Alaska Reflections

Module 4   Imperialism and Colonialism-The Russians and the Rest


What was the nature of cultural contact between the Europeans of Russian America and the Natives of Alaska?

Three Saints Bay, engraving by Luka Veronin, artist to the Billings-Sarychev expedition. 
Common Place

As highligted in Explore Alaska! blog, although this period of Russian contact  was relatively brief, the impact was significant to Alaska Natives, especially those Alaska Natives residing in the Aleutians, Southeast, and  South Central regions of Alaska.  The authors point out that the relationship between the Russians and Natives "ranged from devastating to mutually beneficial, depending on the date, degree and type of contact."

This was a time of global maritime exploration. New technologies in maritime travel allowed the west to dominate the New World. Over 60 Russian explorations were launched from first contact in 1741 to sale of the territory to the US in 1867. 

Aleut in Kayak offshore St. Paul Island with Russian Sailing ship in background.
 VILD ASL-P139-48from the Explore Alaska Blog 

The Russians explored east through Asia and across the Bering Sea to Alaska for the purposes of exploration and development.  The fur trade was a significant push in locating the wealth or resources along coastal Alaska. The Aleuts Natives were enslaved to capture and slaughter sea otter, while many of the women and children were harshly treated. Disease devastated the Natives who had no immunity to the diseases introduced by the explorers.

Book:
Where the Sea Breaks Its Back, Corey Ford

 Favorite book alert! This book has to be one of my most loved Alaska reads. It was an absolute page turner as I stayed up late in my tent each night on a three week kayak trip in Southeast Alaska.  Biologist  Corey Ford describes the journey of Steller and Bering on their second expedition of the Alaska coast in 1741.  Corey intertwines the natural history and impact on the sea otters that these contacts had by the Russians.   Emerging from my tent in the morning, I imagined their boat offshore, Bering mapping the coastline and islands and Steller begging for an on-shore excursion to sketch the flora at my feet.     Steller's first contact with wildlife on the Alaska coast.  It opened my awareness to the impact of the Russian's on Alaska  and it's continued impact on Alaska Natives.  

Through contact by the  Europeans of the Russian America Company, economic ventures and settlement in Alaska set into motion the profound impacts on Natives.   

What were some of the various economic ventures of the Russian America Company?

Settlement in Kodiak, Alaska, 1791. Russian America

Otter, fox and and seal furs were the primary early economic adventures of the Russian America Company.  These furs were precious resources to the Europeans and plentiful in the newly charted territory of Alaska. A decree was signed on July 8, 1799, by Russian Czar Paul I for a 20 year charter to operate the Russian America company.    This company secured a monopoly on the fur trade which extended from Alaska to California.  International trade was established with the Chinese, where furs were also a valuable commodity.  Over time, the Russian America company expanded their enterprises to schools, health care, training programs as well as supporting the missions of the Russian Orthodox church in Alaska. As settlements and outposts were established, the Western economic system was   established through central stores and trading posts for goods and services.  The Native way of subsistence was significantly affected.  As the sea otter population declined, the company turned it's sights to land based furs or the land otter and beaver, which pushed the hunters into the Kuskokwim River Delta of Southwest Alaska and into contact with the Eskimo people.  I was struck by the how the Russian Orthodox Church expanded into this area and a priest, Veniamanov, paved a new path of recognition of the Native culture and language and embedded this into educational efforts with the Native Alaskans.  Ventures continued to  expand to other resources, such as timber on Kodiak Island.

Sea Otter

I was impressed when reading about the emergence  civil rights by the Aleuts in response to the inhumane treatment by the Russian American company as a result of their economic ventures. Nearly 90% of the population was wiped out. Conversion to Russian Orthodoxy provided protections and many Aleuts converted to ensure their survival.  This response to me points out the rapid need of the Natives to learn, navigate and utilize the western systems to protect their livelihood. What sacrifices and hardships they had to endure in the face of this contact spurred by economic development.  This continues on today as Native Alaskans defend their culture and land in the face of the economic development of current oil, mining and other resource developments across Alaska. The Inupiat and Gwich'in people have been engaged in this debate over the drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). A  Gwich'in resource on the impact of modern development on Native land and culture can be found at Gwich'in steering committee that may be useful in the classroom for students to explore and compare the impact of the Russian American company and modern economic development.  

The Russian American Reader provides a nice overview for teachers to share this part of Alaska's history. I could envision an humanities type lesson for elementary students where students could research and make artifacts and costumes to re-enact this historical period as well as embed math/graphing referring to the decline of the Native population and sea otter population, mapping skills etc.    


Do you live or have you traveled in Alaska to an area that was influenced by the Russian America Company or the Russian Orthodox Church? 
I live in Juneau, Alaska, which to this day continues to have a small but active Russian Orthodox community.  Through my work with families, I have had the privilege of learning of their Russian Orthodox cultural and religious beliefs as I home visited and supported their child's development through their family's play, communication and daily routines.  Families shared their values and history through stories of their childhood and deep connections with their history and communities linked through the church.  

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Juneau Alaska.
Photo from University of Washington Libraries. 

Reflections/Evaluation
This unit on imperialism and colonialism brought up many connections to other courses I have taken in world history.  Having an opportunity to look at the direct impact that it had on Alaska and it's Native peoples was very interesting, especially as I reflect with the many stories and experiences I have had through my work with families.  As a language specialist, this deepening of understanding bolsters my work with communication as a critical aspect of "self."  Blogging is slowly becoming more comfortable and I was able to turn more attention to the content of the course this week.  I hope to resolve my continued formatting issues by connecting with colleagues.


Colleague's Blogs
Enjoyed Tina's well organized and thoughtful blog: Explore Alaska Times

Miss Mannen described how she used cultural comparison of her home in Kansas to that of her students in Alaska.


Appreciated Kristen's blog and quotes related to our current existence is influenced by the experiences of the peoples before us.