Archives West Finding Aid

On August 1, 1894, Rev. Tollef L. Brevig and his wife Julia and child Carl arrived at what was known as the Reindeer Station, later known as Teller Mission prior to its official naming as Brevig Mission. What his job was is best told by a quote from his printed diary, “Apaurak in Alaska”: ‘An inquiry came from the Rev. H. A. Preus, president of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod, whether my wife and I would be willing that I go as pastor of Norwegian Lapps, whom the government was importing to northern Alaska for the purpose of teaching the Eskimos the art of reindeer raising. It was also understood that I should teach function as teacher in the government school which would be organized among the natives. Permission was likewise granted that I should be privileged to preach the Gospel of Christianity to them.’ Of the time of his wife’s passing, Rev. Brevig wrote, “As there was no other Protestant minister available, I had to preach the funeral sermon and perform the committal. In spite of the bitter cold, virtually all the people from Teller attended. Thus the mission’s kindly ministering spirit passed on. She rests in the land of the people whom she loved so much, for whom she died. There sleep my son, my daughter, and my wife in the frozen Northland.” This was the beginning of all present day Lutheran work among the Eskimos on the Seward Peninsula. Pastor Brevig served here from 1894 – 1917, being absent 1908 – 1913. March 10, 1908 his wife died, earlier their small son Carl and daughter Borghild also had died. All three are buried at Brevig Mission. The saga of Lutheran Eskimo Mission beginning is fascinatingly told in the translation of Brevig’s journal out of Norwegian “Apaurak in Alaska” by the late Dr. J. Walter Johnshoy (Dorrance & Co., Philadelphia). Presently out of print, it is available in some libraries. Historical information from New Partners Old Roots by Emerson, Nesvig, Nordquist, and Swanson. 1986. Published by the ALC, LCA, and ELC.