Opening of the Aleut Exhibit UNANGAX: People of the Sea

Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute
Washington, D.C.

March 5 , 1999

Smithsonian Institute
National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC

Director Fry, Senator Stevens, Mr. Tutiakov, Mr. Merculief, dear friends gathered for this wonderful occasion:

I consider it a great honor and privilege to be involved in the opening of this unique exhibit of Aleut art. This exhibit not only displays items which attest to the antiquity of Aleut culture—a culture which continues to exist and evolve, but also recognizes, in a very public way, the value and contribution of the Aleut presence in North America.

For too long the very existence of the indigenous peoples of North America has been consigned to the past, and their venerable and noble civilizations have too often been evaluated as unimportant chapters of American history.

The history of Christian missionaries to Alaska is a separate topic that cannot be addressed in full here. Yet, there is today a steadily growing interest by historians, anthropologists and ethnologists in the missionary activity in Alaska of the Orthodox Church. To a large extent this interest stems from the symbiotic relationship of Christian Gospel and native culture advanced by the Orthodox missionaries coming from Russia. In harmony with the missionary ethos of the Orthodox Church, these missionaries did not equate the preaching of the Gospel with the eradication of a particular culture. Rather, the Orthodox missionaries sought to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that would transform, rather than destroy, a particular culture. This approach included efforts to fulfill the culture of a particular people by preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the vernacular.

One of the greatest achievements of the 19th century Orthodox missionaries was the development of Aleut literacy. The work of Saint Innocent Veniaminov, who spent over thirty years as a missionary in Alaska, included the creation of an Aleut alphabet. Thus, while the Aleuts were missionized by those of a different culture they received the good news of Christ in their own language. They were also exposed to a Christianity that sought to evangelize by example, not by coercion. For, while colonialism was certainly a feature of Russian imperialism, the Orthodox Church consistently sought to maintain cultural diversity among the indigenous Alaskans. This ultimately liberated Christ and the Gospel from being associated solely with Western European culture and civilization.

One of the best examples of the multicultural missionary pattern in Alaska is Father Jacob Netsvetov. A canonized saint of the Church, Father Netsvetov was born on Atka Island in 1800. His father was a Russian and his mother an Aleut. A collaborator with Saint Innocent Veniaminov in the areas of linguistics and translations, Father Netsvetov continued to spread the Christian Gospel throughout Alaska, not only to the Aleuts, but also to Eskimos and Athabascan Indians. As the first missionary priest of Aleut extraction, Father Netsvetov demonstrated that multi- culturalism and the Christian Gospel were not necessarily at odds with each other. If anything, the Orthodox missionary activity in Alaska confirms that the Gospel can draw various cultures together, allowing for the sharing of all that is good, true and beautiful without forfeiting diversity.

The exhibit we are here to open today is a testament to a people and culture which have been part of the human family for millennia. What is displayed tells the story of a people who have learned how to co-exist with the powerful forces of nature. These artifacts and photographs help to reveal the collective character of a people who were able to utilize the trials and tribulations of a harsh climate for creating objects that are both practical and beautiful. What we are being offered today is a glimpse into the past, present and future of a people and culture which are sealed with a transcendent quality that proclaims the communal relationship between God and his creation. It is this relationship that all human beings need to learn and practice.

In closing my remarks today I would like to offer a brief prayer of intercession and blessing:

Let us pray to the Lord.

You are great Lord, and Your works are marvelous, and there are no words sufficient to describe Your wonders. For You, by Your own will, have, from nothing, brought all things into being. By Your might You uphold creation, by Your providence You direct the world. You have fittingly framed the creation out of four elements; You have crowned the circle of the year with four seasons. All the reason-endowed powers tremble before You. The sun sings Your praises. The moon glorifies You. The stars intercede with You. The light obeys You. The deep seas shudder before You. The water springs serve You. You have spread out the heavens like a tent. You have established the earth upon the waters. With sand You have walled in the seas. You have poured forth the air for breathing. All creation sings praises to You.

We ask You, therefore, O Lord, to send down Your blessings upon Your children, the Aleut people, and upon this exhibit set up in their honor. Also, Lord, send down your blessings upon all who will visit this exhibit. Grant that their hearts and minds will be enlightened and edified by what they shall see and learn, and that they might then do Your will. For You are our God and we are Your people; we are all the work of Your hands, and we call on Your name, always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen!

Thank you very much for this opportunity to be with you today. I am privileged and honored.