In this section of our web guide, we will discuss and offer resources related to the Aleut people.
The Aleut and Inuit peoples are Indigenous cultures native to the far north of North America, Greenland, and Eurasia.
The two groups speak related languages, inhabit comparable environments, and are similar in other ways, but there are significant differences between them, as well.
While both the Aleut and Inuit peoples inhabit northern coastal environments, the Aleutian Islands are subarctic, while most of the Inuit people inhabit areas within the Arctic circle. The Aleuts are concentrated within the Aleutian Islands, a chain of more than one hundred and fifty volcanic islands off the coast of Alaska, and some islands off of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
While it might be argued that the Aleuts and Inuits are not American Indians, their populations are largely in North America, and the prevailing theory is that their civilizations evolved from the same origins, that being Beringia, a large area of land that was flooded during a period of warming that melted the glaciers that once covered most of the North American continent, thus forming what is now the Bering Strait.
The Aleut people and the Aleutian Islands are politically divided between Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is under Russian administration.
In the Aleut language, they are known as Unangan or Unangas, both of which mean "people." The term Aleut was a Russian term used to describe the native population of the Aleutian Islands and neighboring islands in the Kodiak Archipelago, who were also referred to as Pacific Eskimos or Sugpiat/Alutiit.
The Aleuts speak Unangam Tunu, the Aleut language, as well as English and Russian.
Traditionally, the Aleuts lived in homes that were partially underground. Known as barabara, these houses were built by digging an oblong square pit in the ground, which was covered by a roof framed with driftwood, thatched with grass, and covered by earth for insulation. On the inside, trenches were dug along the sides, with mats placed on top to keep them clean. Bedrooms were at the back of the home, opposite the entrance.
The Aleut were hunters and gatherers. As the environment did not allow for agriculture, they fished for salmon, crabs, shellfish, and cod and hunted seals, walrus, and whales, which were dried, smoked, or roasted. Caribou, deer, muskoxen, and moose were roasted or preserved for later use. Dried berries were used as a garnish. Today, many Aleut continue to eat locally sourced foods, but they also buy imported processed foods.
Common arts and crafts practiced by the Aleut include the building of hunting boats known as baidarkas, various hand-held weapons, weaving, figurines, clothing, carving, and mask-making. Aleut women sewed parkas from seal gut and wove baskets from sea-lyme grass and ryegrass. Aleuts, who have moved from the islands to other parts of Alaska, have adopted new materials and methods for their art, including serigraphy, video art, and installation art. Created by both men and women, Aleut carving has long attracted traders.
At the time of the 2000 census, nearly 12,000 people identified as being Aleut, while 17,000 identified as having partial Aleut ancestry.
Aleut communities include Saint Paul Island, situated in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia. The Aleut Community of Saint Paul Island offers health, education, and cultural services. Other communities in the Aleutian Chain include Akutan, Atka, Belkofski, False Pass, King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Nilolski, Pauloff Harbor, Sand Point, Saint George, Unalaska, and Unga. While not represented by the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Adak, Amchitka, and Attu are also part of the Aleutian Chain.
Topics related to Aleut governments, organizations, enterprises, businesses, schools, medical facilities, and events are appropriate for this category, as are businesses operated by Aleut individuals.
Recommended Resources
ACSPI is a tribal government on St. Paul Island, one of the five Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. It is situated about 300 miles from the Alaska mainland, 800 miles from Anchorage, and 300 miles north of the Aleutian Chain. Home to the Aleut people, the ACSPI provides various member services, including victim services, healthcare, education, culture and language programs, and economic development. Enrollment policies, services, research programs, and enterprises are discussed.
https://www.aleut.com/
Incorporated in 1972, the Aleut Corporation is one of twelve Alaska Native regional corporations established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Aleut represents over 4,000 Alaska Native shareholders, primarily of Unangax̂ (Aleut) descent from the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands of Alaska, and employs nearly a thousand people worldwide. The site publishes its history, leadership, career opportunities, shareholder information, companies, and contacts.
https://aleutcorp.com/
The Foundation provides programs that fund education, training, and culture to enhance the lives of Aleut shareholders and descendants. It connects people with the resources and networks necessary to achieve their goals and offers scholarships for post-secondary education, career development, and burial assistance for Aleut Corporation shareholders and descendants. The Foundation also supports cultural events and programs for youth and the community. Contacts are provided.
https://thealeutfoundation.org/
Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association
APICDA is a non-profit organization created to work toward the strengthening of local economies and building infrastructure to support commerce in the six remote villages in the Aleutian-Pribilof region of Alaska. It accomplishes its mission through community-based initiatives, advocacy, vocational training, education, and social programs. Its subsidiaries, programs, publications, training resources, career opportunities, news, and contacts are set forth.
https://www.apicda.com/
Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
Created through the 1966 merger of the Aleut League and the Aleutian Planning Commission, the APIA is the federally recognized tribal organization of the Aleut people in Alaska. Chartered as a non-profit organization in 1976, APIA contracts with federal, state, and local governments, and secures private funding to provide services throughout the region, such as health, education, social, psychological, employment, and vocational training. The culture, tribes, and tribal services are outlined.
https://www.apiai.org/
Seated at Sand Point, Alaska, the 2nd class borough has been inhabited by the Aleuts since the last Ice Age. The official borough website features each of the six communities within it, along with an overview of the borough's governmental structure, departments, services, and projects. Other resources include permit explanations and applications, fees, and penalty schedules, news, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, office hours, and an employee directory.
https://www.aleutianseast.org/
Aleuts of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska
Prepared by Helen D. Corbett and Susanne M. Swibold, and presented by the Amiq Institute, the site provides a cultural overview of the Aleut people, the setting and climate, social and political organization, religion, and worldview, as well as the challenges and threats to their survival, and possible responses. Suggestions for additional resources, such as published literature, films, videos, organizations, and third-party websites are included.
http://www.amiq.org/aleuts.html
Established in 1991 and headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, the tribally operated native health organization provides medical, dental, and behavioral health services in federally qualified health centers in the Alaskan communities of Adak, Akutan, Cold Bay, False Pass, King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, and Sand Point, an area in excess of 100,000 square miles. A profile of the company is provided, with an overview of its services, clinic schedules, billing information, and historical information.
https://www.eatribes.org/
Opened in 1999, the museum is a cultural institution for the Aleutian Islands and the community of Unalaska, Alaska, where it is located. Its permanent collection highlights a wide range of materials from archeology, ethnography, history, art, archives, and the natural sciences, and includes material from archaeological excavations contributing to an understanding of the prehistory of the eastern Aleutians. Its collection, exhibits, and educational programs are highlighted.
https://www.aleutians.org/
The Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point Village is a federally recognized Aleut Alaska Native tribal entity headquartered in Sand Point, on Popof Island of the Aleutians East Borough. It is one of three federally recognized Aleut tribes in Sand Point. Its tribal council, staff directory, and departments are introduced, along with photographs, a calendar of events, codes and ordinances, a constitution, meeting materials, job opportunities, and member services.
https://www.qttribe.org/
