Natives and Creoles of Alaska in the maritime service in Russian America

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the initial stage of Russian colonization of Alaska, very few Natives were involved in carrying out maritime service on Russian ships, as they lacked some of the required qualifications and skills. Only after the Russians had established the first permanent settlement on Kodiak Island in 1784 were some Natives drawn into maritime service, though in a limited number. From the beginning of the nineteenth century, Natives came to be replaced more and more by Creoles (people of mixed European and indigenous descent), who, toward the middle of the century, made up a substantial part of the crew on ships of the Russian-American Company (RAC), which managed the Alaska colony from 1799 until its sale to the United States in 1867. Many Creoles were prepared from childhood to carry out maritime service, serving initially as cabin boys. The most capable Creoles were sent to Kronstadt and St. Petersburg for training, after which they were returned to the Russian colonies in the New World as certified maritime specialists. By the end the Russian-America period, one-third to one-half of the navigators, first mates, and skippers who commanded RAC ships were Creoles. Among those native to Alaska, it was the Creoles who played the most significant role in the maritime history of Russian America and the geographic discoveries in its territory.