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My journeys to the westward of Alaska, particularly to its smaller communities along the Bering Sea and Arctic coasts when I was organizing the Alaska Territorial Guard as a defense measure, made clear to me that a substantial number of communities in the Eskimo country had never been given the opportunity to vote. In 1942 only 21 towns and villages in the Second Division had been granted polling places. Extension of the number of voters had been able to control the selection of the legislative delegation, casting one-fourth of the vote. In practice this meant control by one large mining company, which, with a substantial representation from theFourth Division, could just about block any legislation.

There was opposition in the Clerk of Court's office in Nome to making available their voting rights to additional Eskimo communities, but the effort was finally successful. Considering that the population of the Second Division was, and is, at least 80 percent Eskimo, this was merely a move to extend democratic practices to that part of Alaska.

In consequence the people of such communities as Barrow, Noatak, Noorvik, Point Hope, Wainwright; of Gambell and Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island; of Hooper Bay, Akularak and others, were given an opportunity--for the first time-- to exercise their rights as American citizens.

With at least 80 percent of the Second Division's population, Eskimo, it seemed obvious that its people should be represented in the legislature. I deemed it important that legislation, much of which would affect them, should be wrought not merely for them, but also by them.

Casting about for a worthy candidate, I found him in Percy Ipalook of Wales (later of Kotzebue), a Presbyterian minister, and a full-blooded Eskimo. I broached the matter to him. He was hesitant and felt he should obtain the consent of his superior, the Reverend Earl Jackman. The consent was secured, and Percy Ipalook ran and was elected first to the House of Representatives, and later to the Senate.

I considered the principle of representation for a large segment of our Alaskans who has never been represented by one of their own race, so important that I deliberately  refrained from suggesting to Percy Ipalook on which party ticket he should run. I felt that this basic issue should not be tinged with partisanship, and although I was a Democrat and the appointee to the governorship of a Democratic administration, it would be improper for me to utilize the situation for partisan advantage. Consequently Percy Ipalook made his own choice: He filed, ran, was elected, and re-elected on the Republican ticket.

Since then in both Senate and House Eskimos have b een represented in every Territorial legislature where they have served devotedly and ably.

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