The problem with this piece in its entirety is that is written by a historian with no actual experience in Russia, its history, or a proper accounting of its history in the former colony. While I did not have the pleasure of working with Dr. Haycox, I have been part of his former department and am very familiar with his past works. He and other Alaskan historians with US history backgrounds have written extensively outside of their fields when they discuss the Russian-Colonial past. I stopped reading this piece deeply with Haycox's first accusation that Alaska was leased from the Russians. If he had read the original source materials from the period, he would know that this statement is not very accurate. For example, source materials from the State Department clearly indicate the transition of ownership of land and property in addition to the change of citizenship for the persons living in the newly formed Alaska District. It's time for the ADN to remove Haycox as a contributor.