the advent 

 of the miners, are inclined to leave their 



