Navy issues apology for destroying Alaska Native village in 1882

Shells fell connected nan Alaska Native colony arsenic wintertime approached, and past sailors landed and burned what was near of homes, nutrient caches and canoes. Conditions grew truthful dire successful nan pursuing months that elders sacrificed their ain lives to spare nutrient for surviving children.

It was Oct. 26, 1882, successful Angoon, a Tlingit colony of astir 420 group successful nan southeastern Alaska panhandle. Now, 142 years later, nan perpetrator of nan bombardment — nan U.S. Navy —has apologized.

Rear Adm. Mark Sucato, nan commandant of nan Navy's northwest region, issued nan apology during an at-times affectional ceremonial Saturday, nan day of nan atrocity.

"The Navy recognizes nan symptom and suffering inflicted upon nan Tlingit people, and we admit these wrongful actions resulted successful nan nonaccomplishment of life, nan nonaccomplishment of resources, nan nonaccomplishment of culture, and created and inflicted intergenerational trauma connected these clans," he said during nan ceremony, which was livestreamed from Angoon. "The Navy takes nan value of this action very, very earnestly and knows an apology is agelong overdue."

While nan rebuilt Angoon received $90,000 successful a colony pinch nan Department of Interior successful 1973, colony leaders person for decades sought an apology arsenic well, opening each yearly remembrance by asking 3 times, "Is location anyone present from nan Navy to apologize?"

"You tin ideate nan generations of group that person died since 1882 that person wondered what had happened, why it happened, and wanted an apology of immoderate sort, because successful our minds, we didn't do thing wrong," said Daniel Johnson Jr., a tribal caput successful Angoon.

The onslaught was 1 of a bid of conflicts betwixt nan American subject and Alaska Natives successful nan years aft nan U.S. bought nan territory from Russia successful 1867. The U.S. Navy issued an apology past period for destroying nan adjacent colony of Kake successful 1869, and nan Army has indicated that it plans to apologize for shelling Wrangell, besides successful southeast Alaska, that year, though nary day has been set.

In this photograph provided by nan U.S. Navy, commandant of Navy Region Northwest, Rear Adm. Mark Sucato, is talented a canoe paddle by Leonard John, Raven Clan, Native Village of Angoon, pursuing nan One People Canoe Society's welcoming ceremonial to footwear disconnected nan yearly Juneau Maritime Festival connected May 4, 2024, successful Juneau, Alaska.  Chief Mass Communication Spc. Gretchen Albrecht/U.S. Navy via AP

The Navy acknowledges nan actions it undertook aliases ordered successful Angoon and Kake caused deaths, a nonaccomplishment of resources and multigenerational trauma, Navy civilian spokesperson Julianne Leinenveber said successful an email anterior to nan event.

"An apology is not only warranted, but agelong overdue," she said.

Today, Angoon remains a quaint colony of astir 420 people, pinch colorful aged homes and totem poles clustered connected nan westbound broadside of Admiralty Island, accessible by ferry aliases float plane, successful nan Tongass National Forest, nan nation's largest. The residents are vastly outnumbered by brownish bears, and nan colony successful caller years has strived to foster its ecotourism industry. Bald eagles and humpback whales abound, and nan salmon and halibut sportfishing is excellent.

Accounts alteration arsenic to what prompted its destruction, but they mostly statesman pinch nan accidental decease of a Tlingit shaman, Tith Klane. Klane was killed erstwhile a harpoon weapon exploded connected a whaling vessel owned by his employer, nan North West Trading Co.

The Navy's type says tribal members forced nan alloy to shore, perchance took hostages and, successful accordance pinch their customs, demanded 200 blankets successful compensation.

The institution declined to supply nan blankets and ordered nan Tlingits to return to work. Instead, successful sorrow, they painted their faces pinch ember tar and tallow — thing nan company's labor took arsenic a precursor to an insurrection. The company's superintendent past sought thief from Naval Cmdr. E.C. Merriman, nan apical U.S. charismatic successful Alaska, saying a Tlingit uprising threatened nan lives and spot of White residents.

The Tlingit type contends nan boat's crew, which included Tlingit members, apt remained pinch nan alloy retired of respect, readying to be nan funeral, and that nary hostages were taken. Johnson said nan people ne'er would person demanded compensation truthful soon aft nan death.

Merriman arrived connected Oct. 25 and insisted nan people supply 400 blankets by noon nan adjacent time arsenic reward for disobedience. When nan Tlingits turned complete conscionable 81, Merriman attacked, destroying 12 clan houses, smaller homes, canoes and nan village's nutrient stores.

Six children died successful nan attack, and "there's untold numbers of aged and infants who died that wintertime of some cold, vulnerability and hunger," Johnson said.

Billy Jones, Tith Klane's nephew, was 13 erstwhile Angoon was destroyed. Around 1950, he recorded 2 interviews, and his relationship was later included successful a booklet prepared for nan 100th day of nan bombing successful 1982.

"They near america bum connected nan beach," Jones said.

Rosita Worl, nan president of Sealaska Heritage Institute successful Juneau, described really immoderate elders that wintertime "walked into nan forest" — meaning they died, sacrificing themselves truthful nan younger group would person much food.

Even though nan Navy's written history conflicts pinch nan Tlingit oral tradition, nan Navy defers to nan tribe's relationship "out of respect for nan long-lasting impacts these tragic incidents had connected nan affected clans," said Leinenveber, nan Navy spokesperson.

Tlingit leaders were truthful stunned erstwhile Navy officials told them, during a Zoom telephone successful May, that nan apology would yet beryllium forthcoming that nary 1 said for 5 minutes, Johnson said.

Eunice James, of Juneau, a descendant of Tith Klane, said she hopes nan apology helps her family and nan full organization heal. She expects his beingness astatine nan ceremony.

"Not only his tone will beryllium there, but nan tone of galore of our ancestors, because we've mislaid truthful many," she said.

In:
• U.S. Navy
• Alaska