Angoon

History

Admiralty Island has long been the home of the Kootznoowoo Tlingit people (), who are enrolled in the Angoon Community Association. Kootznoowoo means "fortress of brown bears", literally xoots-noow-ú "brown.bear-fortress-possessive". Angoon has a less-rainy climate than most of southeastern Alaska and was valued by the Tlingit for that reason. During the Russian period in Alaska, from the 18th century to the mid-19th century, maritime fur trading was a major economic activity in the area. In 1878, after the 1867 Alaska Purchase, the North West Trading Company established a trading post and whaling station on nearby Killisnoo Island and employed Angoon villagers to hunt whales. Whaling, a school, and a Russian Orthodox church attracted many Tlingits to neighboring Killisnoo. In October 1882, the village was destroyed in the Angoon Bombardment by US Naval forces under the command Commander Edgar C. Merriman and the USRC Thomas Corwin under the command of Michael A. Healy. The Tlingit villagers had taken white hostages and property and demanded two hundred blankets in compensation from the North West Trading Company following the accidental death of a Tlingit shaman who died in a whaling bomb accident while working on the whaler. The hostages were released upon the arrival of the naval expedition to Angoon, however Merriman demanded four hundred blankets in tribute and upon the Tlingit delivery of just eighty one blankets, Merriman's forces destroyed the village. After a short time, the North West Trading Company switched to herring processing. During this time, many Tlingits moved to Killisnoo for employment at the fish plant. In 1928, Killisnoo was destroyed by fire and many Tlingits returned to Angoon. In 1973, Angoon won a U.S. $90,000 settlement from the United…

Geography

Angoon is located on the west side of Admiralty Island at (57.496891, -134.573579). It is the largest permanent settlement on Admiralty Island and is sited on an isthmus at the mouth of Kootznahoo Inlet on the west side of the island. It is southwest of Juneau. The only other community on the island is Cube Cove, to the north. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 37.04%, are water. The climate is either an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), when utilising the isotherm or a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb), when utilising the isotherm. Its climate moderately tempered by the Alaska Current is only slightly more extreme than the north of Scotland.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Angoon School
  Other · Angoon · 70 students · 10:1 ratio
• Chatham Correspondence
  Other · Angoon · 18 students