Peter the Aleut

Cungagnaq (Russian: Чукагнак, romanized: Chukagnak; died 1815) is venerated as a martyr and saint (as Peter the Aleut; Russian: Пётр Алеу́т, romanized: Pyotr Aleút) 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 captured by Spanish soldiers near San Pedro, tortured and killed either there or at a nearby location. Semyon Yanovsky's letter, which was the first account of Peter's alleged martyrdom, written 50 years after his murder, 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.