The Nome daily nugget. [volume], December 29, 1937, Page THREE, Image 3

About The Nome daily nugget. [volume] (Nome, Alaska) 1934-1938

Image provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections

                
Norwegian Book
Been Published
j By Arthur Eide
A copy of Arthur Eide’s new
book, "Among the Wife Traders,”
was received by the author in
Juneau recently, and the first
shipment Cram Norway is expect
ed shortly.
The book, printed in Norwegian
at Qsla and bound both in paper
and in boards, describes the liv
ing conditions and tribal customs
of the residents of the Diomede
Islands. Eide, a well known Jun
eau resident, is also the author of
a book of Eskimo folk-tales whi
ch is now in use in Alaska Ter
ritorial schools.
The descriptive advance notices
of the new book have been trans
lated as follows:
"The book records a white man’s
remarkable experience as a school
teacher to a primitive people.
“In the middle of the Bering
I
Strait, half-way between Alaska
and Siberia, lie two small islands,
Big and Little Diomede, known
to the Eskimo as Ingalit and Lm
aklit. Little Diomede belongs to
the yuited States, Big Dioimede
to Russia. Little Diomede is one
of the most GGGoGdGGGG Mgf
of the most Godforsaken spots on
the globe; water is at a premium
as no wells or river is found on
the island. Here the people live
a very primitive life.
,“It is a hard struggle to civilize
these semi-barbaric tribes with
their ancient spirit of worehip &
powerful medicine men. In 1907
a school was built on Little Dio
mede Island, but only three tea
chers alternated teaching there
until 1913; then the Bureau of In
dian Education decided to close
the school as they figured that to
educate these people was wasted
money and effort.
“Only a few white men have
visited this island. One of these
is Arthur Eide, who hails from
the northern part of Norway. He
came to the United States as a
young man. In San Francisco, he
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studied thedlogy in the Berkeley
Seminary. Here he met an Eski
mo girl, Anna Koodlalook, who as
a child had been adopted by the
I Alaska Missionary, Sheldon Jack
son.
She was educated at Harrisburg,
Penn., then she became assistant
teacher with Charles Hawkes
worth in her home village, Point
Barrow. H.re she also acted as
interpreter for HjaLmar Stefans
son, the Arctic explorer. Then
she was in San Francisco study
ing to become a nurse—Eide was
attracked to this charming girl
from the north. They were both
bom in tho Arctic under the Nor
thern Lights, and the Midnight
Sun—and they were both prepar
ing for the same life work. They
married, applied for a position as
teachers in Alaska, were accept
ed and sent to the Little Diomede
Island.
Here Arthur Eide and his Es
kimo wife were received with
open arms by the islanders, but
when he introduced sanitation,
the medicine man, Otoktak, de
cided that Eide was not a friend
any longer but a dangerous man
1—and then when Eide began to
dig in the ancient graveyard for
historical evidence, the medicine
man prophesied that evil day
would ocme upon the people.
“Sure enough, the following fall
furious storms came upon the is
land and the people almost starv
ed to death.
“Otokitak called the people to
gether at night, and Eide was con
, rtemned to death. Eide. who was
at the meeting, decided to meet
fir_ wi‘h fire and called the peo
ple together at the school house.
Here he told the starving Eski
mos that the medicine man was
only a humbug and that he was
powerless to help them, and that
the only salvation for them was
to turn from him to the white
man's God. In their extreme
need, they prayed with the re
marked? result that the storms
died, plenty of game was secured.
Eide had saved his Life and, the
medicine man had lost face.
“It is as school teacher that Eide
tells of the life and habits of
these little-known people, after
years of gathering material all
over Alaska with the able cooper
ation of Koodlalook, who died at
Nome after only nine years of
loving work among her people.
“The Norwegian edition, which
is off the press, has been edited
by the wed!-known author. Axel
Kregh. ‘Among the Wife Trad
ers,’ is a very interesting book
telling of a people living far away
from civilization. With its many
original pictures, it is indeed a
strange story. It is printed in
Oslo, Norway.’’
“SOURDOUGH”
STATIONERY
That unique and humorous*
and typical Alaskan stationery—
"Sourdough Roadhouse Letter
heads and Envelopes", have been
brought strictly uptodate, and are
now available at the Nugget offi
ce.
Write to your friends and rela
tives on the ‘Outside’, using Sour
ough Stationery. They’ll get a big
kick out of it
Subscribe for The Nugget.
HAPPY NEW YEAK
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