Battle of Sitka
Battle of Sitka by Louis S. Glanzman, 1988
Conflict: Russian colonization of the Americas
Date: October 1804
Place: Sitka, Alaska
Outcome: Decisive Russian victory
Combatants
Russia	Tlingit Kiks.ádi Clan
Commanders
Alexandr Baranov	Chief Katlian
Strength
150 Russians + 400 Aleuts	750–800 (estimated)
Casualties
12 killed, many wounded	unknown

The Battle of Sitka (1804) was the last major armed conflict between Europeans and Alaskan Natives, and was initiated in response to the destruction of a Russian trading post two years prior. The primary combatant groups were the native Tlingits of Sheet’-ká X'áat'l (Baranof Island) and agents of the Russian-American Company. Image File history File linksMetadata Battle_of_Sitka_by_Louis_S_Glanzman. ... After the discovery of northern Alaska by Ivan Fedorov in 1732, and the Aleutian Islands, southern Alaska, and north-western shores of North America in 1741 during the Russian exploration conducted by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, it took fifty years until the founding of the first Russian colony in... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sitka City and Borough is a borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the state of Alaska. ... A Tlingit totem pole in Ketchikan ca. ... The Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska have two moieties in their society, each of which is divided into a number of clans. ... Alexandr Andreevich Baranov (Александр Андреевич Баранов in Russian), sometimes spelled Aleksander or Alexander and Baranof, was born in 1746 in Kargopol, in the Arkhangelsk province of Russia. ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering around 10,790,000 km² (4,170,000 sq mi) or 2. ... Alaskan Natives are Aboriginal Americans who live in Alaska. ... A Tlingit totem pole in Ketchikan ca. ... Baranof Island, also sometimes called Baranov Island or Sitka Island, is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. ... The Russian-American Company was a semi-official colonial trading company started by Grigory Shelikhov and Nikolai Rezanov and chartered by tsar Paul I in 1799. ...

Though the Russians' initial assault (in which Alexandr Baranov, head of the Russian expedition, sustained serious injuries) was repelled, their naval escorts bombarded the Tlingit fort Shis'kí Noow mercilessly, driving the natives into the surrounding forest after only a few days. The Russian victory was decisive, and resulted in the Tlingit being permanently displaced from their ancestral lands. The Tlingit fled north and established a new settlement on the neighboring Chichagof Island. Chichagof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska, 57°51′ N 135°34′ W. It is 5,398 km² (2,080 sq. ...

Animosity between the two cultures, though greatly diminished, continued in the form of sporadic attacks by the natives against the Russian settlement as late as 1858. The battlefield location has been preserved at Sitka National Historical Park. In September 2004, in recognition of the Battle's bicentennial, a direct descendent of Russian battle leader Baranov joined with descendents of the Kiks.ádi warriors for a traditional Tlingit "Cry Ceremony" to formally grieve for their lost ancestors. 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Alaskas oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Background

Members of the Kiks.ádi (Frog/Raven Clan) of the indigenous Tlingit people had occupied portions of the Alaska Panhandle, including Sheet’-ká X'áat'l (present-day Baranof Island), for some 10,000 years. Alexandr Baranov (Chief Manager of the Shelikhov-Golikov Company, a forerunner of the Russian-American Company) first visited the island aboard the Ekatarina in 1795 while searching for new sea otter hunting grounds. Baranov paid the Tlingit a small sum for the rights to the land in order to prevent "interlopers" from conducting trade on the island. The Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska have two moieties in their society, each of which is divided into a number of clans. ... Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - Full list of families Frog is the common name for amphibians in the order, Anura. ... Species See text Many large black birds of the genus Corvus are called ravens. ... Inland view of the Alaska Panhandle The Alaska Panhandle is the coast of the American state of Alaska, just west of the British Columbia province of Canada. ... Alexandr Andreevich Baranov (Александр Андреевич Баранов in Russian), sometimes spelled Aleksander or Alexander and Baranof, was born in 1746 in Kargopol, in the Arkhangelsk province of Russia. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Binomial name Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a large otter native to the North Pacific, from northern Japan and Kamchatka west across the Aleutian Islands south to California. ...

On May 25, 1799 Baranov and 100 employees of the RAC (accompanied by their native wives) sailed into Sitka Sound aboard the cutter Olga and sloop-of-war Orël of the Imperial Russian Navy; accompanying the Russian settlers was a fleet of some 550 baidarkas, carrying 600–1,000 Aleut escorts. Wishing to avoid a confrontation with the natives, the group passed by the strategic hilltop encampment where the Tlingit had established their Noow Tlein ("Big Fort") and made landfall at their second-choice building site, some 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of the colony. The location of the Russian settlement at Katlianski Bay, "Redoubt Saint Michael," is known today as "Starry Gavan" (Starrigavan) Bay, or "Old Harbor." The outpost consisted of a large warehouse, blacksmith shop, cattle sheds, barracks, stockade, block house, a bath house, quarters for the hunters, and a residence for Baranov. May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For other meanings, see cutter (baseball), cutter (tool) and self-harm. ... USS Constellation, a United States Navy sloop-of-war. ... Russian Navy Jack Russian Navy Ensign The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Navy of Imperial Russia, before the Soviet Union. ... An Aleutian style sea kayak is sometimes called a baidarka. ... The Aleuts (self-denomination: Unangax) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, U.S.A.. // Location For specific tribal village names, see List of Native Alaskan Tribal Entities. ... A mile is a unit of distance (or, in physics terminology, length) currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or 63,360 inches. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Barracks is usally used to connote a type of military housing. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A watchtower is a type of fortification. ...

The Tlingit K'alyaan Pole, erected at the site of Fort Shis'kí Noow in Sitka National Historical Park to commemorate the lives of those lost in the Battle of Sitka.

Though the Kolosh (the Russian name for the Tlingit) initially welcomed the newcomers, their animosity toward the Russians grew in relatively short order. The Kiks.ádi objected to the Russian traders' custom of taking native women as their wives, and were constantly taunted by other Tlingit clans who looked upon the "Sitkas" as the outsiders' kalga, or slaves. Perhaps the tribe was jealous of the Aleuts' superior skills at hunting sea otters as well. The Kiks.ádi came to realize that the Russians' continued presence demanded their allegiance to the Tsar, and that they therefore were expected to provide free labor to the Company Competition between the two groups for the island's resources would escalate as well. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1720x2580, 1248 KB) Summary The Kalyaan Totem Pole of the Tlingit Kiks. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1720x2580, 1248 KB) Summary The Kalyaan Totem Pole of the Tlingit Kiks. ... Alaskas oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. ... The Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska have two moieties in their society, each of which is divided into a number of clans. ... Tsar (Bulgarian цар, Russian царь, Serbian цар) â–¶(?); often spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English), was the title used for the autocratic rulers of the Bulgarian Empire in 913-1396/1422 and 1908-1946, in Serbia in the middle of the 14th century, and in Russia from 1547 to...

Despite a number of unsuccessful Tlingit attacks against the post during the winter of 1799, business soon prospered. Urgent matters required that Baranov return to Kodiak (then capital of Russian America) in 1800. 25 Russians and 55 Aleuts, under the direction of Vasilii G. Medvednikov, were left to staff the post. In spring, 1802 the population of Redoubt Saint Michael had grown to include 29 Russians, 3 British deserters, 200 Aleuts, and a few Kodiak women. It was rumored that the British (under the auspices of the Hudson Bay Company) staged a meeting with the northern Tlingit clans in Angoon in 1801, wherein they offered muskets and gunpowder to the Tlingits in exchange for exclusive fur trading rights. Kodiak is a city located in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. ... After the discovery of northern Alaska by Ivan Fedorov in 1732, and the Aleutian Islands, southern Alaska, and north-western shores of North America in 1741 during the Russian exploration conducted by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, it took fifty years until the founding of the first Russian colony in... 1800 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... --69. ... The Hudsons Bay Company building in Montreal The Hudsons Bay Company (HBC) is the oldest corporation in Canada and is one of the oldest in the world still in existence. ... Angoon (soimetimes formerly spelled Angun) is a city located in Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

On June 20, 1802 a horde of Tlingit warriors from along Kaasda Héen (the Indian River) and nearby Crab Apple Island, "painted like demons" and wearing animal masks carved out of wood, attacked the Russian fort. The natives were well-armed with spears and modern firearms (the latter acquired through trade with the British, French, Spanish, and Americans, whose ships frequented the waters of the Inside Passage). Led by Chief Shk'awulyéil, the raiding party massacred all of the men (20 Russians and close to 130 Aleut workers), looted and burned the barracks and storehouses, destroyed a ship under construction, and enslaved the surviving women and children. June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... Indian River or Kaasda Héen as known by the local Tlingit is a roughly eight-mile long watershed that flows through the community of Sitka on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska. ... Somewhere along the Inside Passage. ...

A few Russians and Aleuts who had been away from the post hunting, or who had fled into the forest, subsequently reached safety and relayed news of the attack to two foreign ships at anchor in the Sound. After brief negotiations, the Tlingit agreed to ransom a few of the survivors to the commander of the American ship Alert out of Boston. Captain James Barber of the British ship Unicorn, also anchored nearby, lured Shk'awulyéil and several of his raiders aboard and placed them in the brig, subsequently exchanging them for the remaining lone Russian and 18 Aleut captives (along with some 4,000 sea otter pelts that had been plundered during the raid). Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ... In sailing, a brig is a vessel with two masts at least one of which is square rigged. ...

The Unicorn then set sail for Kodiak, where it delivered the survivors and the news of the attack to Baranov on June 24. Barber extracted a ransom of 10,000 rubles for the return of the colonists — a mere 20% of his initial demand. June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 1997 Russian Federation one rouble coin, obverse and reverse 1898 Russian Empire one rouble bill, obverse 1898 Russian Empire one rouble bill, reverse The ruble or rouble (Russian рубль; see note on spelling below) is the name of the currencies of the Russian Federation and Belarus (and formerly, of the Soviet...

Russian reprisal

Following the Kiks.ádi victory, Tlingit Shaman Stoonookw (confident that the Russians would soon return, and in force) urged the Clan to construct a new fortification that was capable of withstanding cannon fire, and provided an ample water supply. Despite strong opposition, the Shaman's will prevailed, and the Kiks.ádi made preparations for war. The Sitkas sent messages to their allies requesting assistance, but none was forthcoming; they would face the Russian fleet on their own. A shaman doctor of Kyzyl. ...

The Russian sloop-of-war Neva visits Australia in 1807.

The Tlingit chose to construct the roughly 240 feet by 165 feet (73 by 50 meters) Shis'kí Noow (the "Fort of Young Saplings") at the high water line near the mouth of the Indian River to take advantage of the long gravel beach flats that extend far out into the bay; it was hoped that the shallows would prevent the Russian ships from attacking the installation at close range. Some 1,000 native spruce logs were used in the construction of 14 buildings (barabaras) and the thick palisade wall that surrounded them. The Kiks.ádi battle plan was a simple one: they would gauge the Russians' strength and intentions at Noow Tlein, then strategically retreat to the perceived safety of the new fort. Image File history File links Russian_Sloop-of-War_Neva. ... Image File history File links Russian_Sloop-of-War_Neva. ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... Binomial name Picea sitchensis (Bong. ... Palisade and Moat A palisade is a Medieval wooden fence or wall of variable height, used as a defensive structure. ...

Baranov returned to Sitka Sound in late September, 1804 aboard the sloop-of-war Neva, a 200-foot-long (61-meter), three-masted sailing ship weighing in around 350 tons (318 metric tonnes). The recently-launched, state-of-the-art warship was of English design and construction (it had been christened the HMS Thames), carried 14 cannon, and was manned by a crew of 50 professional sailors; it was also the first Russian ship to circumnavigate the globe. The Neva (under the command of Lieutenant Commander Urey Fedorovich Lisianski) was accompanied by the Ermak and two other smaller, armed sailing ships, manned by 150 promyshlenniks (fur traders), along with 400–500 Aleuts in 250 baidarkas. 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ... A tonne, sometimes known as metric ton in American English, (symbol t) is a unit of mass. ... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... Lisianski Island Lisianski (Hawaiian: Papa‘āpoho) is one of the Hawaiian Islands, with an area of 1. ... Traditional wooden cutter beating. ...

In this engagement, fortune favored the Russians from the outset. On September 29, the Russians went ashore at the winter village. Lisianski dubbed the site "Novo-Arkhangel'skaia Mikhailovsk" (or "New Archangel Saint Michael"), a reference to the largest city in the region where Governor Baranov was born. Baranov immediately sent forth envoys to the Tlingit settlement with offers of negotiation for the Noow Tlein site, all of which were rebuffed. The Tlingit merely hoped to stall the Russians long enough to allow the natives to abandon their winter village and occupy the "sapling fort" without the enemy fleet taking notice. September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... The city of Arkhangelsk (Архангельск, formerly in English Archangel or Archangelsk) lies on the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the far north of European Russia, at 64°32′ N 40°32′ E. It is the capital of the Arkhangelsk Oblast and was the chief sea... This is a list of the governors of the U.S. state of Alaska, of Alaska Territory and of the District of Alaska, and the military commanders of the District of Alaska, as well as the governors of Russian America. ...

However, when the Kiks.ádi sent a small, armed party to retrieve their gunpowder reserves from an island in nearby Shaaseíyí Aan (Jamestown Bay), the group (electing not to wait for the cover of darkness, instead returning in broad daylight) was spotted and engaged in brief a firefight with the Russians. An errant round struck the canoe in which the Tlingit were transporting the gunpowder, igniting the cargo and causing it to explode. When the smoke cleared, it was evident that none of the expedition, comprised of upper-caste young men from each house (all future Clan leaders) and a highly-respected elder, survived the encounter. Baranov's emmissaries notifed the Tlingit that the Russian ships would soon begin firing on the new fort. Canoe at El Nido, Philippines A canoe is a relatively small boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. ... Caste systems are an ancient system of social stratification or hierarchy that have existed throughout history and throughout the world, but the most well-known caste system today is the Indian Varna system. ...

Day One

On or about October 1, the Neva was towed into the shoals near the mouth of the Indian River. A Russian landing party, led by Baranov and accompanied by 400 Aleuts acting as light infantry, assaulted the Tlingit compound, only to be met by continuous volleys of gunfire. The Aleuts panicked and broke ranks, retreating to the shore where their baidarkas waited. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ...

The Kiks.ádi warriors, led by their new War Chief K'alyaan (Katlian) — wearing a Raven mask and armed with a blacksmith's hammer, surged out of Shis'kí Noow and engaged the attacking force in hand-to-hand combat; a second wave of Tlingit emerged from the adjacent woods in a "pincer" maneuver. Baranov was seriously injured and the Russians fell back to the water's edge, just as the Neva opened fire to cover the retreat. Twelve of the attackers were killed and many others injured during the melee, and the Russians were forced to abandon several small artillery pieces on the beach. A claw is a curved pointed growth found at the end of a toe or finger, or in arthropods, of the tarsus. ...

That night, the Tlingit rejoiced at having repulsed the Russian onslaught.

Day Two

A plan and elevation sketch of the Tlingit fort Shis'kí Noow drawn by Urey Lisianski after the Battle of Sitka in 1804. The Indian River flows through the upper right corner of Lisianski's drawing.

Inasmuch as Baranov’s battlefield wounds prevented him from continuing the battle, Lieutenant Commander Lisianski assumed command, ordering his ships to begin shore bombardment of the Tlingit position. The initial barrage consisted mainly of "ranging shots" as the vessels attempted to determine the optimum firing range. Unable to breach the fort's walls, the Russians ceased fire in the early afternoon and sent a messenger ashore under a flag of truce. Image File history File links Lisianski_Sapling_Fort_Sketch_1804. ... Image File history File links Lisianski_Sapling_Fort_Sketch_1804. ... A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire directed against fortifications, troops or towns and buildings. ... A barrage may be a weir at the mouth of a slow-flowing river such as the Murray River to maintain a separation between fresh and salt water or reduce the risk of tidal flooding up the river a large amount of coordinated artillery or depth charge fire The name... == T.R.U.C.E == Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Childrens Entertainment. ...

It was constructed of wood, so thick and strong, that the shot from my guns could not penetrate it at the short distance of a cable's length — from the log of Urey Lisianski, Captain of the Neva.

Much to the Kiks.ádi's amusement, the message demanded their surrender, which they rejected out of hand. The Tlingit replied with their own demand that the Russians surrender, which was also rejected. The Russian cannon fire resumed until nightfall. A cable length is a nautical unit of measure, for which at least four definitions seem to exist: Common definition: 1/10 nautical mile, i. ...

After dark, the Kiks.ádi met to consider their situation. They all believed that the Russians suffered too many losses the day before to mount another ground attack. The Tlingit's goal had been to hold out long enough to allow the northern clans to arrive and reinforce their numbers, but the shortage of gunpowder limited their ability to remain under siege, a factor that made ultimate victory seem less likely. The Tlingit concluded that a change in tactics was in order: rather than suffer the ignominy of defeat on the battlefield, they formulated a strategy wherein the Clan would disappear into the surrounding forest (where they felt that the Russians could not engage them) and establish a new settlement on the northern part of the island. For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). ...

Day Three

The Neva and her escorts resumed their day-long bombardment of the Tlingit fort at sunrise. The Kiks.ádi responded with offers of a truce, hostage exchanges, promises of more talks, and even the possibility of surrender. Unbeknownst to the Russians, the Clan's elderly and young children had already begun the trek to Gájaa Héen (Old Sitka). At nightfall, the House Chiefs met again to discuss their planned march across the island. Mothers with infant children were to depart in the morning.

Day Four

The naval cannon fire began at daybreak, halting periodically to allow the Russians to extend offers of peace to the Kiks.ádi, which were in turn rejected. That afternoon, the Tlingit's response was that they had tired of battle, and would accede to the Russian demands to evacuate Shis'kí Noow the following day. Once the sun had set, the natives held their last gathering in the sapling fort. The elders offered praise for their clansmen who had defended the Kiks.ádi homeland against a formidable enemy. The Clan gathered together for a last song, one that ended with a loud drum roll and a wail of anguish (which the Russians interpreted as a sign of their surrender).

The Tlingit then departed undetected under the cover of darkness.

Aftermath

It wasn't until October 7, days after the Kiks.ádi put forth their tragic "swan song," that the Russians landed a large contingent of troops to secure the beachhead and to reconnoiter the area in and around Shis'kí Noow. To their great surprise, none of the natives were to be found (unbeknownst to the Russians, the Tlingit had embarked on what is now referred to as the "Sitka Kiks.ádi Survival March"). October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... A swan song is a reference to an ancient and false belief that the occasional Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is completely mute during its lifespan, but may sing one heartbreakingly beautiful song just before it dies. ...

On October 8, Captain Lisianski visited the abandoned Tlingit fortification and recorded his impressions of what he saw as follows: October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ...

Having come ashore, I observed the most barbaric sight that could bring even the most hardened heart to tremble and recoil. Assuming that we could trace them in the woods by the voices of infants and dogs, the Sitkans put them all to death...the entire set of circumstances led us to conclude that the fortress had contained no less than 800 persons of male gender.

The fort was razed to preclude the possibility of its being used as a stronghold against the Russians and their allies ever again. Raze is a dance music group assembled by instrumentalist and producer Vaughan Mason. ...

"Sitka Kiks.ádi Survival March"

The first leg of the Tlingit's sojourn entailed a hike west from Gajaa Héen to Daxéit (the Clan's fishing camp at Nakwasina Sound, where each May the Kiks.ádi harvested herring eggs, a traditional native food). From there, the group's exact path across the mountains north to Cháatl Káa Noow (the Kiks.ádi "Halibut Fort" at Point Craven in the Peril Strait) is a matter of some conjecture. However, a coastal route around the bays of Northwest Baranof Island appears to be the most likely course as it would have allowed the travelers to circumvent the Island's dense forests, based on significant firsthand research into the event conducted by Herb and Frank Hope of the Sheet'ká Kwáan — Sitka Tribe of Alaska. Canoes fashioned out of redcedar trunks facilitated the ocean crossing to Chichagof Island. Family Clupeidae This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Peril Strait is a strait in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska at 57° N 135° W. It is between Chichagof Island to its north and Baranof Island to its south. ... Species Thuja plicata Western Redcedar, Thuja plicata, a species of thuja, is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to the northwestern US and southwestern Canada, from southern Alaska and British Columbia south to northwest California and inland to western Montana. ... Chichagof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska, 57°51′ N 135°34′ W. It is 5,398 km² (2,080 sq. ...

Several warriors remained in the vicinity of Noow Tlein after the Battle as a sort of rear guard, in order to both harass the Russian settlers and to prevent them from pursuing the Kiks.ádi during their flight north. Shortly thereafter, eight Aleut trappers were killed in Jamestown Bay and another was shot in the woods adjacent to New Archangel. From that point forward, Russian hunting parties went out in force, ever alert to the possibility of attack. The Kiks.ádi encoraged other Tlingit clans to avoid contact with the Russians by any means possible.

Russian Alaska

Main article: Russian Alaska

The Russian palisade atop "Castle Hill" (Noow Tlein) in Gájaa Héen (Old Sitka), circa 1827.

Atop the kekoor (hill) at Noow Tlein, the Russians constructed a fortress (krepost') of their own, consisting of a high wooden palisade with three watchtowers (armed with 32 cannon) for defense against Tlingit attacks. By the summer of 1805, a total of 8 buildings had been erected inside the compound, including workshops, barracks, and the Governor's Residence. As seen in this photo of the Bering Strait, Alaskas West coast and Russias East coast are not far apart. ... Old Sitka, Alaska circa 1805. ... Old Sitka, Alaska circa 1805. ... 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A watchtower is a type of fortification. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Aside from their annual expeditions to "Herring Rock" near the mouth of the Indian River, the Kiks.ádi by-and-large steered clear of the ever-expanding settlement until 1821, when the Russians (who intended to profit from the natives' hunting prowess, and to put an end to the sporadic attacks on the village) invited the Tlingit to return to Sitka, which was designated as the new capital of Russian America in 1808. 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... After the discovery of northern Alaska by Ivan Fedorov in 1732, and the Aleutian Islands, southern Alaska, and north-western shores of North America in 1741 during the Russian exploration conducted by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, it took fifty years until the founding of the first Russian colony in... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

A replica of Russian Block House #1 (one of three watchtowers that guarded the stockade walls at Old Sitka) as constructed by the National Park Service in 1962.

The Tlingit who chose to return were allowed to reside in a part of the village just below the heavily-guarded stockade on "Blockhouse Hill" (an area known as the Ranche until around 1965). Russian cannon were constantly trained on the natives as a reminder of their defeat at Shis'kí Noow. The Kiks.ádi supplied the Russians with food (including corn, or maize, which the settlerts taught them how to cultivate) and otter pelts, while the colonists introduced the Tlingit to the various aspects of Russian culture and the Russian Orthodox Church. Occasional acts of Tlingit aggression continued until 1858, with one significant uprising (though quickly quelled) occuring in 1855. Download high resolution version (1024x1536, 337 KB)The trading post at Old Sitka, Alaska in May 2002. ... Download high resolution version (1024x1536, 337 KB)The trading post at Old Sitka, Alaska in May 2002. ... A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... Christ the Redeemer, a well-known Russian Orthodox icon from Zvenigorod. ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

After Russian America was sold to the U.S. in 1867, all of the holdings of the Russian–American Company were liquidated. Following the transfer, many elders of the local Tlingit tribe maintained that "Castle Hill" comprised the only land that Russia was entitled to sell. Native land claims were not addressed until the latter half of the 20th Century, with the signing of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A Tlingit totem pole in Ketchikan ca. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Alaska state flag. ...

The 1880 census reported a population of 43 Tlingit living in and around the Indian River, the Kiks.ádi's traditional summer fishing camp. 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ...

Tributes

U.S. President Benjamin Harrison set aside the Shis'kí Noow site for public use in 1890. Sitka National Historical Park was established on the battle site on October 18, 1972 "...to commemorate the Tlingit and Russian experiences in Alaska." Today, the K'alyaan (Totem) Pole stands guard over the Shis'kí Noow site to honor the Tlingit casualties. Ta Éetl, a memorial to the Russian sailors who died in the Battle, is located across the Indian River at site of the Russians' landing. Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833 – March 13, 1901) was the 23rd President of the United States (1889-1893). ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in Leap years). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

In September of 2004, in observance of the Battle's bicentennial, descendents of the combatants from both sides joined in a traditional Tlingit "Cry Ceremony" to formally grieve their lost ancestors. The next day, the Kiks.ádi hosted a formal reconciliation ceremony to "put away" their two centuries of grief. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Historic designations

• National Register of Historic Places #NPS–66000162 — "Baranof Castle Hill" site
• National Register of Historic Places #NPS–66000164 — "Battle of Sitka" site
• National Register of Historic Places #NPS–66000166 — Old Sitka ("Redoubt Saint Michael") site

The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ...

References

• Andrews, C.L. (1944). The Story of Alaska, The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, OH.
• Naske, Claus-M and Herman E. Slotnick (2003). Alaska: A History of the 49th State, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. ISBN 0-8061-2099-1.
• Nordlander, David J. (1994). For God & Tsar: A Brief History of Russian America 1741–1867, Alaska Natural History Association, Anchorage, AK. ISBN 0-930931-15-7.
• Wharton, David (1991). They Don't Speak Russian in Sitka: A New Look at the History of Southern Alaska, Markgraf Publications Group, Menlo Park, CA. ISBN 0-944109-08-X.
• "A Clash of Empires in Southeastern Alaska" Article #700 from the January 28, 1985 Alaska Science Forum — accessed September 6, 2005.
• Tlingit Geographical Place Names for the Sheet’Ka Kwaan — Sitka Tribe of Alaska — an interactive map of Sitka Area native place names.
• "The first Russian round the world voyage and its influence on exploration and development of Russian America" thesis by A. Postnikov (2002), S.I. Vavilov Institute of the History of Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia — accessed September 25, 2005.
• "The Kiks.ádi Survival March of 1804" article by Herb Hope (2000), from Will the Time Ever Come? A Tlingit Sourcebook, Alaska Native Knowledge Network, Fairbanks, AK. ISBN 1-877962-34-1 — accessed September 11, 2005.

January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

See also

• Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
• Sitka National Historical Park

Sitka City and Borough is a borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the state of Alaska. ... Alaskas oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. ...

External links

• Sitka National Historic Park National Park Service official website
• Glossary of Russian Terms