The Russian Church and Native Alaskan Cultures

[Rilian]

I ran across this (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/russian/s1a.html) site today which was put together by the Library of Congress. I thought it had some neat info and images, so I thought I would share it.

[Oblio]

Thanks Rilian !

I found this on some of the work of St. Innocent, Apostle to America


Undoubtedly the greatest educator in Russian America was Father Ioann Veniaminov, later Bishop Innokentii, who devised an alphabet for the Aleut language, expanded the educational system, and insisted that priests learn Native languages and customs. In 1841, he established the ecclesiastical seminary at Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka), which included coursework in Latin, trigonometry, navigation, medicine, and six years of Native languages. Local parish schools offered reading, writing, and arithmetic, Biblical history, penmanship, music, and, at times, as many as four languages simultaneously: Russian, Old Church Slavonic, English, and a Native language. Indeed, the stories of the many remarkable graduates of the Church system, mostly Creoles like the priest Iakov Netsvetov and the explorer-soldier Alexander Kashevarov, are among the most moving in the history of Russian America.


From this (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/russian/s2c.html) page. A good bookmark to keep to fire at those that claim the Church has kept the natives from being able to read the Gospel for themselves.

[Oblio]

You might want to crosspost to the Church History forum :)

[Rilian]

Where is it?

I wish I had known more about this before we went to Alaska. Although while we were there we went to a neat little church in a fishing village called Ninilchik. I'll have some pictures somewhere I should dig up.

The saddest thing I've read is the history of the American mission schools in Alaska, and how they undid so much of what the Orthodox schools accomplished.

[nicodemus]

The saddest thing I've read is the history of the American mission schools in Alaska, and how they undid so much of what the Orthodox schools accomplished. You beat me to it.

[Oblio]

Where is it?


Church History (http://www.christianforums.com/f84) (hidden in Theology)

[Eusebios]

I also heartily recommend Fr. Michael Oleksa'a Orthodox Alaska: A Theology of Mission (http://www.christianity-books.com/Orthodox_Alaska_A_Theology_of_Mission_0881410926.html) for anyone who is interested in further study of the nearly irreparable harm done to the Native Alaskan peoples by Protestant missionaries in the 19th C.
It also relates the stories of several blessed saints, including but not limited to, the tenacious Creole St. Jakov(Jacob) Nesvetov , a truly inspiring story!
Understand that this is Fr. Michael's Doctoral Dissertation, so it may seems a bit dry at points, but it is certainly well worth the read, recounting the story of North America's own "Holy Land"
Under His Mercy,
Eusebios.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/greymooncrest/OrthoPrayer.gif

[nicodemus]

I've been meaning to read that book forever.

[Rilian]

Looks interesting, I'll have to put that one on my list. I saw a short book about St. Herman as well that looked good.

[Eusebios]

It is actually quite a quick read. Stop putting it off you slacker! ;)
His always slacking servant,
Eusebios.
:wave:

[nicodemus]

Looks interesting, I'll have to put that one on my list. I saw a short book about St. Herman as well that looked good.
If this is the short book on St. Herman you're speaking of, I recommend it:

http://www.sainthermanpress.com/images/Book%20Covers/golder.jpg

[Rilian]

That's the one nicodemus.