GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
Alaska: AK-44
Church of the Nativity
P.O. Box 105
St. Marys, AK 99658
Phone: 907-438-2133
History: Church of the Nativity, St. Marys (formerly Akulurak), Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, has been a small and predominantly Native American (Yupik Eskimo) parish on the Andreafsky River near its confluence with the Yukon River and in the Diocese of Fairbanks (Archives: Fairbanks, Alaska).
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1894-1951 |
Jesuits (Turin, Canada, California, Oregon Provinces) (Archives: St. Louis, Missouri, and Montreal, Quebec) established and administered St. Mary’s Mission (Yupik Eskimo, Ingalik [Eskimo]), Akulurak |
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1894-1898 (closed) |
Jesuits and Sisters of St. Ann (Archives: Lachine, Quebec) established and administered St. Mary’s School (Yupik Eskimo, Ingalik [Eskimo]), Akulurak |
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1905-1973 (closed) |
Jesuits and Ursulines (Western Province) (Archives: Santa Rosa, California) established and administered St. Mary’s School |
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1951 |
St. Mary’s Mission and School relocated to St. Marys on the Andreafsky River |
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1951-1987 (closed) |
Jesuits and Ursulines staffed St. Mary’s School |
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1951-1972 |
Jesuits administered St. Mary’s Mission |
|
1973-present |
In collaboration with the Jesuits, the parish community established the Church of the Nativity |
|
1973-present |
Jesuits administered the parish |
|
1991-present |
A Jesuit and Sisters of St. Francis administers the Fairbanks diocesan Native Ministries Training/ Conference Center based at the parish; includes training for the permanent diaconate and rural and Native American ministries |
Jesuits at St. Mary’s established and attended the following Native American (Yupik Eskimo) missions and stations:
|
1890s-1914 (became a Mission; transferred to Our Lady, Russian Mission and Church of Mary, Marshall) |
Pilot Station |
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1899-1943 (became a parish) |
St. Ignatius Mission, Alakanuk |
|
1890s-1921 (became a mission) |
Mountain Village station |
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1943-1951 |
Sacred Heart Mission, Emmonak; also attended from Numan Iqua and other locations |
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: ca. 1894-ongoing
Volume: Several volumes
Description: Sacramental records for (e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials) for Native American parishioners of Church of the Nativity/ St. Mary’s Mission and its attended missions and station.
Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.
new2006/rev2020
