Saint Peter the Aleut

Peter the Aleut (Russian: Пётр Алеу́т, romanized: Pyotr Aleút), born Cungagnaq (spelling varies) (Russian: Чукагнак, romanized: Chukagnak; died 1815), is venerated as a martyr and saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. He was a native of Kodiak Island (Alutiiq or Sugpiaq), and received the Christian name of Peter when he was baptized into the Orthodox faith by the monks of St Herman's missionaries operating in the north. In 1815, he was allegedly captured by Spanish soldiers near San Pedro, tortured and killed either there or at a nearby location. The most widely circulated source on Peter is a letter from Semyon Yanovsky written 50 years after the murder. It describes Peter as being murdered and tortured by Spanish soldiers on the orders of the Jesuits. However, historians reject the involvement of the Jesuits because they were not present in the territory at the time. This has led some, including the Orthodox Church in America, to conclude that Franciscans were actually responsible for killing Peter. Peter, the name by which he is commonly referred, is his baptismal name. His given name is in Alutiiq, and a number of spellings exist for it. His given name is commonly spelled Cungagnaq, referencing the color blue. Alisha Drabek, a researcher in Alutiiq ethnography, regards Cukagnaq as his proper name, which likely refers to youthful speed and quickness. The spelling Chukagnak is used by a 2016 article in the Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, while a 2007 academic article renders it Chunagnak. At the time identified for Peter's death, California was Spanish territory, and Spain was worried about Russian advances southwards from Alaska.