A native people of northwestern North America, the Aleut are closely related to the Inuit (Eskimo) in language, race, and culture. The name Aleut was given to the group by others; the Aleut call themselves Unanax. The Aleut probably migrated to Alaska between 8,000 and 3,000 years ago. They live on the Aleutian Islands, which are part of Alaska. They also live on the western portion of the Alaska Peninsula, a piece of land in southwestern Alaska that extends into the Pacific Ocean. The name Alaska comes from an Aleut word meaning “mainland.” Society and cultureTraditionally the Aleut lived off the sea. They fished and hunted such animals as seals, sea otters, whales, sea lions, and walrus. They used small skin kayaks called bidarkas or large, open skin boats called umiaks, which were similar to those of the Inuit. Reindeer and bears were also hunted in some areas. Ancient Aleuts built their villages on the seashore near fresh water. They wanted good landings for their boats and protection from attackers. Villages were usually made up of related families. A chief might govern several villages or an island, but there was no chief over all Aleuts or even over several islands. HistoryThe languages shared by the Aleut and the Inuit set them apart from other Native American groups. Aleuts arrived on the Aleutian Islands from the Alaskan mainland in about 2000 BC. They maintained their traditional way of life until the coming of Russian settlers in the 18th century. The Aleut population dropped drastically under Russian control. At the end of the 20th century fewer than 12,000 Aleuts lived in the United States. |