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Clerks Activity Group

Clerks Activity Group

During the Russian era (1812-1842), clerks played a crucial role at Metini / Settlement Ross. Because Settlement Ross was a commercial, not a military, outpost, clerks were essential for its day-to-day functioning.Clerks acted as intermediaries between different cultural groups, contributing to the daily exchange and collaboration between the wide variety of peoples that lived and worked at the Settlement. In addition they connected different communities by combining a variety of cultural trade practices that existed within California, Alaska, and the wider world. 

Among the primary goals of Settlement Ross was to provide provisions to the Russian American Company (RAC) outposts in Alaska and to manage the sea otter harvest and trade. One of the Russian American Company’s strategies to make money in this way was to force highly skilled Alaska Native people to work for them, and not pay them fairly. The Russian American Company was attempting to make a profit by forcing skilled Alaska Native hunters to hunt on Kashia lands and waters.

 

Clerks had to communicate with diverse members of the Ross community to excel in their trade. Russian was the working language in the Settlement, but clerks also had to rely on their knowledge of Kashia and Alutiiq words (the largest group of Alaska Natives at the Settlement) as well as native trade practices in the area to facilitate transactions at the Fur Warehouse (Magazin). Clerks were also required to keep detailed logs and record daily transactions, employee’s credits and debts, lists of supplies, and inventories of each building.

Clerks needed a variety of skills. They had to know accounting and chemistry, and they needed to be able to read, write, and do math. Clerks had to be familiar with First Nations’ trade practices, as well as foreign taxes, languages, currencies, and weights and measures. They also had to be strong enough to pack fur bales, the standard weight of which was ninety pounds. Clerks also had to be able to make tools of their trade such as ink and quill pens. Few, if any, clerks possessed all of these skills. Instead, they often specialized in certain areas.

The Clerks Activity Group is responsible for keeping records, taking inventory, preparing pay packets, running the trade store, and familiarizing themselves with Kashia, Alaska Native (Alutiiq) and Russian languages and trade items & practices.

Clerks Classroom Preparation –

  • Research items traded at the fort, where they came from, and discuss why they were at the settlement
  • Working with your teacher, develop a class ledger in which you will keep records of payments for your class
  • Learn about the geography of the settlement’s trading partners and create a map of the trade routes
  • Make trade beads or your own version of company scrip for use in the trade store
  • Make or gather items for the trade store
  • Make an abacus and learn how to use it and study the history of this tool
  • Learn about different kinds of petroglyphs and collect smooth rocks for your onsite petroglyph project
  • Use the links below to learn about Kashia, Alutiiq and Russian languages and try to learn to count from 1 to 10 in all languages

Critical Thinking Questions:

  • How did Russian / European trade practices differ from Kashia Pomo and Alaska Native trade practices?
  • How have different trade practices impacted the environment - what could have been done differently?
  • How did knowledge of multiple languages aid clerks with their duties at Settlement Ross?
  • Are there benefits to speaking multiple languages today?

Clerks Classroom Preparation and Onsite Activities –

  • General Information, Rules and Expectations – Please read through this carefully
  • Clerks Onsite Task List – An essential list of your tasks and responsibilities
  • Clerks Trade History & Magazin – Read about historic trade practices done by First Nations peoples in the Pacific Northwest and by the Russian American Company at Settlement Ross. Learn about the Magazin (warehouse) where the clerks will do many of their onsite activities
  • Clerks Creating a Trade Store – How to set up the Trade Store, one of the most important tasks for Clerks!
  • Clerks Phrase Book - This PDF has a list of 40 words in Kashia, Alutiiq and Russian
  • Clerks Calligraphy Practice - Your ELP Instructor will provide instructions and materials for this onsite activity
  • Clerks Kashia Alphabet - Please refer to this page to discover more information about Kashia Pomo written language
  • Clerks Alutiiq Alphabet - Please refer to this page to discover more information about Alutiiq written language
  • Clerks Russian Alphabet - Please refer to this page to discover more information about Russian written language
  • Clerks Abacus Activity – Background on the Abacus and instructions on how to make one (optional)
  • Clerks Petroglyph Rock Painting – Review this onsite activity from Alutiiq Museum, make sure you bring rocks and paint to Metini / Fort Ross
  • Night Watch – Each activity group gets to experience a night watch, if your teacher chooses to include!
  • Items to Bring – A list of items to bring…Check it twice!

Clerks Additional Information –

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