I wasn't directly affected by this, but have recently learned a some about natives in the far northern regions through some popular media. I appreciate having some more context for these types of relations and the meaning of the Navy's apology.

Check out The Terror (2018), a 10-episode suspense-horror set in the 1800s telling a fictional story with similar themes, but with the tables turned on the colonizers. I recommend it for anyone who found this topic interesting.

There is also an antagonist in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash (1992) who came to mind, Raven. This character is an Aleutean Native, an ethnicity that falls under both Alaska and Russia territory. The history described in this article also reminds me of his story.

Wonder if they will start apologizing for all the other stuff. Like all the other stuff that happened in the name of manifest destiny and the more modern things like the battle of Blair Mountain

I agree with the elder's response to this fluff. "Apologies" centuries after with no recompense seem rather self-serving.

Will our descendants read about Guantanamo?

>a sentry at the military fort in Sitka killed two unarmed Lingít men in a canoe. In accordance with local customs, a leader from the clan demanded blankets and other goods as recompense, but American commanders refused

Yes, the military should be ashamed about their actions. In the 1890s, blankets and some goods would mean nothing to the US military. I am sure they could have worked out a deal like "we will give you this now, and acquire the rest + a bit extra in a month or 2".