Show THE RACE A peculiar people who lave on the coast line of alaska territory the race of people commonly and also corruptly called eskimos occupy almost the entire coast line of alaska with the numerous outlying islands from the boundary line westward along the arctic coast to bering strait thence southward to tho alaskan peninsula over the peninsula and the aleutian islands and eastward and southward along tho coast to mount st elias with tho exception of a comparatively small territory at cooks inlet and also at the mouth of copper river at which points the tribe of indians from the interior have forced their way to the coast living constantly on or near the aea they from infancy have not the slightest fear of the dangers of the deep and at an early ago become bold navigators and skilled fishermen and sea hunters the word in their native tourne signifies people and as such is used by them to designate those of their own race as our people eskimo is a word of reproach and has been given them by their neighbors the term meaning raw fish eaters the of alaska are physically much superior to those inhabiting the eastern side of the continent in greenland and labrador they are all of the same race and speak a common language through each locality and often each village from the atlantic to the pacific will possess a dialect distinctively its own those of our territory are tall and muscular not a few of them being 6 feet in height they have small black eyes high cheek bones large mouths thick lips coarse brown hair and fresh yellow complex ions in many instances men will be seen with a full beard and mustache and in some particular families their manly beauty is further enhanced by wearing a labret below each corner of the mouth in a hole cut gli the lower lip for the purpose they are a good natured people always smiling when spoken to and are fond of dancing running jumping and all athletic sports alaska news |