Since 1775 Shelekhov had been trading with Alaska Natives in the Kuril and Aleutian islands of present-day Alaska. In April 1784 he returned to found a settlement on Kodiak Island and the coast of the mainland. The people occupying the area initially resisted, and fled to the secluded stack island Refuge Rock (Awa'uq in Alutiiq language, approximate meaning 'where one becomes numb'[6]) of Partition Cove on Sitkalidak Island. It was across Old Harbor in the Kodiak Archipelago.[7]
The Russian promyshlennikis attacked the people on the island by shooting guns and cannons, slaughtering an estimated 200 to 500[8][2] men, women and children on Refuge Rock. Some sources state the number killed was as many as 2,000,[1] or 3,000 persons.[3] Following the attack of Awa'uq, Shelikhov claimed to have captured over 1,000 people, detaining some 400 as hostages, including children.[1] The Russians suffered no casualties.[3]
This massacre was an isolated incident, but the violence and taking of hostages resulted in the Alutiiq becoming completely subjugated by Russian traders thereafter.[9]Qaspeq (literally: "kuspuk"), was an Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) who had been taken as a child as a hostage from Kodiak; he was raised in servitude by the Russians in the Aleutians. Having learned Russian, he became an interpreter for them with the Alutiiq. Qaspeq had once betrayed the location of a refuge island just offshore of Unalaska Island.[10]
More than five decades after the massacre, Arsenti Aminak, an old Sugpiaq man who had survived the massacre, reported his account of these events to Henrik Johan Holmberg (sometimes known as Heinrich Johann) (1818–1864), a Finnishnaturalist and ethnographer.[11] Holmberg was collecting data for the Russian governor of Alaska.[12]
Aminak said:
The Russians went to the settlement and carried out a terrible blood bath. Only a few [people] were able to flee to Angyahtalek in baidarkas; 300 Koniags were shot by the Russians. This happened in April. When our people revisited the place in the summer the stench of the corpses lying on the shore polluted the air so badly that none could stay there, and since then the island has been uninhabited. After this every chief had to surrender his children as hostages; I was saved only by my father's begging and many sea otter pelts. [13]
Aftermathedit
The years 1784–1818 were called the "darkest period of Sugpiaq history," as the Russians treated the people badly. They also suffered high mortality from infectious diseases unwittingly introduced by the Russians. In 1818 there was a change in the management of what was then known as the Russian-American Company, referring to Russians operating in North America.[14]
Native population of Southwestern Alaska,1741 to 1834 (Based on estimates and Russian-American Company censuses)[15]
^ abcdBen Fitzhugh (2003), The Evolution of Complex Hunter-Gatherers: archaeological evidence from the North Pacific, New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003
^ abcJohn Enders (1992), "Archaeologist May Have Found Site Of Alaska Massacre", The Seattle Times, Sunday, August 16, 1992
^ abcd, Alutiiq, a wholly owned subsidiary of Afognak Native Corporation, July 2008
^Sven Haakanson, Jr. (2010), "Written Voices Become History". In Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists. George Nicholas (editor). Left Coast press, Inc., 2010
^Finding Refuge, PBS, NETA, first release 3 Oct. 2015.
^Gordon L. Pullar, "Ethnographie historique des villages sugpiat de Kodiak à la fin du XIXe siècle". In Giinaquq = Like a Face : Sugpiaq masks of the Kodiak archipelago (editors: Sven Haakanson Jr. and Amy Steffian), 2009 University of Alaska Press. {En 1784, peu après la prise de contrôle de l'île de Kodiak par les Russes qui avait entraîné le massacre de centaines de Sugpiat à Awa'uq (Refuge Rock), le marchand russe Grigorii Shelikhov prit en otage les enfants de reponsables sugpiaq pour les avoir sous son controle er, ainsi, contrôler tout leur peuple.}
^Korry Keeker, What it means to be Alutiiq / State museum exhibit examines Kodiak-area Native culture 2013-01-04 at the Wayback Machine, Friday, April 25, 2003
^Aron L. Crowell (2001), Looking Both Ways, Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 2001
^Richard A. Knecht, Sven Haakanson, and Shawn Dickson (2002). "Awa'uq: discovery and excavation of an 18th century Alutiiq refuge rock in the Kodiak Archipelago". In To the Aleutians and Beyond:, Bruno Frohlich, Albert S. Harper, and Rolf Gilberg, editors, pp. 177–191. Publications of the National Museum Ethnographical Series, Vol. 20. Department of Ethnography, National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen. the Anthropology of William S. Laughlin.
^Drabek, Alisha Susana 2012. Liitukut Sugpiat'stun (we are learning how to be real people): Exploring Kodiak Alutiiq literature through core values. PhD dissertation. University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, December 2012.
^ abMiller, Gwenn A. (2010). Kodiak Kreol: Communities of Empire in Early Russian America. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN978-0-8014-4642-9.
^Heinrich J. Holmberg (1985), Holmberg's Ethnographic Sketches. Translated by Marvin W. Falk, edited by Fritz, Fairbanks: Limestone Press, 1985 (p. 59)
^Lydia T. Black (1992), "The Russian Conquest of Kodiak." In: Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska. Vol. 24, Numbers 1-2. Fall. Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska Fairbanks
^ ab(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-02. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
External linksedit
GOOGLE Maps : Awa’uq or Refuge Rock (the secluded island in Partition Cove)
January 01, 1970
massacre, refuge, rock, massacre, more, recently, wounded, knee, alaska, attack, massacre, koniag, alutiiq, sugpiaq, people, august, 1784, refuge, rock, near, kodiak, island, russian, trader, grigory, shelekhov, armed, russian, cannoneers, shelikhov, golikov, . The Awa uq Massacre 4 5 or Refuge Rock Massacre 5 or more recently as the Wounded Knee of Alaska 2 was an attack and massacre of Koniag Alutiiq Sugpiaq people in August 1784 at Refuge Rock near Kodiak Island by Russian fur trader Grigory Shelekhov and 130 armed Russian men and cannoneers of his Shelikhov Golikov Company Awa uq MassacrePart of the Russian colonization of the Americas and the American Indian WarsGrigory Shelikhov s settlement is depicted in this 1802 lithograph Three Saints was founded in 1784 just across the strait from Sitkalidak Island Date14 August 1784LocationSitkalidak Island Alaska Russian America57 06 22 N 153 05 00 W 57 10604 N 153 0832814 W 57 10604 153 0832814PartiesKoniag Alutiiq people Qik rtarmiut Sugpiat Russian fur traders of Shelikhov Golikov CompanyLead figuresnone Grigory ShelikhovNumber4 000 1 130 1 Casualties and losses200 2 3 000 3 killed no casualties 3 Contents 1 Massacre 2 Aftermath 3 References 4 External linksMassacre editSince 1775 Shelekhov had been trading with Alaska Natives in the Kuril and Aleutian islands of present day Alaska In April 1784 he returned to found a settlement on Kodiak Island and the coast of the mainland The people occupying the area initially resisted and fled to the secluded stack island Refuge Rock Awa uq in Alutiiq language approximate meaning where one becomes numb 6 of Partition Cove on Sitkalidak Island It was across Old Harbor in the Kodiak Archipelago 7 The Russian promyshlennikis attacked the people on the island by shooting guns and cannons slaughtering an estimated 200 to 500 8 2 men women and children on Refuge Rock Some sources state the number killed was as many as 2 000 1 or 3 000 persons 3 Following the attack of Awa uq Shelikhov claimed to have captured over 1 000 people detaining some 400 as hostages including children 1 The Russians suffered no casualties 3 This massacre was an isolated incident but the violence and taking of hostages resulted in the Alutiiq becoming completely subjugated by Russian traders thereafter 9 Qaspeq literally kuspuk was an Alutiiq Sugpiaq who had been taken as a child as a hostage from Kodiak he was raised in servitude by the Russians in the Aleutians Having learned Russian he became an interpreter for them with the Alutiiq Qaspeq had once betrayed the location of a refuge island just offshore of Unalaska Island 10 More than five decades after the massacre Arsenti Aminak an old Sugpiaq man who had survived the massacre reported his account of these events to Henrik Johan Holmberg sometimes known as Heinrich Johann 1818 1864 a Finnish naturalist and ethnographer 11 Holmberg was collecting data for the Russian governor of Alaska 12 Aminak said The Russians went to the settlement and carried out a terrible blood bath Only a few people were able to flee to Angyahtalek in baidarkas 300 Koniags were shot by the Russians This happened in April When our people revisited the place in the summer the stench of the corpses lying on the shore polluted the air so badly that none could stay there and since then the island has been uninhabited After this every chief had to surrender his children as hostages I was saved only by my father s begging and many sea otter pelts 13 Aftermath editThe years 1784 1818 were called the darkest period of Sugpiaq history as the Russians treated the people badly They also suffered high mortality from infectious diseases unwittingly introduced by the Russians In 1818 there was a change in the management of what was then known as the Russian American Company referring to Russians operating in North America 14 Native population of Southwestern Alaska 1741 to 1834 Based on estimates and Russian American Company censuses 15 year Aleutian Islands Aleut Unangan Kodiak Island Cook Inlet Prince William Sound Alutiiq Sugpiaq Kodiak Island only Koniag Alutiiq Cook Inlet Prince William Sound only Chugach Sugpiaq 1741 8 000 1784 10 000 1791 6 000 6 510 599 1804 4 850 1806 1 898 1813 1 508 1817 4 098 2 544 1821 1 700 1834 2 000 In 1827 collection of yasak yasak tax was banned by Catherine the Great 12 Fur harvests of Shelikhov Golikov and Russian American Company 15 1797 1821 Average yr1797 1821 1821 1842 Average yr1821 1842 Sea otters 72 894 2 916 25 416 1 210 Beavers 34 546 1 382 162 034 7 716 River otters 14 969 599 29 442 1 402 Fur seals 1 232 374 49 295 458 502 21 833 Foxes 102 134 4 085 90 322 4 301 Sables 17 298 692 15 666 746 Wolverines 1 151 46 1 564 74 Lynx 1 389 56 4 253 203 Minks 4 802 192 15 481 737 Polar foxes 40 596 1 624 69 352 3 302 Wolves 121 5 201 10 Bears 1 602 64 5 355 255 Sea lions 27 1 O 0 Walrus tusks poods 36 pounds 1 616 65 6 501 310 Baleen poods 36 pounds 1 173 47 3 455 165 nbsp An Alutiiq Sugpiaq village in Old Harbor Alaska in 1889 with Oncorhynchus salmon hung up for dryingReferences edit a b c d Ben Fitzhugh 2003 The Evolution of Complex Hunter Gatherers archaeological evidence from the North Pacific New York Kluwer Academic Plenum Publishers 2003 a b c John Enders 1992 Archaeologist May Have Found Site Of Alaska Massacre The Seattle Times Sunday August 16 1992 a b c d The Afognak Alutiiq People Our History and Culture Alutiiq a wholly owned subsidiary of Afognak Native Corporation July 2008 Sven Haakanson Jr 2010 Written Voices Become History In Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists George Nicholas editor Left Coast press Inc 2010 a b Afognak Village Timeline Finding Refuge PBS NETA first release 3 Oct 2015 Gordon L Pullar Ethnographie historique des villages sugpiat de Kodiak a la fin du XIXe siecle In Giinaquq Like a Face Sugpiaq masks of the Kodiak archipelago editors Sven Haakanson Jr and Amy Steffian 2009 University of Alaska Press En 1784 peu apres la prise de controle de l ile de Kodiak par les Russes qui avait entraine le massacre de centaines de Sugpiat a Awa uq Refuge Rock le marchand russe Grigorii Shelikhov prit en otage les enfants de reponsables sugpiaq pour les avoir sous son controle er ainsi controler tout leur peuple Korry Keeker What it means to be Alutiiq State museum exhibit examines Kodiak area Native culture Archived 2013 01 04 at the Wayback Machine Friday April 25 2003 Aron L Crowell 2001 Looking Both Ways Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People Fairbanks University of Alaska Press 2001 Richard A Knecht Sven Haakanson and Shawn Dickson 2002 Awa uq discovery and excavation of an 18th century Alutiiq refuge rock in the Kodiak Archipelago In To the Aleutians and Beyond Bruno Frohlich Albert S Harper and Rolf Gilberg editors pp 177 191 Publications of the National Museum Ethnographical Series Vol 20 Department of Ethnography National Museum of Denmark Copenhagen the Anthropology of William S Laughlin Drabek Alisha Susana 2012 Liitukut Sugpiat stun we are learning how to be real people Exploring Kodiak Alutiiq literature through core values PhD dissertation University of Alaska at Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska December 2012 a b Miller Gwenn A 2010 Kodiak Kreol Communities of Empire in Early Russian America Ithaca NY Cornell University Press ISBN 978 0 8014 4642 9 Heinrich J Holmberg 1985 Holmberg s Ethnographic Sketches Translated by Marvin W Falk edited by Fritz Fairbanks Limestone Press 1985 p 59 Lydia T Black 1992 The Russian Conquest of Kodiak In Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska Vol 24 Numbers 1 2 Fall Department of Anthropology University of Alaska Fairbanks a b Russian American Reader PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2014 11 02 Retrieved 2014 10 21 External links editGOOGLE Maps Awa uq or Refuge Rock the secluded island in Partition Cove Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Awa 27uq Massacre amp oldid 1200222957, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
