Particularly the efforts of Herman, Innocent, Tikhon, Jacob Netsvetov, and Juvenaly
Some general questions, but feel free to address anything you can!
Did Americans/Western Europeans care, since Russia owned Alaska? Did they even notice?
How did their efforts compare to Catholic/Protestant missionary efforts in N & S America? (conflict with locals, Catholic missions adopting what appeared to be more personal and effective, etc.)
Catholic/Protestant missions seemed more impersonal and ineffective. Did they adapt their strategies after seeing what appeared to be more effective Orthodox strategies?
What is the legacy of their missionary efforts among the Aleut and other Native Populations?
I would also love to read more information on this, if anyone has book recommendations.
It's been a while since I've read on this, but my recollection from reading Fr. Michael Oleska's "Orthodox Alaska" was that after the sale of Alaska, the US invited Christian missionaries to organize the territory, and Alaska was divided among them. Even though Orthodox Alaska was firmly Christian, there was still effort to convert those practicing orthodoxy through missions and protestant boarding schools. If I recall correctly, a Kodiak Orthodox mother had to sue to get her child returned to her from one such school, and others who died while in custody were denied Orthodox funerals.
In my view, the two styles were wholly different; the russians intermarried with the locals, and the church advocated for the humane treatment of the indigenous peoples. A creole middle class was created, which served as bureaucracy for the Russian American Company. These creoles often had Russian godparents who may have even had them educated in Russia.
Check out Fr. Oleska's books, and also "Alaska Missionary Spirituality", and "Alutiiq Villages Under Russian and U.S. Rule"
You've asked a great question and you deserve a good answer. Unfortunately, I'm absolutely swamped with work right now and can't give you the time you deserve. Can you ask again in another week or so? Hopefully things will have cooled off by then, and I can give you what you want.