The US Navy has formally apologized for the bombardment of the Tlingit village of Angoon in 1882. Rear Adm. Mark Sucato, commander of the Navy’s northwest region, delivered the apology during a ceremony on the 142nd anniversary of the attack, The Associated Press reports.
“The Navy recognizes the pain and suffering inflicted upon the Tlingit people, and we acknowledge these wrongful actions resulted in the loss of life, the loss of resources, the loss of culture, and created and inflicted intergenerational trauma on these clans,” Sucato said. “The Navy takes the significance of this action very, very seriously and knows an apology is long overdue.”
The attack on Angoon, a village of approximately 420 people, was a brutal act of violence that saw the destruction of homes, food caches, and canoes. The event was one of a series of conflicts between the US military and Alaska Native communities following the U.S. purchase of the territory from Russia in 1867.
The Navy’s actions were sparked by the accidental death of a Tlingit shaman, Tith Klane. While the Navy claims that the Tlingits held the whaling ship Klane worked on hostage and demanded compensation, the Tlingit community maintains that the ship’s crew, including Tlingit members, remained on board out of respect for the deceased and no hostages were taken.
Naval Cmdr. E.C. Merriman, the top US official in Alaska, demanded 400 blankets as punishment for the perceived “disobedience” and when the Tlingits failed to comply, he ordered the bombardment.
The apology comes after years of advocacy from Angoon’s leaders, who have sought an apology for the atrocity. They have annually commemorated the event, asking “Is there anyone here from the Navy to apologize?”
While a 1973 settlement with the Department of Interior provided Angoon with $90,000, the apology marks a significant step towards acknowledging the historical injustice and fostering healing for the Tlingit community.
This apology follows a recent apology from the Navy for the destruction of the nearby village of Kake in 1869 and the Army’s planned apology for the shelling of Wrangell in the same year.
