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Sitka is located on western coast Baranof Island, along the outer reaches of the famed Inside
Passage. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by Kruzof Island, from which picturesque
Mount Edgecumbe
rises 3,201 feet (976 meters) above the community. The name Sitka is a
contraction for Shee Atika. Choosing to live on the seaward side of the island they
called Shee, the Tlingit Indians called their settlement Shee Atika,
meaning "people on the outside of Shee".
Click the map for a larger view
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Sitka's history goes back centuries with the native Tlingit Indians. All that changed in 1799
when the Russians arrived to establish a fur trading company managed by Alexander Baranof.
Overtime the fur-trade industry florished and Sitka became the fur trading capital of the world.
In 1848, the first Russian church was completed, it was known as Mother
Cathedral for Orthodoxy. Today it is known as St. Michael's Cathedral, the famed picturesque
focal point of Sitka, topped by stunning copper domes and accented by gold
crosses. By the 1860s the fur-trade had diminished due to overhunting and Russian interest
in Sitka waned. In 1867, the Russians sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million dollars.
The official transfer took place in Sitka on October 18th that same year.
Today, visitors can relive Sitka's Native and Russian history at the
Sitka National Historical Park (Totem Park). This park is also home to the Southeast
Alaska Indian Cultural Center where guest can observe and talk to Native artisans at work. Alaska's largest collection of Alaskan Native artifacts is housed at the Sheldon Jackson Museum,
which also contains comprhendsive and a well documented history of the state. Some find it
ironic, that the museum was the first concrete building erected in the state! The Russian is preserved by groups like the New Archangel Dancers, local women
who perform authentic Russian and
Ukranian dances in authentic costumes. .
The world reknown Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center has become Alaska's foremost
bald eagle hospital and educational center, as well as one of the
most intriging wildlife tours in all of North America. Each year,
the Center provides medical treatment to 100-200 injured bald eagles
and other birds. The goal is to release the birds back into the wild. However, some
are injured so severely they would not survive in the wild even after
rehabilitation. These birds join the Raptors-in-Residence program, providing enchantment
and education for more than 35,000 annual visitors and 14,000 school children through various educational programs.
Population: 9,179
Location: Western coast of Baranof Island.
Access: Jet service is available from Seattle and Anchorage (via Juneau),
additionally the state ferry system and local air taxi service is readily available.
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