minded, ordained, white minister to serve God's work into our church. We clearly understood that you Presbyterian Board of Home Missions not instruct nor ordered him to establish Presbyterian denomination on our Metlakahtla Christian Church ground here. And we also heard that he informed you people by saying that the entire population of Metlakahtla, Alaska, has already invited him. We want to tell you that this is false.

We do not want him to be our minister, because he fought hard against the great servant of God and the founder of our beloved Christian Church, which is Father Duncan.

Our community has had a bad name going all over Alaska and somewhere else because of Rev. Edward Marsden's work. Dear friends, this is our regretful message to you, so we all ask your kindness to take him away from among us here and put him somewhere else in Alaska to be his ground, because the late Father Duncan's missionary work is still and shall continually stand firmly among us here. About 160 signatures, and still more are anxious to sign a petition to late William Duncan's trustees for his last will, favor and accepted it, to be used for missionary work in Metlakahtla, while Rev. Edward Marsden try hard to make people refuse accepting the will, trying to spoil the wish and create turmoil, also caused miserable division among us here in Metlakahtla, Alaska. While Mr. William Duncan was alive Marsden fought hard against him every ways, and by hatred, until the great man of God passed away. Recently he still hate and fought hard against the will, and also fight hard against Duncan's trustees; also a regretful division in our church congregation; church choir, Sunday-school teachers, and church wardens deserted the church because he forced to work into it, and besides he discharged Moses A. Hewson, the president of the choir, and also discharged B. A. Haldane from member of town council because those two men asserted Father Duncan's work, and also a division in members of council, too, because of Edward Marsden, the troublemaker.

Now Metlakahtla is going to be ruined by the work of Edward Marsden. We send you this message because we do not want the Presbyterian denomination to spoil our Christian Church. We also do not want our late William Duncan's work to be upset and spoiled, too, because the late Father William Duncan was sacrificed his whole valuable life among us, established and created our Metlakahtla Christian Church, and now this Mr. Marsden trying to use and mislead our just United States Government to refuse the people accepting the will.

If you listen to our report there comes peace in this community. Again we will say our town and church will be deserted, too, if you do not take away what troubles us in this Metlakahtla, Alaska.

We will close this message with our best regards to you all and with the representatives' signatures below.

Respectfully yours,

DISRUPTING ACTIVITIES CONTINUED

Two and a half years after the death of Father Duncan I received a newspaper alleging further activities of Marsden in relation to this mission, and I thereupon wrote the secretary of the Board of National Missions as of date January 13, 1921. My letter was as follows:

Rev. JOHN A. MARQUIS, D. D.,

SEATTLE, WASH., January 13, 1921.

Metlakahtla

Board of Home Missions, New York City. MY DEAR BROTHER: I made a thorough investigation of the Church several years ago-spent a good deal of money to make the investigation and I know something of the infamous conspiracy that entered into the work.

It is an outrage that we ever organized a Presbyterian Church in that section. Read the enclosed paper. I ask you, in the interest of peace, harmony, and the history of the Presbyterian Church, that you withdraw from Metlakahtla and disorganize the church. Put these people back into the hands of the church that Father Duncan organized. Send Marsden somewhere else. It is an infamous outrage that he and others should be allowed to disrupt Christianity established by Father Duncan.

With best regards, I am, your true friend,

Enclosure:
Paper.

M. A. MATTHEWS.

Notwithstanding these protests, the evidence shows clearly that both the Government and our church were grossly deceived and imposed upon by trusted representatives, and it is most lamentable that the true facts of the situation were not understood or realized until after the grievous wrongs had been done.

Therefore you can appreciate my relationship to the case and the reasons why I am an associate in presenting the facts.

I volunteered to go into the case in order that the name of the Presbyterian Church might be lifted from any such alleged conspiracy or charge of conspiracy and, furthermore, in order that I might aid this unselfish man, Dr. Henry S. Wellcome, in exposing the wrongs that have been done, and in urging that the necessary steps be taken to restore to the Metlakahtlans the rights guaranteed to them under our Constitution, and that the last will and testament of Father Duncan shall be respected, and also in order that I might assist in the cause of Christianity by demanding that the inalienable rights of Christian missions shall remain inviolate.

Finally, to contribute to all these worthy ends, and also that I might be of assistance to the officials of our great Government in having the majesty of the law recognized as supreme, I volunteered my services to present the facts in the Metlakahtla case.

It would be unfair for me to leave the statements regarding the Presbyterian Church without frankly admitting that perhaps those who have connected the name of the Presbyterian Church with this outrageous conspiracy did so because of the unauthorized and unknown activities of Dr. Sheldon Jackson, acting for approximately a quarter of a century in the dual capacity of general Presbyterian missionary for Alaska and general agent of the Bureau of Education for that Territory, and one Edward Marsden, and others. After years of ceaseless scheming, the activities of these men culminated in the invasion and despoiling of Father Duncan's mission, and finally resulting in the Department of the Interior finding itself today in the anomalous and unlawful position of custodian of a Christian mission and the administrator of affairs of "church and state."

That position of the Bureau, and the dual relationship of Marsden as a missionary and secretary of Annette Islands Reserve are but reflections of the policy pursued by Dr. Jackson for so many years. However distressing the fact, the records very clearly show that, with few exceptions, the Bureau agents active in the plot to destroy this mission were first enlisted in missionary service, from which they were transferred to key positions in the Government service. Apparently the denominational affiliations of Dr. Jackson's assistants were not regarded as important, if it was believed that they would be useful in playing the game of the politico-sectarian machine that was being built up through the Alaskan service of the Bureau of Education.

While it is a matter of small comfort, the fact is that Dr. Jackson's missionary staff was not entirely confined to Presbyterians.

Among those who were active in the early stages of the plot was John G. Brady, who came to Alaska as a missionary and entered politics, becoming Governor of Alaska. That one may have a background that will be useful as I proceed, the following is quoted from a letter of Dr. Jackson to Governor Brady, dated April 4, 1899: 21

* I also have seen in the papers that there will be a party of Senators visiting your region. I think it will be well, if possible, for you to arrange with them to join their party either at Mary Island or at Wrangel and go around with them and help them to see things that they otherwise would not see, and also see them through your spectacles.

SECTION 9. WARNING GIVEN BUREAU OF EDUCATION 40 YEARS AGO

Father Duncan's prophetic comment. Commissioner Dawson points out dangers of wrong methods of educating Indians. Bureau of Education uses Marsden in plot to destroy Father Duncan's mission.

The following paragraph from Dr. Jackson's letter to a former Commissioner of Education, Gen. John Eaton, of Marietta, Ohio, dated Washington, D. C., November 18, 1890, will give you Dr. Jackson's estimate of Marsden, and yet the record shows that he used Marsden:

At Sitka I made arrangements to send Edward Marsden to you for an education. He is the most advanced and promising of the Metlakahtla students at Sitka. * * *

He has more egotism than any person I ever met;

FATHER DUNCAN'S PROPHETIC COMMENT

This letter from Dr. Jackson to General Eaton might not mean very much to one who does not have an understanding of the traits of these Indians and the significance of the fact that Marsden was an Indian specially noted for his egotism, a circumstance which is referred to and commented upon in a number of documents relating to this case. Father Duncan saw the danger of this abnormal bump of egotism. Forty years ago Father Duncan, with his marvelous understanding of the Indian, in a letter to the Commissioner of Education, prophetically stated that if Marsden were educated in the States he would become so much puffed up by his superior advantages as to prove worse than useless to his people and home (letter of Father Duncan to Commissioner Dawson, Dec. 20, 1887).

COMMISSIONER DAWSON POINTS OUT DANGERS OF WRONG METHODS OF EDUCATING INDIANS

On January 17, 1888, Commissioner Dawson replied to this letter from Father Duncan, stating, among other things:

I notice what you say in regard to Edward Marsden, and it may be that you are wise in coming to the determination that you have. I have noticed that some of these young Indians who have been highly educated in this country have been failures when they have returned to their own people, and have been worse than useless to them.

21 S. Hall Young. for many years a Presbyterian misisonary in Alaska, makes reference to the fact that Mr. Brady "did not take his missionary work very seriously." (Hall Young of Alaska, p. 79.)

A significant point in its bearing oh Father Duncan's work was that it was a condition precedent to becoming a member of his mission colony that these natives should give up their tribal relations and allegiance to their savage chiefs, who in turn were dominated by the medicine men. Father Duncan had accomplished the miracle of having various chiefs of the nine tribes of the Tsimshean Indians, including the head chief, Legaic, renounce their sovereignty and unite with the mission.

At an early age Marsden exhibited primitive instincts indicating a tendency to revert to primitive methods of thinking. When he was still a youth, Father Duncan had already discerned is inordinate conceit, which stamped him as one who, if not properly guided, would aspire to be a "big chief", and that he would be likely to use the powers that education gives cunningly and treacherously to turn, the weaker converts from their goal. Thus, at the threshold of the case and many years before Marsden actually accomplished his evil pur poses, Father Duncan had warned the Bureau of Education and put it on notice.22

BUREAU OF EDUCATION USES MARSDEN IN PLOT TO DESTROY FATHER

DUNCAN'S MISSION

The use of Marsden by the Bureau plotters in the despoiling of the Metlakahtla Christian Mission is disclosed in the exposure of the plot and its ramifications in the parts that follow.

SECTION 10. BUREAU OF EDUCATION ARROGATES TO ITSELF POWER TO SET ASIDE AN ACT OF CONGRESS WITH DISASTROUS EFFECTS

Functions of the Bureau of Education in respect to Indian schools. Bureau of Education betrays its trust. Bureau report admits failure at Metlakahtla, recommends retention of property illegally seized, and propose destruction of the reserve. Bureau of Education transforming model mission community into a village of ramshackles. Bureau teacher reports school poorly graded and pupils below standard. Industrial director reports Bureau of Education "falling down" in not supplying work for natives. Bureau official reports lack of occupations to give employment and steadily decreasing population. Natives explain reason for neglect of their homes and the desolation at former model mission village. Statement by Harry Lang. Statement by Thomas Hanbury. Sequel to unwarranted attacks by the Bureau of Education upon Father Duncan's educational methods. President Harding's statement based on his personal observations during his visit at Metlakahtla. Act of Congress giving Metlakahtlans exclusive fishing rights ignored and defeated by Bureau of Education. Statement by Dr. Henry J. Minthorn regarding abuse of fishery rights of the Metlakahtlans by the Bureau of Education. Secretary Redfield protests against illegal leasing of fisheries. Department of Interior admits illegality of invasion of rights given to Metlakahtlans by Congress but violations continue. A chronological statement showing leases of cannery and fisheries to outside commercial interests. Leasing of fisheries unlawful. Department's failure in duty to protect fisheries. Confiscation and maladministration culminate in attempt to destroy reserve. Bureau representatives plan to destroy documents

Edward Marsden was a member of the Kitlan Tribe of the Tsimshean Indians, some of the members of which through his influence have been the most unstable of Father Duncan's converts. With Marsden's glamour and subtle ability to influence others by appealing to predilections of the old savage regime, and his extravagant promises of position and gain, he was enabled to disaffect and enlist in his service some of the members of the Kitlan clan and other natives of unstable character.

As will be seen later, Marsden and the native troublemakers for many years had not bern members of the Metlakahtla mission colony.

Faked documents concocted by Marsden and used by the Bureau agents to deceive the Secretary of the Interior are exposed in a report by handwriting experts of the Bureau of Standards.

FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAU OF EDUCATION IN RESPECT TO INDIAN SCHOOLS

At this point it is necessary to understand the relationship between the Bureau of Education, and the system of Government schools for the natives of Alaska, and it should be understood that the Alaska Territorial School Service is not involved in the outrages that have been perpetrated at Metlakahtla.

The teaching and management of schools have never been functions of the Bureau of Education in any part of the United States, its territories or possessions, except in Alaska, where the experiment of entrusting it with the education of the natives resulted in a failure with destructive, distressing, and far-reaching evil consequences.

The management of Indian affairs in the United States, including the supervision of Indian schools, is entrusted by law to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior (U. S. C., title 25, sec. 2, 271-302).

The powers of the Secretary of the Interior in relation to Indians generally, and of the Government bureau charged with the management of Indians and Indian affairs in the United States, have never been extended to Alaska or to Annette Islands Reserve, which is shown by the fact that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs has never claimed or exercised any power of control over the conduct or affairs of Indians in Alaska, as already noted.

The conducting and managing of schools have never been a part of the statutory dutes of the Bureau of Education, which are defined by the act of March 2, 1867 (14 Stat. 434; U. S. C., title 20, sec. 1), as follows:

There shall be in the Department of the Interior a bureau called the Office of Education, the purpose and duties of which shall be to collect statistics and facts showing the condition and progress of education in the several States and Territories, and to diffuse such information respecting the organization and management of schools and school systems, and methods of teaching, as shall aid the people of the United States in the establishment and maintenance of efficient school systems, and otherwise promote the cause of education throughout the country.

Section 13 of the act of May 17, 1884, establishing a civil government for Alaska (23 Stat. 27), provided:

That the Secretary of the Interior shall make needful and proper provision for the education of the children of school age in the Territory of Alaska, without reference to race, until such time as permanent provision shall be made for the same

The letting of contracts relating to the education of the natives of Alaska was done by the Commissioner of Indians Affairs until June 15, 1887, when the Secretary of the Interior promulgated "Rules and Regulations for the Conduct of Public Schools and Education in the Territory of Alaska", which committed the general supervision and management of public education in Alaska to the Commissioner of Education.23

The act of January 27, 1905 (33 Stat. 617), placed the education of white and colored children and children of mixed blood who lead a civilized life in Alaska under the supervision of the Governor of that Territory, as ex officio superintendent of public instruction, and declared that

The education of the Eskimos and Indians in Alaska shall remain under the direction and control of the Secretary of the Interior

23 Report of Commissioner of Education, 1886-87, p. 98.