St. Agnes Mission School, circa 1898

The First Organic Act of 1884 established Alaska's civil government as well as a provision for education, a mandate which was met by contracting with missionary groups. St. Agnes Mission School opened in 1898 under contract with the Episcopal Church. Under the lead of these missionary principles, Native students were indoctrinated into Christianity and forced to adopt English as their only language. The segregation of Native children had lasting effects on the fabric of the Native community. The destruction of traditional ways of learning within families led not only to the disconnection of subsistence-based knowledge, but more profoundly, this cultural oppression led to the loss of ancestral connections through language and clan identity.

Ketchikan Museums: Tongass Historical Society Collection, THS 86.1.38.27