RUSSIAN CULTURAL EFFECT ON THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION OF RUSSIAN AMERICA

Abstract

The article describes the interaction of Russian culture with various indigenous groups in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands in the second half of the XVIII – XIX centuries. It is, first and foremost, about the Christianity penetration into the region through contacts with members of the Russian-American Company. Particular attention is paid to the difference in the Christian religion assimilation and the change of everyday life between the Aleuts, who lived under the direct control of the Company, and continental Indians Athabaskans, who the contact was established much later with and took place on an irregular basis. The article highlights the reasons for differences and makes conclusions. The chronological scope of the study covers the period from the establishment of the first contacts of Russian fur skins makers with the Aleuts before the sale of Alaska to the United States of America (the middle of the XVIII century – 1867). The article presents the witnesses' memories of the Russian presence in the North Pacific, taken from documents collections.

Keywords

• Russian America; Russian-American Company; Indigenous Peoples of the North; culture