rather than uniquely gifted (McKennan 1965).
Nevertheless, others invited Fredson and Dr. Grafton Burke, a medical missionary from Fort Yukon, to travel to Arctic Village. Notably, Burke would be the first White man to ever visit Arctic Village (Mackenzie 1985: 116), ushering in a new era of exposure to Outside values, attitudes, and beliefs. Fredson tells of his meeting a young man whose name was “Drit” (that is, “Tritt”) upon arriving at the village in the winter of 1922. Tritt told Fredson that he wanted to know more about the Bible. As Fredson explains: “Until long past midnight he asked us questions about the Bible. As he always studied it, he knew quite a bit about it” (Fredson and Sapir 1982: 41–43).
By this time, Tritt had been studying the Bible for several years but would seek to further his understanding of its meanings throughout his lifetime. An ordained priest, Burke led the services during the fiveday stay at the village, during which a wedding took place and a child was baptized. Overall, Burke and Fredson later noted the high level of participation from adults and children alike, further evidence of Tritt’s teaching efforts and talents among the congregation. Indeed, the level of Christian observance in the community attracted the attention of Archdeacon F.B. Drane, who took over Hudson Stuck’s duties upon his death in 1920. As a result, Drane also visited Arctic Village in 1923. Drane’s reaction was similarly filled with praise, only further confirming the contention that Tritt was a highly motivated, intense figure.
This intensity was reflected in McKennan’s journals, written a decade later, in which he describes a man so strongly committed to his quest: “Verily he is half-mad, a mystic and a seer of the type that in another age and another culture would have been a St. Augustine or a St. Francis, or possibly a Cromwell. After my visit with him I think I know why the natives of this village decamped so suddenly after his arrival” (Mishler and Simeone 2006: 177).
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
