The transition from shamanism to Russian Orthodoxy in Alaska

Thesis



Responding to twofold question how did the transition occur; and what were its implications for the ancient cultures? - this thesis places an emphasis upon the transition as an indigenous movement, involving a transformation of the ancient.

The primary focus is comprised of the Aleut and Alutiiq peoples who converted virtually as whole nations in the later 18th century. They then maintained this faith themselves within their village structures, a premise that will be substantiated in the Introduction. While a similar ingrafting occurred among other Alaskan peoples as well, an amount of published evidence is available for the Aleuts and Alutiiqs that can render the premise especially secure for them. These other Alaskan peoples - the Yupiit, the "Ingalik" Athapascans, the Kolchan Athapascans, the Denaᐟina Athapascans, the historical Eyak, and the Tlingit have provided corroborative ethnographical and social anthropological material; and the main concepts articulated in this study could potentially be extended to them as well, and extended further to peoples of similar cultures across northern Eurasia who were part of this history (as explained in Chapter 1 and in the epilogue in Chapter 6).

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Authors: Mousalimas, S

• Publication date: 1992
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Subjects: Converts; Aleuts; Church history; History; Alaska; Religion; Shamanism; Alutiiqs