ESKIMOS NEARER POLE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 15

ESKIMOS NEARER POLE

Game More Abundant

More Esldmos will live tliis year closer to tbe Norfh Polc, as a result of deereasing game and fartbcx north oceupation of Canada's Arctie by government officials. Tbe administration of tbe Nortb West Territories has tbe past few years been experimenting witb tbe nortbward movement of Eskimos in tbe eastern Arctic, and this year will continue tbe nortbward trek. Tbe pa?t few years families of Eskimos from soutbern Baffin l'sland, wbere game is becomipg scarcer, bave been taken aboaxd tbe ammal supply ship witb all their belongings and transported to poliee and trading posts on Devon and Ellesmere Islands. Tbere tbese families bave acclimatised tbemselves and found better bunting botb for food and tbe fur trade. Only tbe younger nativcs are picked for tbe northward trek, and the proposition is carefully explained to them, so that they are free to take advantage of it, or rejeet it. "Work is given them at the poliee and fur posts farther north, which is an inducemeiit, -as tbe

a more soutbern posts bave too large a eommunity to give everyone work. At tbe nortbern posts tbere are , many cbores to be done; for tbe men guiding g , winter patrols and food hunting, for tbe women sewing and eooking. All nortbern posts haVe Esliimo belpers. Formerly Eskimos^ used to be 'brought over from Greenland to work at tbe more nortbern .posts in tbe eastern' Arctic. But now tbat Canada's Eskimos are becouiing more numerous in tbe Hudson Straits area, it is no. longer necessary to hire Greenland Eskimos, and tbere are few of tbem left now in Canada's eastern Arctic. In addition to tbe placing of tbe ■ Eskimos in new regions wbere game is more abundant and work more regular, tbere is tbe angle of oecupation of tbe country now tbat aerial routes, mineral developments, and otber reasons raake possible tbe claims of otber, countries to part of Canada's Arctic, whieh now reach es to tbe Nortb Pole. To forestall any such future claims, tho Dommion is occupying tbe Arctie island to within nearly 700 miles of tbs, Nortb Pole._