Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 302, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1919 — Church Changes Eskimo Igloo Life Into Modem Home Making [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Church Changes Eskimo Igloo Life Into Modem Home Making

Art is art, even in Eskimo circles, and “The Angelus” hangs on the wall of Oliver Ongoolpok’s parlor at Unalakleet, Alaska, where in olden days a smoked salmon probably decorated the icy wall of an igloo. That Oliver and his beaming bride have adopted the more intricate but less cumbersome garments of white clvilzation is shown in this photograph brought to the States by E. A. Mclntosh, a lay missionary speaking in this country in the interests of the nation-wide campaign of the Episcopal church. Oliver Is chief reindeer “herder for the United States government at

Unalakleet. Unalakleet means “south side” and Mr. Mclntosh suggests that it was probably applied to this point of Alaska because it is south of the north pole. There is no other reason apparent. h Chief Herder Ongoolook, who plays the guitar and piano when he is not herding reindeer, can also read and write English. His rise in the scale of civilization shows the beneficial effects of the missions and schools in Alaska. The Episcopal church has 25 missions in the frozen North and the church’s nation-wide campaign seeks to extend this work there greatly.

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Ongoolook.