Native American Saints

Cungagnaq (date of birth unknown – d. 1815) is venerated as a martyr and saint and is known as Saint Peter the Aleut by some jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

He was allegedly a native of Kodiak Island (Alutiiq or Sugpiaq), and is said to have 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.

Peter the Aleut is purported to have been captured by Spanish soldiers near San Pedro and tortured and killed at the instigation of Roman Catholic priests either there or at a nearby location.