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3.2.15.wavThe Alutiiq Eskimos who lived on Kodiak (Koniag Alutiiq) tried to fight off the Russian settlers. But like the Aleut (and native peoples across much of the world), they could not overcome modern European weapons. The pivotal battle became known as the Awa'uq (Refuge Rock) Massacre. There, Shelikhov's men armed with guns and cannons killed a large number of Alutiiq, including women and children. Estimates today are that between 500 and 2,000 Alutiiq died at the battle. After this, Alutiiq's resistance was broken.
After the victory, Shelikhov attempted to improve relations by exchanging gifts and trading with Natives on fairer terms. Shelikhov organized the Natives into groups to do different kinds of work for the company. Sea otter hunters were the most important. Old men and children hunted birds and collected birds' eggs for food. Women cleaned fish, sewed parkas, and picked berries. Orders were given that Natives working for the company be well fed and clothed, and treated fairly. The Shelikhovs also started a school for Natives so that they could learn arithmetic and the Russian language to be better workers.
1813 Drawing of a Koniag Warrior
The arrival of Russians to Kodiak Island devastated the Native population. The combination of battles, newly introduced diseases, and forced labor for the Russians took an enormous toll on the population. When the Russians first arrived in 1783, it is estimated that about 8,000 Koniaq lived on Kodiak. Seven years later, in 1790, only 3,000 Kodiak Natives survived. Of those, only 500 were able-bodied men.
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