Did the Russians change the names of Alaskan Natives to Russian names when they invaded Alaska?

Question

Did the Russians change the names of Alaskan Natives to Russian names when they invaded Alaska?

Answer 1

yea they did. They set up missionary stuff for the Native women and kids while they forced the men to hunt seal pelts.

  One more example of the "WHITE MAN"S BURDEN"

Answer 2

I'd argue, contrary to other posters, that the Russians were actually pretty brutual in their occupation/colonization of Alaska.  At least in the Aleutians.  They never went very far inland at all.  But where there were sea otters, they'd force the Aleuts to hunt, sometimes holding the women and children hostage so the men would hunt.  

They had the Aleuts build triple kayaks (I've built my own) so two hunters with harpoons and a Russain with a gun could go out together and the Russian could make sure the Aleuts would hunt for furs instead of for food.

All the Native Alaskans I know have Russian surnames or, if married to Americans in the last generation or two, had Russian surnames previously.  I believe when you needed to have a surname to fill out a form, they used the name of the Russian they were married, indentured, or indebted to.  Rather like when European started needed surnames 300-500 years ago.  They picked their job (Smith) or location (Lake) or color (White) or the nearest important family (Rotschchild) or father (James', Jameson).

Answer 3

First of all, Russians never really colonized Alaska - they only held rights in it since Vitus Bering discovered it in 1741. In 1784, a European trading settlement of furs was founded in one of the Aleutian islands, and Russia never progressed from here.

So, Russians did not change the names of the Alaskan natives into Russian, because they do not even have contact with them from the outset. When William Seward purchased Alaska from the United States, that's the time the Alaskan natives started borrowing Western names.

Answer 4

Russia did not invade Alaska.  The did establish outposts  that were linked to the sea otter fur trade.  As well, the only time Russian names were assigned to Alaskan natives was when a child was born to an Alaskan native female, and a Russian male.

Answer 5

Last time I checked nope