The Comity Agreement: Missionization of Alaska Native People

The excerpt discusses the effects of Christian missionaries and mission schools on Alaska Native people within the context of European colonization.
Key points include resource exploitation and the remaking of spiritual landscapes through missionary work.
The objective is to provide a historical perspective on how Alaska Native people came to adopt Christianity.

Contemporary Beliefs: Most Alaska Native people today identify as Christians, even though Christianity is a relatively recent arrival in Alaska.
Indigenous Religions: Before missionary arrival, each indigenous group had distinct religious and philosophical systems with rich ceremonial lives characterized by
a variety of practices such as prayer, dance, music, and rituals—all of which continue in some forms today.
Personal Journey: The author reflects on their background, noting their parents' spiritual influences and their own journey to question Christianity after becoming an adult.
Field of Study: As an ethnomusicologist, the author initially set out to explore the decline of traditional Alaska Native music and dance practices as a result of colonialism.

Initial Observations: The author notes a dramatic decrease in religious and spiritual traditions among Alaska Native populations following colonial encounters.
Goals of Missionization: The aim of missionaries was to convert indigenous peoples and remake their spiritual practices.
Realizations in New Mexico: While teaching in New Mexico, the author noted the survival of traditional religions among Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache peoples, prompting inquiries into Alaska's Christianization.

Origin of the Comity Agreement: Developed in the 19th century as a strategy to distribute missionary work across Alaska without conflict among various Protestant denominations.
Historical Meetings: Meetings were held, represented by denominations to coordinate evangelism efforts including a significant meeting on October 2, 1874, recalling pledges for cooperation from the Evangelical Alliance in New York.
Key Figures: Reverend David B. Coe and Sheldon Jackson were instrumental in promoting mission strategies in Alaska. Jackson later organized another meeting in the early 1880s, laying foundational frameworks for the Comity Agreement.
Dividing Alaska: The Comity Agreement effectively subdivided Alaska into regions for different Protestant denominations, setting precedents that still impact local religious landscapes today.

Federal Involvement: The federal and territorial governments supported and funded the establishment of missions, violating the separation of church and state.
Impacts on Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous tribes were forcibly relocated to reservations, where missionaries aimed to "civilize" them through educational efforts, leading to cultural and spiritual erasure.

Early Missionaries: Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived in Alaska as early as 1794, engaged extensively in the Aleutian Islands and Kodiak Island.
Bilingual Efforts: They documented their interactions and efforts while translating religious texts into indigenous languages, adopting a more protective stance towards native traditions than later American missionaries.
Relationship with Indigenous Peoples: These missionaries worked to gain trust and respect among indigenous populations, avoiding punitive measures observed in later missions.

Methodological Shift: The arrival of American missionaries (Presbyterians, Quakers, and others) marked a new, aggressive approach that actively sought to eradicate indigenous languages and cultures.
Example of Intolerance: Many American missionaries regarded indigenous practices, music, and dance as innately dangerous and rooted in savagery.

Foundation in 1885: Moravian missionaries sought to learn Yup'ik to promote evangelization, leading to a strong retention of the Yup'ik language in communities where they established missions.
Cultural Resilience: Traditional dance practices persisted, albeit in secret, and have seen significant revival since the late 1970s.

1887 Introduction: They attempted to reshape the social life of indigenous believers in Kobuk by banning dancing and imposing strict English-speaking policies.
Result: Today, most villages in this district no longer maintain traditional dance groups except for Kotzebue.

Inclusion of Local Language: Father LaFortune, a Jesuit who arrived in 1926, learned the local Iñupiaq dialect, facilitating a more inclusive mission approach.
Preservation of Traditions: He permitted traditional music and dances to continue, leading to a notable preservation of cultural practices among the King Island community.

Impact on Language and Cultural Practices: The nature of missionary work led to varying levels of language retention and cultural survival among distinct communities.
Correlation of Language and Traditions: Some villages retained language proficiency better than others due to the differing policies of their assigned missionaries, impacting traditional music and dance legacy.

Historical Timeline: A comprehensive list of missions by denomination, year, and location:
- Russian Orthodox - 1794, Aleutian Islands; 1796, Kodiak Island;
- Protestant Missions (Presbyterian, Catholic, Baptist, etc.), spanning from 1877 to the 1940s.
Each mission established schools, many funded publicly despite legal constraints regarding church-state separation.

Rapid Conversion: The high rate of conversion among Native peoples led to significant cultural shifts spurred by epidemic diseases.
Failure of Traditional Healing: Epidemics severely weakened indigenous societies, leaving Native people vulnerable, thus increasing the power and influence of missionaries.

Return of Traditional Culture: In the 1960s and alongside land claim settlements, Alaska Native groups began reclaiming their identities through dance and music festivals, fostering cultural revival.
Contemporary Developments: Numerous dance groups have emerged in modern times, bridging generational gaps and reviving indigenous heritage.
Official Apologies: The Catholic Church made an official apology to Native peoples in 1991-1993, aligning with broader dialogues on healing indigenous communities.

Survival and Revival: The ongoing revival of traditional practices underscores the resilience and adaptability of Alaska Native identities, demonstrating a powerful legacy of cultural endurance despite historic traumas.