Several thousand years ago, before European explorers discovered the shores of the Aleutian Islands, they were inhabited by the AleutUnangan people.
Rough, windy seas surround the remote, rocky, majestically beautiful, volcanic islands; inhabitants who live there experience some of the most inclement weather in the world.
Despite the tempestuous surroundings, the aleut people adapted to the environment and became excellent navigators of the sea, skillfully harvesting its unlimited bounties as their main livelihood.
Russian explorers commanded by Danish explorer, Vitus Bering and German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller on September 5, 1741, at about 4:00 P.M. onBird Island in theShumagin Islands, "Americans" appeared and afirst contact between the Russian expedition and these people occurred.
It was estimated that there were as many as 20,000 Unangas spread out in hundreds of small villages throughout the sheltered harbors of the Islands. For Fifty years and more theRussian Fur Traders came set up camps all along the Aleutian Chain.
The Aleuts hunted the sea otter for the Russian fur traders. During this time the Aleut craftsmen designed thethree hatched baidarka, this was to accommodate an extra hunter to huntsea otters. During this time period the Aleut people were decimated by diseases brought by the Russian Fur Traders and over 80% of the Aleuts died. In the early 1800's it is estimated that the population of the Aleuts at around 1200. During the 1800's the Aleuts hunted furs for the Russian fur traders. They still usedbaidarkas, lived inbarabaras and wore their traditional clothing.
But during this time period the Aleut people were adapting to the Russian and Scandinavian customs. In the late 1800's Scandinavian fishermen, fox farms and miners started to call the Aleutians home. In the early 1900's commercial fishing started to grow in the Aleutians. Salmon and cod fish were the species harvested in the early 1900's. In 1912 Alaska becomes a territory of the United States.
In 1942 the Japanese capturedAttu andKiska and conducted bombing raids on Unalaska. During the war the Aleut people in the towns west of King Cove were evacuated and put incamps in south east Alaska.
After the war some of the Aleut people returned to the Aleutians to live, they commercial fished to support their families. The Pribilof Aleuts still harvested the Northern Fur Seal. The 1960's and 70's brought nuclear testing to the Aleutians on the island ofAmchitka.
In 1971 the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act passed and The Aleut Corporation was formed by the people of the Aleutians.
1985 brought the end of the Pribilof seal harvest, the Aleuts in the Pribilofs built small boat harbors and began enticing fish processors to the Pribilofs toprocess crab and halibut.
In the 1990'sAdak, a naval base began to shut down and relinquish the buildings to The Aleut Corporation. Our Present Day
Present day, one third of Aleut people, reside in the Aleutians, one third reside in Anchorage and the other third are scattered throughout the lower 48 states.
Commercial fishing is the main industry in the Aleutians, and Dutch Harbor/Unalaska in the largest city in the Aleutians. Even though Dutch Harbor/Unalaska is the largest city, the Aleut population are fairly close in numbers in Unalaska, King Cove, Sand Point and St. Paul. These are the four large Aleut settlements in the Aleut Region. Aleuts Endured
First Encounter;by Russian explorers on September 5, 1741, at about 4:00 P.M. on Bird Island.
Submission; made to hunt Sea Otters for the Russian fur traders.
Disease; within a fifty year span from the mid 1700's on, over 80% of the estimated Aleut population of 25,000 at that time will have died.
Japanese Evasion on U.S. soil; which captured Kiska, Attu and bombed Unalaska.
Internment Camps; Aleut people evacuated from their towns during World War II.
Nuclear Bomb Tests; on Amchitka Island.
Cold War;being close to Russia, the U.S. Military built the "Dew Line" to protect the United States. Aleuts Mastered
the Aleuts knew enough about human anatomy to mummify their deceased.
Rain Gear;extracted, dried, and sewed water proof garments from the intestines of marine mammals.
Sea Travel;baidarkas, transportation created from wood and sea mammal skins, of which produced seaworthy vessels to travel in the Aleutians.
Cutting Tools;the Aleuts chipped obsidian to make cutting tools for work and art crafting.
Fish Catching;Aleuts crafted a halibut hook from wood and bone with which the barb turned in on itself.
Tide Prediction; the Aleuts had a 50% recovery on whale hunts, because they had the ability to predict the tide and current changes with accuracy.
Hat; designed a visor hat from steamed bent wood.
Baskets; the Aleut women made finely woven baskets from carefully shredded stalks of beach rye. |
