aleutwebquest

A JOURNEY THROUGH

ALEUT HISTORY AND CULTURE

Map from Alaska's Heritage by Joan M. Antonson and William S. Hanable

As we continue our study of Native cultures our focus will now turn to the Aleuts. Take a journey through these sites to find out more about:

History
Culture
Daily life
Religion and Education
Involvement in WWII
Literature and Music

To understand the Aleut people, it's important to understand their history. A visit to *Aleut Culture* is a good place to begin. What was the Aleut population estimated at before Vitus Bering arrived? Aleut homes were often large enough to house how many people? What is an Aleut home called? The greater the difference in _________ and ____________, the greater the chance of disagreements or war. How many tufted puffin skins does is take to make one full length parka?	Photo from Alaska's Heritage by Joan M. Antonson and William S. Hanable.
Continue your exploration of Aleut history and culture at *Crossroads of Continents. What do the Sea Lion whiskers on the Aleut hunting hat represent?* What were Aleut hunting hats made out of? Aleut men face East in the morning to greet the day and what? What is the name of the current regional Alutiiq tribal organization on Kodiak Island? Larsen Bay, Kodiak, secured the repatriation of how many Aleut remains in 1991 from the Smithsonian? For some more interesting facts about the Aleuts, visit the *Aleut and Alutiiq Culture of the Aleutian Region.. Who introduced the term "Aleut"?* What do Aleut's call themselves? How old is the oldest known Aleut site? Most Aleuts live to be how old?	Photo from Glory Remembered: Wooden headgear of Alaska Sea Hunters by Lydia Black.
The Aleut people have lived on the Aleutian Archipeligo for thousands of years and established a way of life. Visit *Aleut Women* to find out more about their housing, clothing, and food. In Aleut culture, names are passed down to generations from the woman's side of the family, this is ___________________. During 75 years of Russian domination, approximatley how many Aleuts died? What did Aleuts soak in the bathroom to reduce the smell? Aleuts wore clothing made from bird skin and sometimes the furs of what other animals? Aleut men very rarely wore what piece of clothing?	Photo from Aleut Art by Lydia Black
The Russian Orthodox church had a major influence on the Aleuts' education and religious conversion. Visit *The Russian Church and Native Alaskan Cultures* to find out more. Rather than dictate behaviors such as not smoking, or drinking the Russian Othodox priests did what? Native leaders tried to encourage priests to bring in brides from other areas in order to prevent what? Second in importance only to religion to the Russian Orthodox Church in Russian America was what? Who was undoubtably the greatest educator in Russian America? Which of the following subjects was not covered at the ecclisiastical seminary in Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka)? Latin, trigonometry, navigation, botany, medicine, and six years of Native languages. What does the Aleut word Shaman mean? What are Alaska Natives animistic beliefs represented by?	Photo from Aleut Tales and Narratives: Collected 1909-1910 by Waldemar Jochelson Edited by Knut Bergsland and Moses L. Dirks

The Aleut people endured many hardships during World War II. To find out more about this time period visit Aleut Evacuation: The Untold War Story.

During World War II, the U.S. evacuated and relocated how many Aleuts?
In what year did Russian explorers first make contact with the Aleut?
Even though Aleuts were granted U.S. citizenship when Alaska was purchased, they were still ___________________and were_______________________.
When Aleuts were allowed to return home after their internment, what was missing?

Traditionally the Aleuts relied on oral story telling to pass down the myths and legends of their culture. Many of these stories have now been written down. Visit Aleut Literature to learn more about their lives and their stories.

What do the Aleuts have in common with the Egytians?
What is now the motto of the Aleut?
Who besides the Russians took Aleuts captive as slaves?
Choose one of the stories listed at this site and write a brief (2-3 sentences) summary of the story.

Mary Youngblood is an Aleut/Seminole musician. Visit Mary Youngblood - Chugach Aleut & Seminole to find out more about her and her music.

How long has Mary Youngblood been playing the flute?
How many songs and poems has she written?
Click on the "Song and Flute Performance . . ." to hear a sample of her music. What does she say we "must teach our children" and why?

Congratulations! You have successfully completed your exploration of the Aleut culture. We hope that you have gained a better understanding of and an appreciation for this fascinating people.

This webquest was created by

Amber Brandt and Renee Haas.

To understand the Aleut people, it's important to understand their history. A visit to Aleut Culture is a good place to begin.

Continue your exploration of Aleut history and culture at Crossroads of Continents.

For some more interesting facts about the Aleuts, visit the Aleut and Alutiiq Culture of the Aleutian Region..

The Aleut people have lived on the Aleutian Archipeligo for thousands of years and established a way of life. Visit Aleut Women to find out more about their housing, clothing, and food.

Mary Youngblood is an Aleut/Seminole musician. Visit Mary Youngblood - Chugach Aleut & Seminole to find out more about her and her music.