Tikchik village: a nineteenth century riverine community in ... - Cluster

326 FIELDIANA: ANTHROPOLOGY, VOLUME 56quantity to the Eskimos of the region. As late as 1839, Fedor Kolmakovwas forbidden by the general manager of the Russian-AmericanCompany to sell guns to the Eskimos.Only a few of the mosttrustworthy men were allowed to borrow firearms and Kolmakovwas ordered to keep a careful record in writing of those to whomweapons had been loaned. In the same year Alexandrovski Redoubtreceived only five metal traps for trading purposes. In fact, Zagoskinnoted that in the Yukon and Kuskokwim villages in 1842-1844 thetrappers, not interested in changing their traditional methods, wouldacquire metal traps only for the purpose of immediately convertingthe parts into knives, axes, rings, and other useful items (Zagoskin,1967, p. 221; Russian-American Company Records: CommunicationsSent, vol. 16, no. 377, folios 106-108; vol. 17, no. 387, folio 370;no. 513, folio 505).At the time of Tikhmenev's study of the Russian -AmericanCompany in the period around 1860, Alexandrovski Redoubt hadalready lost much of its importance but still maintained an activetrade with the people in the immediate Nushagak area.At that timethe most favored trade goods at the post were tobacco, various kindsof dry goods, and cast iron kettles. Beads had formerly been preferredby the Eskimos of the region, particularly large red, black, andwhite ones, but these had fallen from favor and were bartered onlyin small quantities (Tikhmenev, 1939-1940, pt. II, p. 334). Othergoods bartered by the Russians in western Alaska which were likelyto have been included in the Alexandrovski trading inventories wereblue beads, knives, iron for striking a fire, needles, combs, pipes, largecups, copper jugs, mirrors, copper rings, earrings, bracelets of copperand iron, leather pouches, mortars and pestles, small bells, navy buttons,Aleutian axes, flannel blankets, calico shirts, caps, cloth dresses,and other items of European clothing. At Nulato on the YukonRiver beads were handled in strings and in 1843 a total of 3,360strings one sazhen (2.1 m.) in length were traded to the Indians atthe post and in the surrounding area (Zagoskin, 1967, pp. 148, 161,170, 184, 185, 246-247).It is regretable that nothing more detailed is known concerninginventories of Russian trade goods and it is rather discouraging toknow that nothing more is likely to come to light unless some sourcesare discovered that are presently unknown. A recent examinationof the many folios of Russian -American Company records depositedinthe National Archives has confirmed a suspicion that very littleof this typeof information is on file there. But it is clear from the