Shamanism and Christianity. Native encounters with Russian Orthodox missions in Siberia and Alaska, 1820-1917

321 Pages·1999·11.81 MB·English

by  Zmanenski A.

SHAMANISM
AND CHRISTIANITY
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SHAMANISM
AND CHRISTIANITY
Native Encounters with Russian
Orthodox Missions in Siberia and
Alaska, 1820-1917
ANDREI A. ZNAMENSKI
Contributions to the Study of World History, Number 70
GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
In order to keep this title in print and available to the academic community, this edition
was produced using digital reprint technology in a relatively short print run. This would
not have been attainable using traditional methods. Although the cover has been changed
from its original appearance, the text remains the same and all materials and methods
used still conform to the highest book-making standards.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Znamenski, Andrei A., 1960—
Shamanism and Christianity : native encounters with Russian
Orthodox missions in Siberia and Alaska, 1820-1917 / Andrei A.
Znamenski.
p. cm.—(Contributions to the study of world history, ISSN
0885-9159 ; no. 70)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-30960-4 (alk. paper)
1. Siberia (Russia)—Missions—History. 2. Chukchi—Missions—
History. 3. Ural-Altaic peoples—Missions—Russia (Federation)—
Siberia—History. 4. Russkaîa pravoslavnaia tserkov—Missions—
Russia (Federation)—Siberia—History. 5. Alaska—Missions—
History. 6. Dena'ina Indians—Missions—History. 7. Russkaia
pravoslavnaia tserkov—Missions—Alaska—History. I. Title.
II. Series.
BV3475.2.Z53 1999
266M9798—<ic21 99-11265
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 1999 by Andrei A. Znamenski
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-11265
ISBN: 0-313-30960-4
ISSN: 0885-9159
First published in 1999
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
<oo)
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
Dedicated
to the Memory of
my brother,
Leonid Znamenski
and my mentor,
Professor Gerald Thompson

Contents
List of Illustrations and Maps ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. Indigenous Landscapes in Siberia and Alaska 15
2. Missionary Landscapes in Siberia and Alaska 47
3. Orthodoxy Becomes a Native Faith: Dena'ina
Encounters with Russian Missionaries, 1849-1917 95
4. "Unresponsive Natives": Chukchi Dialogues with
the Russian Mission, 1840s-1917 139
5. Dialogues about Spirit and Power: Altaian Natives and
the Russian Orthodox Mission, 1828-1917 193
Conclusion 253
Glossary 265
Bibliography 273
Index 299