Peoples of the Aleutian Is and W Alaska, who are physically, linguistically, and culturally similar to the Eskimo. In the past, they lived in villages and hunted seals, walruses, whales, and bears. Community life and culture were disrupted by Russian occupation of the area in the 18th–19th-c, and the population has since declined to c.4000 in the 2000 census.
| Aleut | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 17,000-18,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
United States 17,000 (incl. 5,000 part-Aleut) Russia 700 |
| Language | English, Russian, Aleut |
| Religion | Christianity, Shamanism |
| Related ethnic groups | Inuit, Yupiks |
The Aleuts (self-denomination: Unangax, Unangan or Unanga) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, United States and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia.
Location
The homeland of the Aleuts includes the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, the Shumagin Islands, and the far western part of the Alaska Peninsula. During the 19th century, the Aleuts were deported from the Aleutian Islands to the Komandorski Islands (now part of Kamchatka Oblast) by a Russian-American company.
History
After the arrival of missionaries in the late 18th century, many Aleuts became Christians by joining the Russian Orthodox Church.
Culture and technology
Aleuts constructed barabaras -- partially underground houses.
Hunting, weapon-making, boat building, and weaving are some of the traditional arts of the Aleuts.
Aleut basketry is some of the finest in the world, the continuum of a craft dating back to prehistoric times and carried through to the present.
Language
The Aleut language is in the Eskimo-Aleut languages family.
Popular Culture
In Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash, the character Raven is an Aleut harpooner seeking revenge for the US's nuclear testing on Amchitka.
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