The American “Purchase” of Alaska

And the injustices perpetrated against the indigenous peoples

When the United States purchased the Russian-American Company from the Imperial government of Russia, they were not sold Alaska, as has been claimed, but a Russian company. However, once the American government took control, they subdivided Alaska, considered land owned by the native people by the Russian government, into thirds. Alaska was divided by the American government between the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians.

The Americans then established compulsory boarding schools, forcing native children out of their homes and villages. These children were forced to adapt American culture, dress as whites, prevented from speaking their languages, forbidden from performing native dance, and forbidden from practicing their native culture. Furthermore, many of those natives were forced to abandon the practice of their Orthodox faith. When indigenous Orthodox priests requested permission to visit these children in these church run schools, they were forbidden by the protestant clergy from doing so.

Some years ago the Alaskan Council of Churches decided to formally apologize to the native peoples for the cultural genocide perpetrated upon them. These indigenous peoples chose a native Orthodox priest to publicly represented them, in receiving this formal apology.

Over the years I’ve met countless Native Americans whose tribes suffered the same persecution and displacement in the lower forty-eight, and who were aware that the Imperial government of Russia considered all baptized Orthodox natives as full citizens of the Russian nation, with all the rights and privileges enjoyed by all citizens of the State.

As an American of Scottish and Norwegian heritage, I am proud of our Orthodox Church’s stand on the equality of all peoples, and the influence our Orthodox Faith had on the Imperial government of Russia. Orthodoxy is my true country, and my true nation, and I am proud of my Church’s stand on principles that are based on the gospel teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photos: This painting by the Russian artist Mikhail Shankov, titled “Paschal Procession of Saint Innocent of Alaska”, depicts the bishop aboard a native boat, in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The natives rowing the boat are dressed in their traditional ceremonial attire, as this saintly bishop is attired in the traditional vestments and miter of an Orthodox hierarch. The second photograph is of an Aleut grandmother, holding her grandchild, in the Orthodox parish church on Saint Paul Island, in the Bering Sea.

Please keep me in your prayers, dear ones. I am the guest speaker for a Pan-Orthodox Women’s Retreat, being held in a rural retreat center just outside Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There are eighty women registered for the retreat.

Saturday September 14, 2019 / September 1, 2019
13th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Church New Year.
Venerable Symeon Stylites (the Elder) (459) and his mother St. Martha (428).
Virgin-martyrs Tatiana and Natalia (1937).
Martyr Aeithalas of Persia (380).
Holy Forty Virgin-martyrs: Laurencia the deaconess, Celsina, Theoclia, Theoctista, Dorothy, Eutychia, Thecla, Aristaineta, Philadelphia, Mary, Veronica, Euthymia, Lamprotatia, Euphymia, Theodora, Theodota, Teteia, Aquilina, Theodulia, Aplodora, Lampadia, Procopia, Paula, Junilla, Ampliana, Percissa, Polynicia, Maura, Gregoria, Cyria, Bassa, Callinica, Barbara, Cyriacia, Agathonica, Justa, Irene, Matrona, Timothea, Tatiana, and Anna, and Martyr Ammon the deacon, their teacher, at Heraclea in Thrace (321-3).
Martyrs Callista and her brothers Evodus and Hermogenes, at Nicomedia (309).
Righteous Joshua the Son of Nun (1400 B.C.).
Venerable Dionysius the Lesser (before 556) (Romania).
Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos in Miasena Monastery, in memory of the finding of Her Icon (864).
“Chernigov-Gethsemane” (1869), Alexandria, August (1914) and named “All-Blessed” at Kazan Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Venerable Meletius the Younger of Thebes (1095-1124).
New Martyr Angelis of Constantinople (1680) (Greek).
Venerable Nicholas of Courtaliatis in Crete, monk (1670) (Greek).
Venerable Symeon of Lesbos (Greek).
St. Evanthia (Greek).
St. Verena of Zurzach (350) (Switzerland).
St. Aegidius of Camargue (590) (Gaul).
St. Haido of Stanos (1820-21).
Commemoration of the Great Fire at Constantinople about 470 A.D.

The Scripture Readings

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Pray for All Men

2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Luke 4:16-22

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”