IBB;i0AM& BREEDER 



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Alaska Reindeer. 



the reindeer industry remaining in 

 Alaska. After a few years these re- 

 strictions will be removed. At that time 

 they will be found on the menus in many 

 restaurants and on the tables of many 

 homes. The Laplanders who were re- 

 ferred to above may sell their stock to 

 others than natives, but do not care to 

 do so at present. They may sell them 

 because they were given without restric- 

 tions at that time. 



The natives have taken very kindly 

 to the industry and respect as well as 

 love the government, as they realize the 

 benefit. Mr. W. C. Shields, superintend- 

 ent of education for the northwestern 

 district, has written as follows : "These 

 men have the greatest respect for the 

 government and look to us for direc- 

 tion. To leave the Eskimos to face the 

 commercial development of the industry 

 alone would assure its ruin, as they are 

 not yet ready to stand alone. If the in- 

 dustry were allowed to be sacrificed to 

 the greed of the white man, all efifort 

 would have been wasted, as he has al- 

 ways pushed the native to the wall." 

 \\'e know this has been true in the case 

 of the Indian. The natives are anxious 

 to buy females but few wish to sell. 

 One native has over 1,600 reindeer, 

 worth over $40,000. He is the first 

 "reindeer king." Others are rapidly 

 learning that their present life is more 

 profitable than the nomadic 'one of their 

 forefathers. ' They are slowly becoming 

 civilized and at the same time retaining 



the good habits they always had. By 

 this I mean they always believed that 

 if a good turn was done to them, they 

 should do likewise to others. For this 

 reason they are wilUng to teach others 

 the industry. When the American In- 

 dian was "civilized" in a hurry he lost 

 many of his good qualities, as he was not 

 taught in the right way. 



This native is taught gradually. He 

 realizes he can have an income with his 

 deer. Last year it was about $100,000, 

 this was exclusive of the value of the 

 meat and hides used by himself. At 

 present the deer are valued at about $25 

 each. This is a high price because at 

 this rate reindeer meat can not compete 

 with beef, as a dressed reindeer weighs 

 on the average of 150 pounds. Conse- 

 quently after adding the cost of dress- 

 ing, shipping and packing it would cost 

 about twice and in some instances three 

 times that of beef. All this will be done 

 away with when the authorities agree 

 that the time has arrived so that the 

 reindeer industry will be able to stand 

 on its own feet and the natives will be 

 able to sell their stock. 



The reindeer ia like a cow in that it is 

 gentle and has a tendency to stray away. 

 For this reason bells are placed on them. 

 They also chewi cuds and when left 

 alone will feed for a time and then lie 

 down. They are like sheep as they will 

 scatter if suddenly approached. While 

 they give but very little milk, it is very 

 lich and nourishing. The reindeer is a 



