Unangan (Aleut)
The name Aleut was given by the early Russian fur
traders of the mid-18th century, but they refer to themselves as Unangan, which means "seashore"
or "people of the coast." Language: Their
language includes two dialects; Unalaskan, spoken in the eastern
Aleutian, Shunagin and Fox islands, and Alutiq, spoken in the western
Aleutian islands.Economy: The Aleuts are known to be great hunters of sea lion, seals, whales and fish.
They utilize many parts of the animals they hunt for different purposes
from clothing to transportation. Women use the intestines of these
animals to create weather resistant clothing called kamleikas that were
used both for warmth and ceremonial purposes. Iqyaks or baidarkas, were
kayaks made of the skins of sea mammals to navigate through the arctic
waters.History: In the mid-eighteenth century, initial contact with outsiders was
established. Russian fur traders came and exploited the Aleuts ability to hunt sea
mammals. During that time, the Aleuts lived in villages which consisted of several semi-subterranean
houses made of grass-covered huts and small wooden structures.
These were called frame
houses or ulax. The Russian fur traders
contributed to the decline of the Aleut culture
and the decline of the numbers of the native
group by introducing outside diseases, such as
smallpox and influenza. The Russians also forced
the Aleuts into slavery and killed off many in a
very barbaric fashion. When the Russians arrived
in Aleutian Islands in the 1700s, the population
of the Aleut people was numbered about 25,000.
Today, the population is estimated to be about
2,000.
During World War II Aleuts were relocated to
internment camps in southeastern Alaska. This
forced evacuation sped up the decline of their
traditions, culture and way of life.
Archeology: The Aleuts descended from the people of early maritime hunting in the
Pribilof and Commander islands. Their ancestors were the first to settle along the
Aleutian archipelago, a chain of islands in southwest Alaska.
It has been estimated that the early people traversed over from the
other side of the Bering straight about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.
Archeologists believe that early Eskimo-Aleut
culture began about 8,000 years ago.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on Aleut culture.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the
web address of this page.
If you are Unangan, your feedback is much appreciated.
Aleutian Pribilof Island Association http://www.apiai.org/
The Aleut Corporation http://www.aleutcorp.com/
Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska: http://qawalangin.org/index.htm
References:
APICDA: Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association:
Aleut Culture http://www.apicda.com/aleut_culture.html 1/23/2009
AMIQ: The Aleut of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska http://www.amiq.org/aleuts.html 1/22/2009
All Things Arctic: Arctic People: The Aleuts http://www.allthingsarctic.com/people/aleuts.aspx 1/22/2009
The American Peoples Encyclopedia, New York, Grolier Inc.,
1967
“Aleuts” http://alaskan.com/akencinfo/aleuts.html,
12/1/99
Encarta 96 Encyclopedia, CD-ROM, Microsoft Corporation, 1995
Written by: Lucian Young
Later Updated by Sitha Im, 2009
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