Cuffs Used in the Arrest of a Tlingit Alaska State Museum ~ Juneau, Alaska
Cuffs used in the arrest of a Juneau Tlingit who was convicted & sentenced to hang by a "miner's court" for murdering a non-native storekeeper who was selling alcohol to local Natives, circa 1883
Bertland H. Wilbur in Ceremonial Regalia
The two-year old son of Dr. B.K. Wilbur, wearing a beaded eagle shirt made for him by one of the Doctor's grateful patients-a Tlingit woman from the Sitka Native village. The baby was adopted by the Kaagwaataan clan & named Ch'aak Ankawoo (Eagle Lord)
Dr. Bertland K. Wilbur won the friendship of Sitka's clan leaders in the 1890s & their descendants continue the relationship to this day. Wilbur was a physician at the Sitka Industrial School, a Presbyterian boarding school for Alaska Natives. Unlike other members of the faculty, he appreciated Tlingit culture & pushed the school to provide medical care to all Natives, whether Christian or not. He saved the life of Kiks.ádi clan leader Rudolph Walton who adopted him as a member of his clan. After WIlbur left Alaska in 1901, he & Walton remained lifelong friends, & over a century later, their descendants remain close.
Alcohol as a Weapon
Too, alcohol use during the colonization of Alaska created many problems for all, regardless of culture. The Russians first introduced Alaska Natives to beer & liquor, binge drinking, & the distilling process. Under United States rule, selling alcohol to Natives was illegal, but the practice was widespread. Some federal officials charged with protecting Natives were paid off by the traders, or traded alcohol themselves. Alcoholism weakened families & accelerated the breakdown of traditional culture.
Fighting Injustice
Alaska Native pushed back against the taking of their lands. Unscrupulous traders, government corruption, & discrimination. They petitioned local officials, Alaska's governor, & the president to protest their treatment. Local missionaries often backed Native leaders in their fight for justice. But government officials often lacked the willingness & funding to help.
Cuffs Used in the Arrest of a Tlingit Alaska State Museum ~ Juneau, Alaska
Cuffs used in the arrest of a Juneau Tlingit who was convicted & sentenced to hang by a "miner's court" for murdering a non-native storekeeper who was selling alcohol to local Natives, circa 1883
Bertland H. Wilbur in Ceremonial Regalia
The two-year old son of Dr. B.K. Wilbur, wearing a beaded eagle shirt made for him by one of the Doctor's grateful patients-a Tlingit woman from the Sitka Native village. The baby was adopted by the Kaagwaataan clan & named Ch'aak Ankawoo (Eagle Lord)
Dr. Bertland K. Wilbur won the friendship of Sitka's clan leaders in the 1890s & their descendants continue the relationship to this day. Wilbur was a physician at the Sitka Industrial School, a Presbyterian boarding school for Alaska Natives. Unlike other members of the faculty, he appreciated Tlingit culture & pushed the school to provide medical care to all Natives, whether Christian or not. He saved the life of Kiks.ádi clan leader Rudolph Walton who adopted him as a member of his clan. After WIlbur left Alaska in 1901, he & Walton remained lifelong friends, & over a century later, their descendants remain close.
Alcohol as a Weapon
Too, alcohol use during the colonization of Alaska created many problems for all, regardless of culture. The Russians first introduced Alaska Natives to beer & liquor, binge drinking, & the distilling process. Under United States rule, selling alcohol to Natives was illegal, but the practice was widespread. Some federal officials charged with protecting Natives were paid off by the traders, or traded alcohol themselves. Alcoholism weakened families & accelerated the breakdown of traditional culture.
Fighting Injustice
Alaska Native pushed back against the taking of their lands. Unscrupulous traders, government corruption, & discrimination. They petitioned local officials, Alaska's governor, & the president to protest their treatment. Local missionaries often backed Native leaders in their fight for justice. But government officials often lacked the willingness & funding to help.