Aleut

The Aleut are an Indigenous people of the western Alaska mainland and the Aleutian Islands, including the Pribilof Islands. They traditionally identify themselves as Unangan or Unangas, while the name “Aleut” originates from Russian explorers and became common in English. Their territory spans a maritime region where coastal communities relied on the sea for food, transportation, and trade.

The Aleut languages form the Unangax̂ language group and are part of the broader Eskimo-Aleut language family. They comprise several dialects and are still spoken by some community members, though the language is endangered with many speakers now elders. Ongoing revitalization efforts include language classes, documentation projects, and cultural programs to preserve vocabulary, stories, and oral traditions.

Historically, Aleut communities depended on hunting marine mammals, fishing, and gathering along the coast, using skin boats such as the umiak and smaller kayaks for hunting. Social life, artistry, and religious practices were shaped by maritime life and, later, contact with Russian Orthodox missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Epidemics and changes in trade and governance profoundly affected population and way of life.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Alaska’s incorporation into the United States and subsequent federal and state policies disrupted traditional practices. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 and related regional and village corporations supported land claims and economic development, while cultural and language preservation programs grew. Today, Aleut communities maintain cultural identity in Alaska and seek to revitalize language, crafts, and traditional knowledge alongside modern life.