Descendant of Alaska's last native leader demands Japanese reparations for 1942 invasion

Helena Pagano, a descendant of the last native leader of Attu Island in Alaska, has long called for Japan to provide reparations for the suffering caused by its invasion during World War II.

Helena’s great-grandfather, Mike Hodikoff, was the last chief of the Aleut people on Attu, and he died as a prisoner of war in Japan after Japanese forces captured the island in 1942, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The invasion of Attu Island, part of the Aleutian chain, occurred on June 7, 1942. The residents were held captive for over two years in Japan, where many, including Hodikoff, died from starvation, malnutrition, and disease.

The Attuans were not allowed to return home after the war, and most were relocated to Atka Island. The U.S. military refused to rebuild Attu due to the cost. In 1951, Japan offered surviving Attuans $4,000 a year for three years, which most accepted, but Pagano’s grandmother refused, deeming it insufficient given the suffering endured.

No compensation was provided for the deaths of prisoners, the loss of their land, or the destruction of their culture and language. Pagano, who now runs a nonprofit focused on Attuan culture, has demanded further reparations and the creation of a cultural center for Attuans in Alaska. She also wants Japan and the U.S. to collaborate on cleaning up the environmental damage left on Attu Island, which still contains old military equipment.

Pagano’s call for additional compensation was renewed after her first visit to Attu Island in August. She joined a group of Japanese officials who were recovering remains of World War II soldiers, including some from the Japanese military. Pagano expressed concern that the bones found could belong to Attu residents or U.S. soldiers, calling the actions disrespectful.

Japan maintains that compensation issues were settled under the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which many countries, including the US, signed. However, Pagano contends that this agreement should not preclude further restitution for Attuans.

By Vafa Guliyeva