Activity in the region flourished as trading in sea otter and seal furs boomed. Baranov convinced Native hunters to expand their range to include the coasts of California. Baranov also advocated more educational opportunities for the Alaska Native Americans. Under his leadership, schools were created and frontier communities became less isolated. During Baranov's rule, Russian Orthodox missionaries operated widely in Russian America. They translated the Bible into Tlingit and other Native languages, conducted mass in those languages, and inoculated Natives against smallpox.