Tag Archives: Eklutna Historical Park

One of the most interesting places we visited in Alaska was in the small village of Eklutna.  The village is little more than a tiny dot on the map, but it has an interesting spot that nicely highlights the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church on the native population of the region.
The Russian Orthodox church is arguably one of the few good things the Russians did for the native people of Alaska — the Russian legacy is generally that of exploitation of the Alaskan Natives for the furs they provided (especially popular were sea otter pelts, the animals driven to the brink extinction by Russian demand).  The Church’s influence dates to the 18th century when the first missionaries came to …

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