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ULTIMATE CIVILIZATION 1741–1867

By 1867, RUSSIA had possessed "Russian America" for 126 years, their claim coming by right of discovery in 1741. Evidence of Russia's presence exists even today as many Native Alaskans still cling to the Russian Orthodox faith. The Russians established a trade that extended from New England to the Orient. New Archangel, their capital, today called Sitka, was the first seaport in western America, North or South, and it remained so for many years. New Archangel populated a thousand people before San Francisco had a hundred. It came to have a cathedral, a seminary, a college, and such other distinctions as two institutes for scientific research. It also had a shipyard, the only one north of Hawaii, from which the first steam vessel built in the Pacific was launched in 1841.

Russians caused the Pacific to become a busy sea with their discovery of the vast wealth in fur seal and sea otter. The British soon brought in their trading ships followed by the Yankees, some of whom went into virtual partnership with the Russians. Furs were like gold, silver, or precious stones—wealth itself. The Chinese proved ready to pay high in tea and silk for sea otter fur. The Russians were actually the catalysts of our history in the Pacific, accounting even for the fact that we and not the British have Hawaii. The Natives of Archangel comprised two thirds of the citizens during the "Russian" period. Alaska Natives could read and write two or more languages and were considered civilized citizens by Russia. The Russian colony relied heavily on the Natives' knowledge, talents and expertise. Natives who worked for the Russian American Co. often held responsible positions in the trade operations.

In a 1923 news article entitled "Man Never Too Old To Learn" written by Samuel C. Davis, a Haida and past Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) Grand Camp President, says

        "We have been told one time Russia owned Alaska, just how true this statement is no Haida has ever known, although l have heard the Haidas say something about the Russian-American Trading Co. having a post at Sitka, the same as the Hudson Bay had their Fort at Port Simpson, British Columbia, but I don't believe or no one can make me believe that the Hudson Bay Co. owned British Columbia, because of having a Fort at Port Simpson, B.C. Neither do I believe the Russian-American Fur Co. owned Alaska, because they had a fort at Sitka.

        One thing I could not understand, is this: Why was it if Russia owned Alaska she made no laws to rule Alaska by? The only laws that I ever knew was the Thlingit and the Haida laws. I have been told that Russia did have laws, but those laws were only for inside of her forts and every Thlingit and Haida who entered that fort must obey those laws, but the moment he passed the gates on his way out his fear of obeying Russian laws ceased.

        Someone may ask: What were the Thlingit and Haida laws? EYE FOR AN EYE. The law of equality. No one man or family could ever do a thing when the salmon came to the streams. Each family dried as much as would do that family for the winter. Otherwise when the salmon are ready to spawn the wooden traps were taken out of the streams and the spawning salmon were let go up the streams, to the lakes.

        There were seasons for animals, there was a season for deer, season for mink, otter, bear, there were seasons to trap furs, hunting season for fur seals, sea otter. We were free to go as we liked, but we never spoiled this freedom.

        But now a great shadow hangs over the Thlingit and Haidas in this great land of Alaska, it's the shadow of the white man's greed. The Thlingits and Haidas never suffered for want of food until the white man came and greed and degeneration set in; dance houses set up; women and rum and dancing; sickness and dying. Did Russia do these things? Why in the world didn't they do all these things the white man did unto our people. You told the Thlingits and Haidas the Russians owned Alaska. If they did, Russia never came and took our streams and trapping grounds from us; they never told us how we might catch salmon and when we might stop; and if we wanted a stick of timber, Russia never gave us permits. No, we never saw a Russian on Prince of Wales Island; yet, come to think about it, I saw one Russian at Karta Bay and he lived with Chief Scowel's slaves at Kasaan Klakes and Takoo (now Hunter's Bay), where the two streams from which the Koak-lannas, the Khaquan Village on Prince of Wales Island harvested their salmon every summer. These streams were as good as a farm to the natives. To these streams, men, women, and children went every fishing season. Those were happy days. Those were days when we were free; there were no judges to take our canoes from us, there was no "thou shalt not" in Alaska those days. One day I asked my old grandfather how long since the Koak-lannas had been getting fish from these streams. The old man looked at me and said, 'Ask those rocks. They know because they are the only rocks that were here before the Haidas'."

A TRANSACTION—A TRANSITION 1867–1905

The U.S. purchases Alaska

Under the treaty ceding the Russian possessions in North America, concluded March 30, 1867, and ratified May 28 of the same year, Alaska was sold to the United States for $7,500,000 in gold. Under this treaty all inhabitants who did not reserve their natural allegiance to Russia, with the exception of members of uncivilized native tribes, were "admitted to the enjoyment of all rights, advantages, and immunities of citizens of the United States."

Alaska was under the rule of the War Department until June 1877, when troops were withdrawn; until then Alaska had been designated as a military district. The Treasury Department ruled until the arrival of the civil officers, appointed by President Arthur under The Organic Act of May 17, 1884, which granted limited self-governance. The Organic Act served as a quasi-constitution for the territory. Since 1884, the governors of Alaska have reported annually to the Secretary of the Interior, whose jurisdiction in Alaskan affairs continues to predominate even today.

Although the Russian-American transaction was official, the transition for Alaskan Natives was a painful one. Utilizing the federal courts to seek justice proved futile for the Native people. Finally, in 1897, a petition from the Tlingit Orthodox Chiefs to the President of the United States pleaded for relief from barbaric treatment brought on by Presbyterian missionaries and government officials. Another petition was sent to the Imperial Russian Ambassador in Washington D.C. from Sitka's Orthodox residents. These appeals were written in both Russian and English, their names signed in Cyrillic Russian alphabet. When the Russian-American treaty was written, the word "civilized" unfortunately was not defined, and Natives who had previously enjoyed the freedoms of citizenship went unrecognized as American citizens. Their pleas went unheeded.

In 1898, Bishop Nicholas of Alaska sent a letter to the U.S. President, William McKinley, imploring him to tend to the innocent suffering of the citizens as well as the country's hunting and fishing resources. Bishop Nicholas pleaded that at least Articles II and III of the Declaration of 1867 be honored.

They read as follows:

        ARTICLE II

        In the cession of territory and dominion made by the preceding article, are included the right of property in all public lots and squares, vacant lands, and all public buildings, fortifications, barracks, and other edifices which are not private individual property. It is, however, understood and agreed, that the churches which have been built in the ceded territory by the Russian government, shall remain the property of such members of the Greek Oriental Church residents in the territory, as may choose to worship therein. Any government archives, papers, and documents relative to the territory and dominion aforesaid, which may be now existing there, will be left in the possession of the agent of the United States; but an authenticated copy of such of them as may be required, will be at all times, given by the United States to the Russian government, or to such Russian officers or subjects, as they may apply for.

        ARTICLE III

        The inhabitants of the ceded territory, according to their choice, reserving their natural allegiance, may return to Russia within three years, but if they should prefer to remain in the ceded territory, they, with the exception of uncivilized native tribes, shall be admitted to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States, and shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and religion. The uncivilized tribes will be subject to such laws and regulations as the United States may, from time to time, adopt in regard to aboriginal tribes of that country.

The unofficial criteria for American citizenship was Christianity as a religion and fluency in the English language. The bilingual, Russian Orthodox grass-root Native inhabitants of Alaska did not qualify nor were they compelled to join a Protestant denomination that forbade the use of Tlingit language and traditional Tlingit customs. Natives were forced to petition the highest in U.S. Authority and bring suit in federal court. However, many businesses and schools were segregated and the powers that be were not ready to change this.

A classic example in 1905 involved an Aleut girl living in Sitka who wanted to attend the white public school because of their music program. Her father was an American named Jones and hers was a bilingual Christian family. She asked the judge to declare her an American citizen making her eligible to attend the Anglo-American school. The judge denied this privilege because she was not "sufficiently" civilized. She went to a fish camp every summer with her Aleut grandmother to put up food. This was considered uncivilized.

This was, however, inconsistent with Judge James Wickersham's 1904 decision in the case of Minook, a Native at Fairbanks, that Minook was a U.S. citizen by virtue of the third article of the treaty with Russia, either as one of those inhabitants who accepted the benefits of the proffered naturalization, or as a member of an uncivilized Native tribe who has voluntarily taken up his residence separate from any tribe of Indians and has adopted the habits of civilized life. Th[r]ough this raised the hopes of Native Alaskans, whites in general continued to disapprove of natives and disregard their rights.

One Indian, claiming fishing rights in a certain small bay which all other Indians had recognized as belonging to him as it did his forefathers , was rudely told by the white fishermen that the whites now owned all the fishing privileges, and that he was not a citizen and could no longer fish there. Flagrant abuses of Native interests by unprincipled whites occurred all too frequently.

PETITION FROM THE TLINGIT ORTHODOX CHIEFS TO

THE U.S. PRESIDENT, 1897

In part: The reason for this (petition) is following; because here we cannot get any satisfaction to our just and lawful demands. We know that the Russian Government at the time of the transfer of Alaska to the U.S. did not sell us as slaves to America, but left us some rights and privileges which were later made lawful and firm by the U.S.

Congress. The Organic Act, providing a civil Government for Alaska in section 8 provides that the Indians or other persons in said district shall not be disturbed in the possession of any lands actually in their use or occupation or nor claimed by them. On the strength of this law we always understood that every Indian has a right to dispose of his own life and liberty and his own property whether it consists in personal possessions or real estate for instance: lands, forests. lagoons, some small bay and rivers in which we could procure for ourselves the necessary food and other things for existence.

We always thought and surmised that the civil Government sent from Washington would punish criminals equally whether white or native, if a white man spills the blood of an Indian or an Indian spills the blood of a white man, the justice would mete out equal punishment. But in reality this equality was never practiced. It is true at the first four years of the protection of the American Eagle remained in our minds clear and unsullied cloud of the misunderstanding between a white man and Indian. In our mind's eye there rise 28 souls of our friends and relatives that innocently perished from the hand of white men. Of course we always made complaints to the U.S. Courts, and in Courts every where received from the Authorities only promises and never satisfaction. Nor a single white murderer . . . ever received retaliation and now enjoys full liberty. With all this we never lost faith in the Government at Washington. This sorrowful reality only made us lose faith in persons sent out here by the government.

We offer our petition which is follows:

1) Not allow Mr. Brady (& Co., workers with the Presbyterian Mission) a right of way through the centre of (our) village along the narrow beach which is situated between the water and our houses, where we keep our boats, canoes, and other things. To forbid him to destroy buildings and other property while building this road. We do not offer pretensions to the land that he now possesses, which was from time immemorial the property of our ancestors, and serves us as cemetery. It is enough for him that he unlawfully took possession of this land and with the bones of some he banked his ground and some he threw into the water. We do not wish to have such work going on, and do not wish other white men to follow Mr. Brady's example.

2) We beg to have the superintendent of the Baranoff Packing Co. forbidden to take [a]way from us our bays, streams and lagoons where we fished long before white man came. We want him to do such fishing as necessary for him with our consent. We demand that he stop throwing bars and traps across the streams, where by the fish cannot enter the lakes for the purpose of spawning. His method of fishing in the last 8 years in Redout, cross Sound, Hoonah, Whale Bay, Nika Bay, Red Fish Bay, compels us to see very plainly that the places mentioned are becoming empty.

Now the Thlingits are compelled to put up their fish in distant places, which with the canoe is reached only with great deal of hardship.

3) We do not want American saloons. We beg The Government to close them . . . We have brought cases to the local authorities here and the result is that the white man goes free and unpunished, but the Native suffers fines, imprisonment and punishment. We do not want the civilization that only does not stop saloons but encourages them . . .

We could go on without end to our petitions. We have shown facts and beg the Government to allow us some recognition. The answer to former petitions was never received by the Indians perhaps through the fault of the mediator, in the petition, and we beg the Government to the answer to this to Khlantich, head of the Sitka tribe.

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