SENTENCED ESKIMOS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1923, Page 1

SENTENCED ESKIMOS.

WINNIPEG, Oct. 21. While men's laws and customs are not, and cannot he, understood by the Eskimos of the far North, according to insji'i tor Ueatnc. and fata If Sergt. Clay, cf the Koval Canadian Mounted Police, both of v.horn have spent years among the Eskimos. They declare that the two Eskimos now under sentence of death at Fort Hersciiell have no idea that they are being punished. These Eskimos, they declare, may well he termed present-day cave-men. The crimes for which they are under sentence are the murders of Corporal Doak. a policeman : Otto Binder, a. Hudson's Bay Company’s trader: and seven Eskimos. In collection with the social usages of the Eskimo, the policemen say that n girl at birth is immediately married off and at 1.2 years of age is turned over to her husband. Her fur overdress or cape designates bv the shape of the •• koolie tang ” whether or not she has taken up resilience with her husband. The “koolie tang” is the form of an overhanging fur around her neck. The habit of ‘ lending ” a wife is common. If a baby girl is horn in the winter time and lend is scarce, silo is killed oil'. The result is that many men among tin' Eskimo have no wives On payment oi a dog or a sleigh, or something of a like nature, an Eskimo may lend his wife for so many “moons” tin' Ediimo method of reckoning time. If the husband refuses to “loud” his wife the would he borrower must not take, her away until the husband is dead. The result is the husband ofien meets with a violent death. Sometimes the husband s relatives kill the borrower, and his relatives, in turn, gather and attack the slayers. The result is that tribal feuds are not uncommon, and it was in the course of such n leed ili.it ( orpora! Doalc ire,