Daily Sitka Sentinel

Assembly Decides: Baranof Goes to Museum

By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer

The Assembly approved a resolution Tuesday to relocate the statue of Alexander Baranof to the Sitka Historical Society Museum.

The resolution passed in a 6-1 vote after more than an hour of discussion and comments from a dozen or so  members of the public. Valorie Nelson cast the dissenting vote.

The resolution calls for removing the bronze statue from its location in front of Harrigan Centennial Hall and placing it in the Sitka History Museum inside the building.

The statue was a gift to the City of Sitka from Lloyd and Barbara Hames in 1989. After the issue of removing the statue was raised in recent weeks Hames family members said they support moving the statue to the museum.

A group of about 150 Sitkans stands near the entrance of Harrigan Centennial Hall Tuesday night to show support for an Assembly resolution to move the statue of Russian American Company Chief Manager Alexander Baranof from its location outside the municipal building to inside the city museum in Centennial Hall. The Assembly passed the resolution on a 6-1 vote. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Deputy Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz will head a committee to work with Sitka Tribe of Alaska on the statue’s relocation. Assembly members Kevin Knox and Thor Christianson will also sit on the committee.

Dionne Brady-Howard was one of the first speakers from the public Tuesday night.

“It’s not at all about erasing history,” she said. “It’s about being more mindful about how we tell our history.”

Brady-Howard said the statue, for many, is a symbol of historical trauma. This includes trauma endured by Aleut people brought to Sitka against their will, and by Tlingit people who were attacked while protecting and living in their homeland.

Brady-Howard said she’s not interested in blame. 

“When we talk about historical trauma, I would like to emphasize that it is never about blame, but about our current responsibility in this time and in this place,” she said. 

Her comments were echoed by other speakers, who said that relocating the statue was a step toward healing.

“Relocating the statue to the Sitka Museum could be one example of how a Southeast community – Sitka – decided to take steps to begin healing a deep wound set within generations of historical trauma, and through their action showed respect for the Tlingit peoples, who have lived on this land for more than 10,000 years,” said Nancy Furlow, president of Alaska Native Sisterhood, Camp 4.

The organizations Sitka Health Summit and Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby also supported the resolution.

Both organizations pointed out that Native and other marginalized people are more likely to suffer negative health impacts because of colonization.

Tina Bachmeier, who along with Melonie Boord represented Sitka Health Summit, explained that historical trauma the Baranof statue represents includes the loss of land, culture, and rituals, and that this negatively impacts the health of Native people.  

Psychologist Libby Stortz, who called in on behalf of the Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby, also commented, saying that relocating the statue promotes reconciliation, as well as emotional, mental, and physical health for those negatively impacted by colonial actions.

Just prior to the Assembly vote member Thor Christianson said, “What strikes me about this is that for a large section of our population, (the statue) does cause pain. It does cause distress.”

Before Christianson spoke Assembly member Kevin Mosher expressed concern over what could happen if anyone should vote against the resolution.

“There’s this narrative that if you don’t agree with (the relocation) you’re a bad person,” Mosher said. 

He said he believes the calls to relocate the statue have been “hijacked” by the country’s current political moment.

“This is a massive, weird thing that’s happening in pop culture and the media ... I stand against (it) with every part of my being,” he said.

Mosher’s comment referenced the removal of statues in the South and in other parts of the U.S. glorifying Confederate figures and slave owners.

Mosher still voted to pass the resolution, and said he believes the statue is not a positive influence.

“If I was an Alaska Native I would probably want (the statue) removed,” he said. “It would probably upset me.”

Nelson - the only dissenting vote - said in her comments that she did not think it should be moved to the museum.

“I could vote for a resolution that says, ‘Let’s move it,’ but I think it needs to be done in the right way,” she said, suggesting that a better place for it is Old Sitka, or another outdoor space.

She also took issue with the timing of the resolution.

“It’s been suggested to me that we put this stuff aside for a couple months,” she said. “We’ve been meeting five times a month since March because of all this COVID crap, and we have a lot more stuff going on.”

But for many who gave testimony that evening, the time is now.

“Thirty years ago, Sitka was unable to have a conversation about the statue,” said Brady-Howard. “Gaawt kawdixít – it is time.”