Sitka National Historical Park (SNHP)

104

105

thus came to life) in a very symbolic day, contributing to the memorialization of the park.

The legislation was signed on October 18^th, which is celebrated in Sitka as Alaska Day.

On October 18^th, 1867, the Transfer Ceremony took place and Alaska was both officially and symbolically transferred by Russia to the United States. Choosing this date for the new Legislation Act showed an increase in the significance of Russian period in Sitka’s history. Shortly before the new legislation, in 1972 the National Park Service in its National Register of Historic Places informed that then Sitka National Monument was created to protect a collection of Alaska Indian totem poles and to preserve the history of Indian, Russian, and American occupation of the area. Within the area are 18 totem poles which were part of the Alaska Exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. Also included are the graves of seven Russians killed during the Battle of Sitka in 1804 and the site of the Indian stockade where the Kit-Siti [probably the Kiks.adi] tribe made its last stand against the Russian settlers (…)³³². Another important element of the memory representation in the 1970s in SNHP is the establishment of the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center, which was opened in 1969³³³. It created a new space for the presentation and preservation of Tlingit culture. At the same time, the Russian episode of Sitka’s history received its spatial and tangible representation. The main example of tangible Russian heritage in Sitka is the building known as Russian Bishop’s House. It was initially built in 1842 by the bishop Innokentii and served as his residence. Although 1842 is considered as a construction date for the building it was not compilated until the end of 1843 when the bishop could finally move in³³⁴. After the Alaska Purchase, the Russian Orthodox Church kept the ownership over the building and in time such additional functions as school, seminar and an orphanage were added. Eventually the building was closed and abandoned by Church in 1969³³⁵. After the closure, the ideas to purchase it from the church started to emerge among the Sitka residents. On August 12^th, 1971, the then Sitka’s Mayor Les Shepard wrote a letter to George B. Hertzog Jr., a director of National Park

332 National Park Service, The National Register of Historic Places. 1972, p. 13, Archives of Sitka National Historical Park, SITK 25380 Sitka NHP Record Collection_Series V_Box 95_File Unit 256_Folder 1.

333 T. F. Thornton, op, cit., p. 51.

334 K. L. Arndt, R. A. Pierce, Sitka National Historical Park. Historical Context Study. A construction History of Sitka, Alaska as Documented in the Records of the Russian-American Company, Fairbanks 2003, p. 99.

335 R. Woolsey, The Russian Bishop’s House. Sitka, Alaska. Legacy of an Empire. 1842, Anchorage 1992, p. 6.

106

Service. In this letter, the mayor listed several priorities related to the tangible heritage of Sitka, that could be purchased by the park service. Mayor Shepard placed a Russian Bishop’s House (which he called the Russian Mission) as the first priority. He pointed out that this is the oldest documented building in Alaska (1842) and declared: we urge and support the immediate acquisition of this historic landmark and its placement into the National Park system for its continued preservation³³⁶. In 1972 US Congress purchased the building known as the Russian Bishop’s House³³⁷ from the Russian Orthodox Church and transferred it to the National Park Service. Thus, SNHP became an owner of the facility. While covering the story of the building acquisition and the redesignation of the park and editor with Anchorage Daily Times noted: Full protection of what is left of Russian Alaska is a concern not only of Alaskans, but of the rest of the nation³³⁸. The major renovation project was initiated and by the end of 1980s the building became available for visitors on regular basis. An exhibition dedicated to the Russian America was created as well. Currently, the building’s interior was redecorated to resemble the period shortly after it was built - 1853³³⁹. Its upper floor consists of bishop’s residence and a chapel, while the lower floor presents an exhibition on Russian America. SNHP decided to create a new permanent exhibition in the Russian Bishop’s House which is due to be open to the public in mid 2020s. The team of curators from SNHP is currently involved in the development of this exhibition.

Thus, the SNHP as a custodian of Sitka’s history presents it through two axes: one dedicated to Russian America – in the Russian Bishop’s House and the other dedicated to the Tlingit culture – in the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center, which is located inside the SNHP Visitor Center.

336 L. Shepard, Letter to George B. Hartzog Jr., August 12^th, 1971, Archives of Sitka National Historical Park, SITK 25380 Sitka NHP Record Collection_Series V_Box 95_File Unit 256_Folder 1.

337 J. M. Antonson, W. S. Hanable, Sitka National Historical Park. An administrative History, Anchorage 1987, p. 148.

338 Unknown Author, Legislation Names Sitka National Historic Park, [in:] Anchorage Daily Times, Nov. 4^th, 1972.

339 R. Woolsey, op. cit., p. 7.

107

A panel in front of the entrance to the Russian Bishop's House - photo by K. Dziekan

108

An exhibition panel at Sitka National Historical Park Visitor Center / Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Centre - photo by K. Dziekan

Mary A. Miller, Superintendent at the Sitka National Historical Park explains its current mission and the importance of the changes taking place in early 1970s: This park was set up to commemorate the Battle of 1804 (…). It is of national significance and it’s a part of our mission to tell that story. They [the founders] added that this is a convenient public place to bring back the totems that originally were not from here. But now we’re kind of known for it. The second part of our National Park Service could be an instrument to help preserve the Russian Bishop House not only for its own historic content but the broader mission of the telling the story of Russian America (…). What was really important to the local community was that if we were able to get this [ownership over the Russian Bishop House via Enabling Legislation], we wanted to make sure that we didn’t do anything to take away from telling the Tlingit story of the battle. If we add this Russian piece to our

109

park, we don’t want it to overshadow or deflect (…). I think there is certainly an undertone that deserves recognition: the community leaders at that time who didn’t want to trump or overshadow the 1804 Battle with a Russian American theme. They wanted to make sure that we get a good balance. It’s certainly not well-recognized today. It is amazing how thoughtful the community members were about what I think is a very contemporary issue³⁴⁰.