The Thlinget. [volume], September 01, 1908, Image 1

About The Thlinget. [volume] (Sitka, Alaska) 1908-1912

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ALASKA HISTORICAL LIBRARY ARB MUSEUM
Thlinget
Devoted To The Interests Of The Native People Of Alaska
Vol 1. Sitka, Alaska. September embi 1908. No. 2.
Citizenship.
now seems timely for the
missionaries of the various
denominations to unite in peti
tioning Congress to determine
the legal status of the natives of
South Eastern Alaska. In the
treaty oflSOT.hv which Russia
ceded Alaska to the United
States it was stipulated that all
Russian subjects including the
Creoles and' Aleuts of Western
Alaska, should enjoy all the
rights privileges and iinmunites
of American citizens. j.
Are not the Thlin?ets. >
Hydasand Metlakahtlans y
justly entitled to the same f
rights {ruaranteed the t
Creoles and Aleuts bv k
treaty stipulation? b
It seems but reasonable r
that these natives of the 1
soil who. since the advent f
of the white man. have so I
readily identified them- 1
selves with commercial and r
industrial life.shonld have r
an "opendoor" in commer- *
cial pursuits and in the ex- '
ercise of their civic i ijrhts. ?
Is it asking tot much that, law
abiding intelligent natives should
have the door of opportunity and
fair competition opened to them?
Are they not as well qualified to
exercise the right of citizenship
as nine tenths of the foreigners
hitherto naturalized by our
courts? They should at once
be given the right to hold lands,
to locate mining claims, to be
come licensed pilots and engin
eers.and to forge forward asfast
ms their environment and educn
tion will permit. Tliey have t.l
wavs been self-support injr. pr<
e-ressive. patriotic-, ameiabb 1c
the laws and have reMililv intbib
ed the spirit of Ameri rati inst it tt
tions. Since l^sl liberal
laws luive been eiiMcted by ( un
dress i-t'latin?rto the civic rifjlit*
and just treatnieiit of the nbc
l'iii'iites of our land. Now. with
the advent of the quest ion < f
territorial rifrhts. is itnskinjr too
much that these nativeAinericans
be given th1 lights of free r en
so that they may wor": ot t their
own destiny in open competition.1
The broad foundation of human
rights guaranteed to the people]
by the Fourteenth Amendment to
our Constitution says, that "all |
persons born or naturalized in:
the United ftates and subject to
t"'e Jurisdiction fhereof areciti
zens of the United States". It only
awaits for Congress to declare
hoi r inherent mid civic rights to
the glorious privilege of citizen
ship! Wm.A.Kelly
The Right Point of View.
("rit irs are like weeds.easily grown
It does not. reipiire any great
amount of brains to be one.
That is. to be one of the com
mon, every day stripe. Nor is
the common, ordinary critic
that we meet with everyday very
w > foiwi'ipiitWithout
looking into t h?> merits of
| the case.or vi? wing it fr< m
I various standpoints. lie
I takes a one-sided view of
it. hastily draws his con
clusions and flatters him
| self that lie is capable of
^ delivering an opinion upon
i it. Xowthe education
] al and missionary work
amongst the natives of
< Alaska, has a host of just
such irresponsible critbs
^ They seem to be supreme
. lv indifferent about being
^ just either to the cause or
, the workers.
? ? . i.:i.. ..41.
Ill JIUIglUg "1 I'llllilll I 111
work carried on by missionaries
and teachers, t he first glaring
mistake they make is to com
pirethe natives with the whites:
and because they do not see
them as a whole living equally
as well as the whites on a whole,
they boldly declare that nothing
has been done for 1h<> natives.
Now thiscomparison is manifest
ly unjust botli to the native and
{the worker.
i
Sancta Hnmilitas
i
llnj (C'.ntvlra ?uranria *;bfr 9 '
Keep, Lord, Thy child in poverty
If wealth must dim his eyes
To the bcaui'us of T'ly pictured earth,
To the glory ol Thy skies.
1
And in Thy mercy send dofoat ' *
If victory's fruit must be
Indifference to his nei jhbor's need ?
If victory cost him Thee !
)>