Soon after the founding of Russian America, attempts were made to learn Native languages. As early as 1805 Nikolai Resanov of the Russian American Company compiled a dictionary of some 1200 words in six Native Alaskan languages. The greatest proponent of multilingualism was Father Ioann Veniaminov. He created an alphabet for the Aleut language, and, with the help of the Aleut Toien (Chief) Ivan Pan'kov, wrote and published in 1834 an Aleut catechism, the first book published in an Alaskan Native language.
As Bishop Innokentii, Veniaminov encouraged the study of Tlingit and a variety of Aleut-Eskimo dialects such as Atkan and Central Yup'ik, most successfully through his Creole protege, the priest Iakov Netsvetov. The latter, in turn, trained other Native and Creole priests such as Innokentii Shaiashnikov and Lavrentii Salamatov, who continued his work well into the American period.
With the American purchase of Alaska in 1867, the understanding of Native languages declined, although notable efforts to translate Tlingit were made. Ironically, in the sunset of Russian influence in Alaska, more translations (about fifteen) were published than in the "Golden Age" of the 1830s - 1860s (about eight), but many of these were reissues of earlier pioneering studies.
Photograph copyprint
Holograph letter. To the Unalaska Ascension Church priest Grigorii Golovin from the Sitka Archangel Church priest Ioann Veniaminov regarding the Aleut Gospel, April 19, 1835, pp.36 (recto,verso), 37 (recto) (36 recto photocopy). B37, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (76)
Holograph letter.
Holograph letter. [From Archimandrite Feoklit, San Francisco, to Archimandrite Anatolii, Minneapolis], August 27, 1899. D341, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (78)
Holograph letter.
Manuscript copy.
Printed book.
Holograph pamphlet.
Printed book. Aleut primer, by Ioann Veniaminov. Moscow: The Synodal Typography, 1846, p.l. General Collections (83)
Printed book.
Photocopy of grammatical chart. From, Grammatical essay on the Aleut Lisyevsk language, by Ioann Veniaminov. St. Petersburg: Academy of Sciences Typography, 1846, opposite p. . General Collections (84b)
Printed book.
Photocopy of grammatical chart.
Photograph. Father Iakov Netsvetov. From a mural in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Washington, D. C. Interpretive Programs Office (86)
Holograph book.
Computer image and biography. [Typological portrait of the Reverend Innokentii Shaiashnikhov]. Interpretive Programs Office (89)
Holograph document. Performance Evaluation
Holograph book.
Holograph book. [Acts of the Apostles], translated into Aleut by Reverend Innokentii Shaiashnikov, ca.1872, pp.25 (verso), 26 (recto). C1, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (92)
Computer image and biography. [Typological portrait of the Reverend Lavrentii Salamatov]. Interpretive Programs Office (93)
Holograph journal. Journal of the priest Lavrentii Salamatov, August 16, 1861 to June 1, 1862, [p. 19]. D45, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (94)
Photocopy, opening passage, St. John's Gospel. From [Gospels of Sts. Mark, Luke, and John], translated into the Aleut-Atka dialect by Reverend Lavrentii Salamatov, 1861, p.121. C2, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (95)
Holograph pamphlet. Russian-Aleut Primer [and prayer book] for Aleut Youth, translated by Reverend Lavrentii Salamatov, ca. 1862, pp.11 (verso), 12 (recto). C2, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (96)
Computer image and biography. [Typological portrait of the Reverend Il'ya Tyzhnov]. Interpretive Programs Office (97)
Holograph report. Opinion of the Kodiak [Eskimo] about my translations compiled in their language, January 22, 1846, by Il'ia Tyzhnov, pp.2,3. B35, Alaskan Russian Church Archives, Manuscript Division (98)
Printed book.
Computer image and biography. Konstantin Larionov. Interpretive Programs Office (100)
Holograph pamphlet.
Holograph pamphlet.
Photocopy, calendar days and weekday symbols,
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