The U.S. Navy made an official apology this week for the bombardment and near destruction of a native Alaskan village 142 years ago.
Speaking Saturday in Angoon, Alaska, located about 100 miles south of the state capital of Juneau in the Tongass National Forest, Rear Adm. Mark Sucato, commander of Navy Region Northwest issued the apology on the 142nd anniversary of the attack, which happened on Oct. 26, 1882 and killed six children while leaving the village’s surviving residents without food or shelter amid a harsh winter.
“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 at the ceremony, which was livestreamed by the Sealaska Heritage Institute. “The Navy takes the significance of this action very, very seriously and knows an apology is long overdue.”
While many details of what caused the destruction at Angoon have been lost to time over the years, what is known is that it began with the accidental death of a Tlingit shaman, who was killed aboard a whaling ship by an exploding harpoon gun.
According to the Naval Heritage and History Command, accounts from the time say members of the Tlingit tribe forced the whaling ship to shore and took multiple hostages from the crew, along with demanding a ransom of 200 blankets, prompting the call for help by local officials from the Navy.
When the Navy arrived at Angoon, they proceeded to destroy the village − burning canoes, food stores, and homes − leaving six children dead and the survivors stranded, entirely dispossessed.
The village received a $90,000 settlement in 1973, and in 1982 the Navy sent a letter to the Kootznoowoo Heritage Foundation acknowledging their role in the affair and writing that, “The destruction of Angoon should never have happened, and it was an unfortunate event in our history.”
The village, however, had long sought an official acknowledgement and apology for the event.
“Thank you, Angoon, for keeping our culture so and so strong,” said Rosita Worl, president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, at the ceremony.
Last month, the Navy conducted a similar apology, for the burning and bombardment of the Tlingit village of Kake in 1869, according to Alaska Public Media.
On Oct. 25, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to officially apologize for the abuses committed at Native American boarding schools for more than a century.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com
JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Veterans Day is a national holiday that encourages communities to stop and thank those who served in the armed forces.
About 8% of Alaskans are veterans, a higher concentration than in any other state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
While some of the bigger Veterans Day events at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fairbanks were canceled this year, there are still plenty of events to attend to throughout the state.
The Municipality of Anchorage will be hosting a Veterans Day ceremony at Merrill Field at the 11th Air Force Memorial at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. Invited guests include Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, Alaska Territorial Guard, Canadian Arctic Members and local military and community leaders.
In Wasilla, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 43-3 will host at the Veterans Wall of Honor, 801 N Fishhook Road, at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Over in Palmer, the Matanuska-Susitna College will be doing a tribute to veterans at the Glen Massay Theater at 2 p.m. There will be a special presentation by Battle Dawgs, a POW/MIA Ceremony, and the guest of honor will be retired Sgt. Tom Spangler. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony.
Arctic Light Elementary School on Fort Wainwright will host its Veterans Day Assembly from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the school gym. Guests are welcome to enter through the gym doors starting at 8:15 a.m.
In Fairbanks, the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs will host a BBQ luncheon and a Marine Corps Birthday Cake Cutting Ceremony. The open house luncheon will start at noon at 751 Old Richardson Highway.
There will also be a Veterans Day Town Hall at the 8 Star Events Center with members of the Interior Delegation to listen to the concerns veterans may have and to learn more about the veteran community. The town hall will begin at 5 p.m.
Interior Alaska American Legion Post 99 will continue its partnership with the Eielson Air Force Base Honor Guard and the North Pole High School JRTOC to host a flag retirement ceremony on Veterans Day. The ceremony will take place at the Alaska Rangers Camp at 5 p.m.
Down south in Homer, the annual Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11:11 a.m. Tuesday at the Homer Emblem Club Veterans’ Memorial at the corner of Lake Street and Pioneer. The parade will conclude with a ceremony at the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center. Veterans are then invited to enjoy a complimentary meal from the Homer Elks Lodge #2127.
Seward Public Schools will be hosting a program at Seward High School from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be served, and there will also be performances from the Band and Choir.
In Juneau, the Southeast Alaska Native Veterans will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony and Luncheon at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall at 11 a.m. The ceremony will also include a keynote address from retired Army Maj. Gen. Richard Mustion.
In Ketchikan, American Legion Post 3 will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony at 631 Park Avenue around 9:30 a.m. The ceremonies will conclude around noon with the presentation of 6 Quilts of Valor.
In Nome, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9569 will be organizing a Veterans Day Parade. The parade will start at 11 a.m. and will begin at the Post Office, and will end at St. Joe’s Park. The community is encouraged to come out.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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