On October 26, 1882, the US Navy bombarded the Tlingit village of Angoon in Alaska, destroying homes and food supplies. As winter approached, the dire conditions led elders to sacrifice so as to leave food for the children. Now, after 142 years, the Navy is set to issue an apology for the atrocity that traumatized generations.
Rear Adm. Mark Sucato will deliver the apology in a ceremony coinciding with the anniversary of the attack. For decades, Angoon residents have pleaded for acknowledgment, famously asking, "Is there anyone here from the Navy to apologize?" Despite a $90,000 settlement from the Department of Interior in 1973, the monetary compensation did not fill the void left by the event. Navy spokesperson Julianne Leinenveber said, "An apology is not only warranted, but long overdue." This recent decision follows a similar Navy apology for the 1869 destruction of Kake.
The attack was one of a number of conflicts between the American military and Alaska Natives prior to the US' 1867 purchase of the territory from Russia. The attack may have stemmed from the death of a Tlingit shaman caused by an exploding harpoon gun on a whaling ship; subsequent tensions arose with the Tlingits and the ship's owner, the North West Trading Co. Accounts vary, but the Navy claims the tribe demanded recompense, which the company refused; instead it sought the navy's help, resulting in Navy Cmdr. E.C. Merriman's assault on Angoon, in which six children were killed. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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