Walter Soboleff

Walter Alexander Soboleff (; ; November 14, 1908 – May 22, 2011) was a Tlingit scholar, elder and religious leader. Soboleff was the first Native Alaskan to become an ordained Presbyterian minister.

Early life Soboleff was born in Killisnoo, Alaska, on November 14, 1908, to a Tlingit mother and a Russian father. Soboleff was born into the Tlingit name Ka'jaḵ'tii, meaning One Slain in Battle. Hundreds of people, including Governor Parnell, attended Soboleff's memorial service at Centennial Hall in Juneau. The service was broadcast live on television throughout the state of Alaska.

In May 2015, the Sealaska Heritage Institute opened the Walter Soboleff Building, a cultural and research center in downtown Juneau, Alaska.

In 2016, Congress created the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children in his memory.

In 2023, the General Assembly of the PCUSA apologized to Walter Soboleff, his family, clan, the former members of Memorial Presbyterian Church, the community as a whole, and made reparations. Bronwen Boswell, the clerk of the PCUSA, said: "The Presbyterian Church USA apologizes for the act of spiritual abuse committed by the Presbyterian Church's decision of closure, which was sadly aligned with nationwide racism toward Alaska Natives, Indigenous nations, Native Americans and other people of color."