I know a sleuth of Alaskan Russian dudes that are Orthodox. Great dudes to go hunt and fish with.

Didn't know they converted the natives.

I'll have to rent and watch.

Found this piece interesting from an interview with the director, Simon Scionka:

"There are so many overlaps between indigenous beliefs and values and Orthodox Christianity. Father Oleksa gives a nice example in the film. At the Feast of Theophany, Orthodox Christians take the cross and put it in the water to bless the water. Well, Native Alaskans did something similar around the same time of the year. In the winter, they would cut a hole in the ice and put leftover parts of the animal that they couldn't use or consume back into the water. This was their act of gratitude and respect for the animal, putting it back into the water.

I am able to see that there's this spiritual connection among us all in creation. You could attach these Christian ideas to various cultural practices. Orthodox priests often talk about baptizing cultural ideas and making them Christian. We understand that there is, in human nature, a longing and desire for things that are eternal. We desire things that connect us to God and that are beyond our transient physical realm. From the Christian worldview, we believe that it's all true because of Christianity. It doesn't mean that other cultures don't encounter those things."

I believe there is a monastery (St Nilus Island??) which published "Shepherd of Souls", a very inspiring biography of Father Cleopa of Romania. Very interesting stuff.