Flying Field for Arcadia

Little but sturdy is the village of Metlakatla, on rugged Annette Island in Alaska's Panhandle, 650 miles north of Seattle. Religion started Metlakatla, and religion has kept it going. In 1887 a Church of England missionary named William Duncan and a band of Tsimshian Indians, harried by differences with the Canadian Government and the Established Church, left their cooperative village in British Columbia and settled on Annette Island, in U. S. territory. Four years later an act of Congress gave them the land for their own. Today, in their fisheries and canneries, Metlakatla's 466 inhabitants make an average community profit of around $80,000 a year. Every male Metlakatlan owns store clothes, gets barbershop haircuts. Most of them own their own motorboats (value $2,000 to $20,000). The villagers get power from the community hydroelectric plant, recreation in the commu nity's $60,000 public hall, where Metlakatla's 60-piece band sometimes plays of an evening. On Sundays Metlakatlans go to their shining white churches (one Duncanite, one Presbyterian), sing and praise the Lord for their happy lot.

Few weeks ago grateful Metlakatlans saw a chance to repay the U. S. for favors received (which do not include relief). The U. S. Army Air Corps had set its eye on Annette Island for a flying base, as part of its plan for the fortification of Alaska (TIME, Aug. 5). Promptly the followers of good Father Duncan voted to invite the Army on to their reservation, where until 20 years ago no white man was allowed to land.

Last week Annette Islanders prepared to be host to more than 400 of them for a long time to come. Most of the guests will be youngsters of CCC, scheduled to sail this week from Seattle on the Army transport Leonard Wood, with a detachment of Army engineers and technicians of the U. S. Forest Service. Their assignment: to clear and drain an Air Corps flying field on the swampy, flat west arm of Annette Island's reservation.

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