Aleuts are the indigenous population of the Commander Islands, which are administratively part of the Kamchatka region. Aleuts also live in the USA (indigenous population of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, the southwestern tip of the Alaska Peninsula). The total number of Aleuts is about 13 thousand people, incl. in the USA there are more than 12 thousand. Self-name - Aleut, Unangan. The Aleuts living on Medny Island called themselves Sasignam. The Eskimos, the closest neighbors of the Aleuts, call them Alakshak. The name "Aleut" is of Russian origin. It was given after the discovery of the Aleutian Islands, and was first found in documents in 1747. The etymology of the name is controversial; a connection with the Aleutian alyaguk - “sea” is possible. They speak the Aleut language, which has three dialects: Unalaskin (eastern), Atkin (central), Attuan (western).

Currently, there are two dialects in Russia - Bering (the language of the Western dialect group) and Mednovsky, which is a creolized language with Aleut vocabulary and a mixed Russian-Aleut grammatical system.

The name of the people, Aleuts, was coined by the Russians during the Great Northern Expedition of 1741. Travelers were unable to accurately determine the roots of this people. According to one version, the Aleuts came from the northeast Asian coast, according to another - from Alaska. This happened approximately 6000 – 4600 years ago. In the middle of the 18th century there were 15 thousand of them, and they lived mainly in the Aleutian Islands. In 1799, Russian companies resettled some of the Aleuts to the Commander Islands. In 1867, the Aleutian Islands, along with Alaska, were sold to the United States. There are currently only 550 Aboriginal people left in Russia. A larger group lives in America. Currently there are 17,000 of them there.

From 1891 to 1917, the Commander Islands were rented by various commercial and industrial companies, which bought furs, meat and fat of marine animals from the local population.

Language

The language allegedly became isolated 3 - 4 thousand years ago and was considered one of the ancient dialects of the Eskimo language. On Bering Island, the Atkin dialect of the Aleutian language was widespread, and on Medny Island, a new dialect based on the Atkin and Russian languages ​​was formed. When communicating, the inhabitants of these islands had difficulty understanding each other. The first grammar of the Aleut language was compiled at the beginning of the 19th century. based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

The ancestors of modern Aleuts appeared on the Commanders in the first decades of the 19th century. A Russian-American company resettled several families from the islands of Atka and Attu here to fish for marine animals. From the very beginning of the constant development of the islands, their population was mixed: Aleuts, Russians and Creoles (people of mixed origin). The interaction of these three main components formed the unique cultural appearance of the Commander Aleuts by the end of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were two large villages on the Commander Islands - Nikolskoye on Bering Island and Preobrazhenskoye on Medny Island. There were also smaller settlements, mostly seasonal, but often people also lived in them. all year round. The concentration of island production in the 70s led to the liquidation of Preobrazhensky as an independent settlement. All residents of Komandor concentrated in the village of Nikolskoye.

Lifestyle and support system

Basic traditional activities Aleuts - hunting sea animals (sea otters, fur seals), fishing, island fur farming and gathering. At the beginning of the 20th century, due to a sharp drop in the number of seals on the rookeries of the Commander Islands, the importance of seal fishing in the life of the Aleuts decreased. Fishing, arctic fox hunting, as well as gardening and livestock farming began to play a leading role in the economy.

In those days, the hunters' arsenal included a wide variety of weapons. The fishery began at the end of April with fishing in nets. Mid-July is the season for hunting birds with the help of throwing spears-shatin and a throwing projectile bola. The bola is an ingenious and simple weapon that consists of a bunch of straps with stone or bone weights at the ends. Having untwisted, the bola was thrown into the flock, the bird became entangled in the straps and became an easy prey. Birds were also hunted using large nets and nets.

With the onset of winter, the hunt for sea beaver began, which was caught in the open sea using a harpoon; walruses were hunted in rookeries. To catch the seal, a cunning technique was used: it was lured to the shore with a decoy - an inflated seal skin, while imitating the cry of the female. The Aleuts even hunted the king of the sea - the whale. To do this, they used a spear with a poisoned tip. Under the influence of the poison, the whale died after 2-3 days and its carcass, washed ashore by the waves, was picked up by hunters.

An important role in sea hunting was played by the baidara - a wooden, flat-bottomed frame boat covered with sea lion or seal skin and the kayak - a closed leather boat with a wooden frame and a hatch where the hunter sat. It was controlled with a two-bladed oar (a prototype of a sports kayak). With the advent firearms they began to make two-key kayaks (during shooting, the second rower had to maintain balance).

Some elements not typical for the mainland Aleut culture also spread: for example, on the island. Bering appeared sleds (sleighs) with dog sleds, on the island. Mednom - short, wide skis lined with seal skin.

Since 1932, when a specialized animal farm (animal processing plant) was created on the Commanders, all adult Aleut men and a significant part of women were considered its workers. Consumer fishing, hunting and gathering were preserved. In the field of employment, a category of employees began to form, incl. employees of the administrative and managerial apparatus.

In the 50s a massive influx of newcomers to the islands began, along with the rapid growth of economic and social infrastructure. This immediately had a negative impact on the position of the Aleuts. Very soon, the newcomers ousted the indigenous people from the most profitable and prestigious sectors of the economy.

Ethno-cultural situation

The Commander Aleuts, originally formed as a Creole ethnic community, became Soviet time independent “small” people of the North, are currently turning into a Russian-speaking old-timer group. All Commander Aleuts are Russian-speaking. According to linguists, today only two dozen elderly people are still native speakers of their native language. However, the problem of the loss of their native language is typical for almost the majority of indigenous peoples of the North of the Russian Federation. Created in the 30s and restored on a Russian graphic basis in the late 80s. writing in the Aleut language is practically not used. Language at school is taught at the elective level.

The deep isolation of Komandor from the rest of the country and region, limited access to the islands for the visiting population and, therefore, the slowness of assimilation processes create conditions for the stable functioning of the established culture. From this point of view, the ethnocultural situation on the Commanders is unique, and the Aleuts themselves are of exceptional interest as the single most prominent Creole group within the modern territory of the Russian Federation. The current generation of Aleuts strives to preserve and revive their cultural heritage. There is an Aleutian local history museum. An important role in preserving folk traditions is played by the national ensemble "Unangan" and the family ensemble "Chiyan", created in the early 80s. There are attempts to revive the tradition of bone and stone carving as a form of applied art, and the attractiveness of traditional Aleutian parties and other national forms of leisure is growing.

The ethnocultural center being created in the village is called upon to play an important role in preserving the culture of the Aleuts. Nikolsky with funds from the federal budget. It is also necessary to restore permanent cultural ties with the Aleuts living in Alaska.

Traditional home

Until the 19th century, the Aleuts escaped the winter cold in semi-dugouts for 10 to 40 families, covered with dry grass, skins and turf. We climbed inside through a hole in the roof along a log with notches. Bunks were built along the walls, and the place of each family was separated by pillars with curtains. Utensils were stored under the bunks. In the summer they lived in light buildings.

In the 19th century they had other winter dwellings, with walls and roofs made of poles and boards. The top hatch began to be used for lighting, and they entered the room through exits in the walls. The dimly lit dwellings were illuminated with grease lamps.

Traditions and customs

During the long winter, men were engaged in the manufacture of fishing tools, stone and wooden utensils, sitting at hollowed-out stone bowls in which a moss wick was burning, floating in whale oil. Food was fried in the same bowls. If there were hot springs near the settlement, the Aleuts cooked fish and meat in them. They also knew how to cook special dishes from raw fish. For the hungry winter, dried fish and whale oil were prepared, which were kept in bladders from the stomachs of sea animals.

Women were skilled craftswomen, sewing and embroidering clothes, weaving mats and baskets. The plant threads were so thin that they could compete with silk. However, the ornaments were not very diverse.

Despite the small number, by the middle of the 18th century. the population of each island represented an independent community of relatives with their own dialect. The clan group was headed by a toyon leader. This honorary position was inherited and in rare cases it was elective. Toyon established trade relations, handled court cases, and was involved in monitoring the clan's lands - the rookeries of animals.

If we talk about their beliefs, shamanism and hunting magic were widespread among the Aleuts. Usually a shaman, dressed in a special costume resembling a bird, summoned the beast. The shaman also danced in a special way to protect the hunter in the field and provide him with rich prey.

On the winter solstice, the Aleuts gathered for a beautiful performance. It was accompanied by dancing with pantomimes, dramatic performances of hunting scenes and mythological scenes accompanied by singing and drumming. The performers wore special headdresses and wooden masks. From mouth to mouth, the Aleuts passed on legends about the original immortality of people, about the origin of people from a dog that fell from the sky, about the fight against cannibals, about blood feuds that led to cruel wars.

At the end of the 18th century, the Aleuts were converted to Orthodoxy and many of their customs began to fade away, traditions were forgotten, and the people themselves began to die out and become poor. In the 19th century, this reached a critical point and it seemed that soon there would not be a single Aleut left in Russia. Since 1935, a slow population growth began, but national traditions were largely lost.

Traditional clothing

Traditional clothing was a parka - a long, blind (without a slit in the front) clothing made of seal, sea otter, and bird skins. On top of it they put on a kamleika - a solid waterproof garment made from the intestines of sea animals with sleeves, a closed closed collar and a hood (a prototype of a European windbreaker). The edges of the hood and sleeves were tightened with laces. Parkas and kamleikas were decorated with embroidered stripes and fringes. Traditional fishing jackets with hoods made of sea lion intestines and throats, and trousers made of seal skin have been preserved. Men's and women's clothing were completely identical in cut and decoration. Appeared and new type clothes - brodni - trousers made from sea lion throats, onto which were sewn waterproof booties - soft skins made from the skin of sea animals. Shoes - booties - soft boots made from the skin of sea animals. In everyday life they wore Russian clothes.

The hunting headdresses were wooden hats of a conical shape (for Toyon leaders) or without a top with a very elongated front part (for simple hunters), richly decorated with polychrome painting, carved bone, feathers, and sea lion mustaches. They were worn on the hood of the kamleika. Such hats were hollowed out from a single piece of wood, then steamed into the desired shape, and painted in bright colors, creating a fancy ornament. The sides and back were decorated with carved walrus tusk plates, engraved with geometric patterns, into which paint was rubbed. A bone figurine of a bird or animal was attached to the top of the back plate, which also served as the top of the hat. Steller's whiskers up to 50 centimeters long were inserted into the side holes of the plate. Their number depended on the hunting ability of the owner and indicated the number of walruses hunted. These headdresses were worn only by men.

Festive and ritual headdresses included hats of various shapes made of leather and bird skins with decorations, and leather headbands with patterned seams. An integral part of the festive decoration are necklaces, hand and ankle bracelets, inserts and pendants in holes made in and near the lips, as well as in the nose, along the edges of the auricle and in the earlobe. They were made from bone, stone, wooden and slate sticks, feathers, whiskers sea ​​lion, grass and plant roots. The Aleuts tattooed and painted their faces and bodies, but this tradition began to wane as contacts with the Russians began.

Folklore

Folklore has not been studied enough, because basic research didn't lead

There are fairy tales, heroic epic (narration), or heroic tales, stories about ancient customs, everyday stories, songs, sayings and riddles.

Most fairy tales are based on mythological stories. The most widespread were myths about the spirits of patron animals and etiological (concerning the causes of various phenomena) legends about the original immortality of people, about the origin of people from a dog that fell from the sky, etc. The heroic epic includes legends about ancestors, about the fight against cannibals, about the resettlement of people from continent to the islands, stories about the campaigns of eastern groups of Aleuts to the west, about blood feuds that led to brutal wars, etc. Everyday stories tell about fishing trips, travels; legends - about fugitive Aleuts hiding from the Russians in caves, about long journeys; satirical stories - about a hunter who died from gluttony inside a whale. Many stories reflect traditional family relationships: about the infidelity of a husband or a jealous wife, about the hero’s cohabitation with his cousin’s wife, about the hostile relationship of a son-in-law with his brother-in-law (wife’s brother), etc.

Song folklore was extremely developed. At holidays, men, to the sound of a tambourine, sang of the exploits of their ancestors, their prowess in fishing, and their dexterity in operating a canoe. During games, ritual actions and the performance of fairy tales, they sang to the accompaniment of a multi-stringed sword-shaped zither (chayah), which was later replaced by a guitar.

It turns out that our ideas about the northern peoples as peaceful people dancing to the sound of a tambourine are incorrect. Until the 18th century, the Aleuts, for example, were very warlike and often raided other tribes to convert their opponents into slavery.

The name of the people, Aleuts, was coined by the Russians during the Great Northern Expedition of 1741. Travelers were unable to accurately determine the roots of this people. According to one version, the Aleuts came from the northeast Asian coast, according to another - from Alaska. This happened approximately 6000 – 4600 years ago. In the middle of the 18th century there were 15 thousand of them, and they lived mainly in the Aleutian Islands. In 1799, Russian companies resettled some of the Aleuts to the Commander Islands. In 1867, the Aleutian Islands, along with Alaska, were sold to the United States. There are currently only 550 Aboriginal people left in Russia. A larger group lives in America. Currently there are 17,000 of them there. From 1891 to 1917, the Commander Islands were rented by various commercial and industrial companies, which bought furs, meat and fat of marine animals from the local population. In those days, the hunters' arsenal included a wide variety of weapons. The fishery began at the end of April with fishing in nets. Mid-July is the season for hunting birds using shatin throwing spears and a bola throwing projectile. The bola is an ingenious and simple weapon that consists of a bunch of straps with stone or bone weights at the ends. Having untwisted, the bola was thrown into the flock, the bird became entangled in the straps and became an easy prey. Birds were also hunted using large nets and nets. With the onset of winter, the hunt for sea beaver began, which was caught in the open sea using a harpoon; walruses were hunted in rookeries. To catch the seal, a cunning technique was used: it was lured to the shore with a decoy - an inflated seal skin, while imitating the cry of the female. The Aleuts even hunted the king of the sea - the whale. To do this, they used a spear with a poisoned tip. Under the influence of the poison, the whale died after 2-3 days and its carcass, washed ashore by the waves, was picked up by hunters. Until the 19th century, the Aleuts escaped the winter cold in semi-dugouts for 10 to 40 families, covered with dry grass, skins and turf. We climbed inside through a hole in the roof along a log with notches. Bunks were built along the walls, and the place of each family was separated by pillars with curtains. Utensils were stored under the bunks. In the summer they lived in light buildings. In the 19th century they had other winter dwellings, with walls and roofs made of poles and boards. The top hatch began to be used for lighting, and they entered the room through exits in the walls. The dimly lit dwellings were illuminated with grease lamps. During the long winter, men were engaged in the manufacture of fishing tools, stone and wooden utensils, sitting at hollowed-out stone bowls in which a moss wick was burning, floating in whale oil. Food was fried in the same bowls. If there were hot springs near the settlement, the Aleuts cooked fish and meat in them. They also knew how to cook special dishes from raw fish. For the hungry winter, dried fish and whale oil were prepared, which were kept in bladders from the stomachs of sea animals. Women were skilled craftswomen, sewing and embroidering clothes, weaving mats and baskets. The plant threads were so thin that they could compete with silk. However, the ornaments were not very diverse. Despite the small number, by the middle of the 18th century. the population of each island represented an independent community of relatives with their own dialect. The clan group was headed by a toyon leader. This honorary position was inherited and in rare cases it was elective. Toyon established trade relations, handled court cases, and was involved in monitoring the clan's lands - the rookeries of animals. The old and elderly were the keepers of the secrets and customs of the clan. They also had customs of blood feud. The so-called rootless Aleuts - slaves and migrants - occupied a powerless position in Aleut society. Usually they were prisoners of war. Sometimes the Aleuts even enslaved their fellow tribesmen, for example, orphans. Cruel punishments were widely used for any offense. For disobedience, escape and theft - self-mutilation. If the slave did not please the owner very much, then a terrible death awaited him - to be crushed by a board. The slave was a unit of exchange. Usually the cost was as follows: you could get a husband and wife for a kayak; for a stone knife - one slave. Some Aleuts owned twenty or more slaves. Slaves participated in all household work, and if they showed skill, endurance and courage, they could become full members of society. Thus, among the Aleuts, the slave state was not considered eternal, and the children of a slave from a free man became free. This people also had interesting marriage traditions. Unions between cousins, polyandry and polygamy were considered quite normal. A woman was not outraged if her husband was so hospitable as to offer her sexual services to a guest. In addition, a certain group of men were potential spouses for a group of women. If we talk about their beliefs, shamanism and hunting magic were widespread among the Aleuts. Usually a shaman, dressed in a special costume resembling a bird, summoned the beast. The shaman also danced in a special way to protect the hunter in the field and provide him with rich prey. On the winter solstice, the Aleuts gathered for a beautiful performance. It was accompanied by dancing with pantomimes, dramatic performances of hunting scenes and mythological scenes accompanied by singing and drumming. The performers wore special headdresses and wooden masks. From mouth to mouth, the Aleuts passed on legends about the original immortality of people, about the origin of people from a dog that fell from the sky, about the fight against cannibals, about blood feuds that led to cruel wars. At the end of the 18th century, the Aleuts were converted to Orthodoxy and many of their customs began to fade away, traditions were forgotten, and the people themselves began to die out and become poor. In the 19th century, this reached a critical point and it seemed that soon there would not be a single Aleut left in Russia. Since 1935, a slow population growth began, but national traditions were largely lost. In terms of lifestyle and social structure, Russian Aleuts now do not differ from the visiting population; they speak only Russian. According to linguists, today only two dozen elderly people are native speakers of their native language. Since 1932, a specialized animal farm was created on the Commanders, where all adult Aleut men and a significant part of women fished, hunted and gathered. Some Aleuts became employees. In the 50s A massive influx of newcomers to the islands began, which forced the Aleuts out of the most profitable sectors of the economy. Currently, most Aleuts work as auxiliary workers in the municipal sector, and only 10 people are engaged in traditional crafts. Aleuts also live compactly in the village of Nikolskoye, Kamchatka region. They make up a third of the thousand-strong population of the village. But even of these 300 people, more than half live in mixed families, as the number of interethnic marriages has increased. Nevertheless, the ethnocultural center created in the village with funds from the federal budget is called upon to play an important role in preserving the culture of the Aleuts. As for the American Aleuts, like other national minorities in the United States, they long time were subjected to open ethnic discrimination. After the Aleuts found themselves on American territory after the historical sale of Alaska, they began to eradicate from their life everything that only reminded them of the cultural influence of the Russians, as well as their own national traditions. The most interesting thing is that the introduced Russian customs began to be considered national by the Aleuts. Since the mid-20th century, a movement for the revival of Aleut culture began in the United States; the Aleut League, part of the Federation of Native Peoples of Alaska, arose. Modern Aleuts in the United States are employed in the seal fishery, are employed in the fish canning industry, and their numbers have begun to grow.

The Aleuts, like the Chukchi, have always been an extremely warlike people. This is one of the few northern ethnic groups in which slavery was widespread. The Aleuts attacked their neighbors, took their inhabitants captive, and were skilled fishermen and hunters. After contacts with the Russian colonialists, their morals softened, they adopted Orthodoxy, and even one of the aborigines was canonized as Saint Peter of the Aleut. More details in the material.

Life by the ocean

To begin with, an interesting fact: the name of this people, as well as the islands that owe their name to them - Aleuts - is Russian in origin, which is how it entered other languages ​​(for example, English). The aborigines themselves usually called themselves Unangan, although individual groups living on different islands had their own designations that differed from this. Scientists have never come to a consensus on why Russian travelers called local population exactly. It is believed that the word was borrowed from one of the dialects of the Chukchi or Koryak languages ​​and most likely means “islander”, “inhabitant of the islands” (according to another version, the Aleuts owe their name to the unusual headdresses that they wore).

At first glance, the Aleuts with their culture and way of life differ little from other northern peoples. They went to sea in unstable kayaks or multi-person rowing boats, were skilled in fishing, hunted marine mammals - seals, fur seals, otters and even whales, and caught birds using nets or cunning traps. Clothes were made from skins, fat was used to illuminate dwellings, even entrails and bones were used - for example, vessels for storing supplies were made from the stomachs of sea lions.

Aleutian women were famous for their ability to weave mats, baskets, bags and other products from grass; Clothes were embroidered with the same grass threads (they say that they were almost as thin as silk threads). It is curious that the craftswomen specially grew long nails, which served as an auxiliary tool for weaving. Over the years, as a result of constant stress, not only the nails, but also the fingers themselves became deformed and sometimes looked quite strange.

The traditional dwellings of the Aleuts were spacious semi-dugouts, called barabora. Several families lived in one such dugout. They were usually built on the coast and always on a hill to ensure good review- this way it was possible to monitor the appearance of possible prey or not to overlook the approach of enemies. The walls of the barabora were strengthened with whale bones and logs (as a rule, these were driftwood thrown up by the sea), the roof was covered with turf, dry grass and skins. They got inside through a hatch in the roof, and the staircase was a log with notched steps.

Sometimes such dwellings had two entrances: a “summer” one through a hole in the roof, and a “winter” one through a semi-underground corridor. For lighting they used lamps filled with animal fat. This is how the Aleuts lived until the 19th century, when, after contacts with Europeans, they began to build more familiar above-ground houses from boards and poles.

The traditional family life of the Aleuts deserves attention. Before the spread of Christianity, these tribes freely coexisted with polygamy and polyandry; women and men had almost equal rights. Kinship was considered maternal, although the power of a leader, for example, was inherited from man to man. There was group marriage. According to the customs of hospitality, the owner had to offer his wife to the guest (and this was taken for granted by all participants in the action). The future husband often had to “work off” his bride, living for a year or two with her parents and helping to run the household.

Another Aleut custom - slavery - caused no less surprise among Europeans. Slaves were the most powerless members of Aleut society; they were severely punished for any offense, and killed for especially serious offenses. Most often, prisoners of war became slaves (oddly enough, the Aleuts showed themselves to be quite a warlike people; internecine clashes were not uncommon) or declassed elements. Some owners had ten or more slaves. A slave even turned into a universal unit of exchange - for example, for one you could get a stone knife, but a traditional kayak boat was more expensive: a married couple was given for it.

Before the adoption of Christianity, the Aleuts were adherents of shamanism and practiced hunting magic. An interesting traditional element of their religious beliefs is funeral masks. They were made of wood and decorated with carvings, depicting either the helping spirits of the shaman, or recreating the faces of real people. The shaman used his funeral mask throughout his life. Some of them are made so that they can be held with the teeth - these were often used during sacred dances.

Guests from overseas: Aleuts and Europeans

The world first became acquainted with these people after the discovery of the Aleutian Islands by the Great Northern Expedition in 1741. The acquaintance was sometimes not very peaceful: at first there were such sad incidents as the burning of ships and the destruction of settlements, accompanied by casualties on both sides. But gradually it was possible to establish peaceful trade relations: the Russians remained to spend the winter on the islands, took Aleut women as wives, Russian industrialists even opened schools in Okhotsk and Kamchatka, where the most capable Aleut children were taught the Russian language. On the other hand, the Aleuts borrowed many labor and household items from the Russians, making them an integral part of their traditional way of life. The Russian-American Company played a significant role in the history of the people, which did a lot for the development of the Aleutian Islands and provided work to many Aleut fishing workers.

With the arrival of settlers and industrialists, Christianity began to spread. Russian missionaries noted that the Aleuts are very receptive, distinguished by perseverance, the ability to imitate, and have a taste for reading. Having changed their faith, they remained staunch adherents of Orthodoxy. It is worth noting that one of them even received canonization: the Orthodox Church honors Peter the Aleut as a martyr.

On opposite sides of the border

In 1867, the Aleutian Islands, along with Alaska, were sold to America. On the territory of Russia, the Aleuts remained only on the Commander Islands, where they ended up together with Russian settlers. Starting from the first half of the 19th century century, the situation of the people begins to slowly but steadily deteriorate - both on the territory of the Russian Empire and beyond its borders: the number is declining, the standard of living is falling, the traditional way of life is becoming a thing of the past. The processes of dispersion and assimilation are doing their job. While in the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s some measures were taken to somehow improve the situation, in America the Aleuts were discriminated against on an equal basis with the Indians for a long time. The situation began to change radically only in the 60s.

Currently, the Aleuts’ lifestyle is practically no different from the visiting population. In Russia, the only place of compact residence of Aleuts is the village of Nikolskoye in the Kamchatka Territory. It is there that the last two dozen speakers of the Aleut language live - all of its dialects are in danger of extinction. There are only 350 people left in the world who speak this language.

By the way, not only the northern peoples had a custom,

They will tell you how life goes on at the edge of the Earth.

:
482 (census, 2010)

Language Religion Included in Related peoples

Aleuts(self-name - unanan / unangan listen)) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands. Most of lives in the USA (Alaska), partly in Russia (Kamchatka Territory).

Ethnonym

The name "Aleut" is of Russian origin. It was given after the discovery of the Aleutian Islands, and was first found in documents in 1747. The etymology of the ethnonym is controversial. G. A. Menovshchikov explains it from the Aleut word allitkhukh (team, community). I. S. Vdovin believed that the ethnonym was of Chukchi-Koryak origin, from the word alyav-vyte (those who have a rim on their head). A distinctive feature of the Aleuts in the past was indeed their unusual wooden headdresses. The most convincing explanation seems to be the origin of this name from the Chukchi “aliat” (island), “aliut” (islanders)

In addition to the common name Unangan, the inhabitants of the islands also had local names: the inhabitants of the Near Islands were called sasignan, the Rat Islands - kagan, the Four Hills - akagai (that is, there), the inhabitants of the Krenitsiya islands and parts of Unalaska - kigigan (northeastern), the inhabitants of the islands from Ungi to Unimak (not including him) - Kagan Tayagangin (Eastern people), residents of Unimaka Island - Animgin, Umnaka Island and parts of Unalashki Island - Kaelyangin, Athi Island - Nigagin.

The Eskimos, the closest neighbors of the Aleuts, call them Alakshak.

Settlement

Eskimo-Aleut languages ​​and their distribution

Aleuts are the indigenous population of the Aleutian Islands, the Shumagin Islands, as well as the western coast of Alaska up to the river. Ugashika in the north. After the arrival of the Russians in 1825, the Aleuts also settled on the Commander and Pribilof islands, on some coastal islands and on the mainland of North America. Their number before the arrival of the Russians, that is, in the middle of the 18th century, was determined at 12-15 thousand.

Most of the Aleuts (more than 2,000 native speakers) live in the United States in the Aleutian Islands (Alaska). Their number in the middle of the 18th century reached 12 - 15 thousand people. According to the 2000 US Census, the number of Aleuts was 17,004 people, including 10,708 people in Alaska, 2,273 people in Washington State, 998 people in California, 479 people in Oregon, etc.

Anthropology

The Aleuts occupy a special position within the Arctic race; they have an admixture of southern elements of the Pacific branch of the Mongoloids. A wide, flat face with prominent cheekbones and slanted eyes rather suggests the kinship of this tribe with the Mongolian than with the American race.

Genetics

Ethnogenesis

For a long time, there were two hypotheses of their origin. According to one, the Aleuts came from the northeast Asian coast, according to the other, from Alaska. Steller spoke out for the Asian origin of the Aleuts. As a basis, he argued for the similarities that, in his opinion, the Aleutian tree bark hats with Kamchadal and Koryak hats. Objecting to this opinion, the famous American explorer of Alaska V. Doll considered it impossible for the Aleuts to move from Asia to the islands with their means of transportation. Yochelson also speaks out for the American origin of the Aleuts, arguing for the similarity of the Aleut culture with the culture of the northwestern Indians: “This includes the use of bushings (as decorations), face painting and some other decoration techniques. In general, we can say that the features of material and spiritual culture , as well as the physical makeup of the Aleuts indicate their close connection with the inhabitants of America, and not Asia.” Hrdlicka believed that by the beginning of our era, a people appeared on the Aleutian Islands, which the author calls pre-Aleuts. They were anthropologically different from the Aleuts. , Eskimos and Konyags (Kodiaks) and were similar to the Sioux Indians. In the 13th-14th centuries they were replaced by the Mongoloids who came here from the east, from America, perhaps some branch of the Tungus family of peoples who crossed the Bering Strait to America. Thus, according to Hrdlicka, the movement of the ancestors of modern Aleuts took place not along the Aleutian ridge, but from America, where both the proto-Aleuts and the newcomers of the 13th-14th centuries. came through the Bering Strait region.

Research proves that the formation of the anthropological type, language and culture took place 6000 - 4600 years ago. There is an assumption that the Aleuts made up the southern group of Eskimos; according to other sources, they became an independent ethnic group quite a long time ago.

History of the Aleuts

The history of the study of the Aleuts begins with the discovery of the Aleutian Islands in 1741 by the Great Northern (Second Kamchatka) expedition (1733-1743). Russian sailors, explorers, and industrialists collected data about the culture of the people.

Birding. They hunted birds using throwing spears (shatin) and a throwing projectile (bola) - a bunch of belts with stone or bone weights at the ends. Having untwisted, the bola was thrown into the flock and the bird, entangled in the straps, became the prey of the hunter. They were also caught at bird markets with a large net on a long pole (chirucha), as well as with nets.

Technique

An important role in sea hunting was played by the kayak - a flat-bottomed boat with a wooden frame, covered with sea lion or seal skin, and the kayak - a closed leather boat with a wooden frame and a hatch where the hunter sat (a prototype of a sports kayak). It was controlled with a two-bladed oar. Before the arrival of the Russians, the weapons of the Aleuts were light darts with bone tips, bows, stone or bone knives

Traditional home

Traditional winter house - Barabara or Aleutian Ulax

The villages were located on the sea coast, often at the mouths of rivers and consisted of two to four large semi-dugouts(ulyagamah). Russian travelers called them earthen yurts from flow forest, which were completely deprived of a hearth. They chose tall ones for them, open spaces, so that it is convenient to observe sea animals and the approach of enemies. Semi-dugouts were built from driftwood (trees nailed to the shore), covered with dry grass, skins and turf. They left several rectangular holes in the roof for entry and climbed up there along a log with notches. The dwelling accommodated from 10 to 40 families. Inside, bunks were built along the walls. Each family lived on its own part of the bunk, separated from each other by pillars and curtains. Utensils were stored under the bunks. In the summer they moved to separate light buildings. In the 19th century, the traditional half-dugout was modified: the walls and roof, made of poles and boards, were covered with turf. At the top there was a hatch for lighting, and on the side there was an exit through a small vestibule. Homes were illuminated with grease lamps, and sometimes stoves were installed. Along with traditional utensils, they used imported factory-made utensils.

Cloth

Wooden headdresses of the Aleuts in the Kunstkamera (St. Petersburg). They were part of the hunter's hunting equipment. The headdresses are decorated with bone plates and sea lion whiskers. Conical-shaped headdresses belonged to tribal leaders or noble members of the community; their price was equal to the price of a kayak. XIX century.

Traditional society

The Aleuts observed social stratification in the presence of a tribal system. Leader ( toyon or tukux) led the tribe. There were also Kalgi- slaves from prisoners of war.

Funeral

Noble people were buried along with slaves in caves; a painted pillar was placed at the entrance or the bodies of the deceased were hung in baskets between two pillars. The dead were embalmed. And then they ate it. And multi-colored beads were made from the intestines, which were used to create bridles for dog sleds.

see also

• Nikolskoye (Kamchatka region) - the only place compact settlement of Aleuts in Russia

Notes

1. In total, the census identified the following groups of Aleuts: Aleuts proper (10,548 people, Aleut), Alutik (389 people, Alutiiq Aleut), Sukpiak (33 people, Sugpiaq), Sukpikak (2 people, Suqpigaq), Chugakh (427 people ., Chugach Aleut, on the Kenai Peninsula), Aleuts of Bristol Bay (684 people, Bristol Bay Aleut), Eyak (552 people, Eyak, in the Copper River delta), Kodiak or Kodiak (1,800 people, Koniag Aleut, on Kodiak Island), Unangan (2,569 people, Unangan Aleut), some of which are different self-names of the Aleuts: Census US 2000. American Indian and Alaska Native Alone and Alone or in Combination Population by Tribe for the United States: 2000.xls
2. Joshuaproject. Aleut, Eastern United States
3. Census US 2000: American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States (PHC-T-18) : Census US 2000. American Indian and Alaska Native Alone and Alone or in Combination Population by Tribe for Alaska: 2000.xls
4. Census US 2000: American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States (PHC-T-18) : Census US 2000. American Indian and Alaska Native Alone and Alone or in Combination Population by Tribe for Washington: 2000.xls
5. Census US 2000: American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States (PHC-T-18) : Census US 2000. American Indian and Alaska Native Alone and Alone or in Combination Population by Tribe for California: 2000.xls
6. All-Russian Population Census 2010. Archived
7. All-Russian population census 2010. Data by region. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
8. Joshuaproject. Aleut
9. History of exploration of the Aleutian Islands
10. [http://std.gmcrosstata.ru/webapi/opendatabase?id=vpn2002_pert Microdatabase of the 2002 All-Russian Population Census
11. Census US 2000: American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States (PHC-T-18)
12. Aleuts
13. Aleuts
14. Coast Dwellers: Sea Peoples
15. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

Links

Publications in the Traditions section

Vanishing peoples of Russia. Aleuts

With the advent of modern civilization, there is an active assimilation of people of different cultures. Many nationalities are gradually disappearing from the face of the earth. Few of their representatives try to preserve and pass on the traditions and customs of their people. Thanks to them, the life history of the indigenous population of Russia reveals its secrets - useful and instructive, which have not lost their relevance to this day.

Aleuts on the Commander Islands

The name "Aleut" is of Russian origin. It was given after the discovery of the Aleutian Islands and was first found in documents in 1747, at which time the study of the Aleuts began. According to one hypothesis, the Aleuts came from the northeast Asian coast, according to another - from Alaska. When the Aleutian Islands, along with Alaska, were sold to the United States, some of the inhabitants migrated to the Commanders. Since the 1970s, they settled in the village of Nikolskoye, Kamchatka region; according to the 2010 census, their number was 482 people. The peculiarities of life of the Commander Aleuts were determined by the isolation of the islands.

The Aleutian language allegedly became isolated 3–4 thousand years ago and was considered one of the ancient Eskimo dialects. The first grammar was compiled at the beginning of the 19th century based on the Cyrillic alphabet. According to linguists, today only two dozen elderly people are native speakers of their native language.

Winter housing of the Aleuts

Aleuts on the hunt

Aleuts: Dorofey, Olga and Semyon Berezin

Residents of the village of Nikolskoye Dorofei, Olga and Semyon Berezina no longer speak their native language, although their parents spoke one of the dialects. In Olga’s hands is an academic grammar of the Aleutian language, compiled on the basis of materials recorded in the 1980s–1990s by her mother, P.A. Berezina.

The main traditional occupations of the Aleuts are hunting sea animals (seal, sea lion, sea otter) and fishing. Whaling (using poisoned spears) was very important for the Aleut economy. Gathering berries, roots, shellfish, algae and coastal fishing were carried out by women and children; sea hunting was carried out only by adult men. To hunt marine mammals, the Aleuts used harpoons with throwing planks and spears, which were called “beaver shooters.” As a rule, hunters united 15–20 people, each going to sea in his own canoe. Its frame consisted of an elastic wooden frame - a lattice. The parts of the lattice were fastened together with whalebone. Such a frame did not bend or break under the blows of ocean waves. The outside of the canoe was covered with sea lion skin. High-speed kayaks could reach speeds of up to 10 kilometers per hour, while the kayak moved silently through the water. The carrying capacity of the kayak is up to 300 kg.

Hiding from bad weather, the Aleuts built semi-underground dugouts (ulyagams) from bones and driftwood (trees nailed to the shore). 10–40 families easily lived in dugouts. It was possible to get into such a dwelling through a smoke hole, or by going down a log with notches. The second dwelling was a boat - a canoe.

The intestines, bladders, stomachs and throats of sea animals were not considered waste, but were the most necessary raw materials for the manufacture of fishing clothes, shoes, and utensils. Finished products were often not inferior in quality to factory-made items.

The hunter who went hunting was carefully equipped. His body was protected from the cold by a parka - long, closed (without a slit in the front) clothes made of seal fur, sea otters, and bird skins. The parka was worn with a waterproof camley made from seal intestines, into the seams of which miniature bunches of red bird feathers were sewn - amulets that protected the hunter from the forces of evil during hunting and attracted prey. Parkas and camleys were decorated with embroidered stripes and fringes. On their feet they wore boots made of the skin of sea animals.

Since ancient times, Aleutian women have been famous for their unsurpassed skill. Using needles made from bird bones, craftswomen sewed clothes, coverings for kayaks, made leather wallets for sale, and waterproof clothing from the intestines of marine mammals. The clothes were embroidered with deer hair so that no traces of the embroidery remained on the inside. Unfortunately, this technology has not been preserved to this day.

The Aleuts were also very skilled in weaving mats and baskets. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, Aleut women made baskets made using the ring weaving technique from grass and willow twigs. In ancient times, such baskets were used as bags along with bags made from the skins of sea mammals. They were woven from multi-colored grass fibers, mostly yellowish and brownish. Using a variety of colors of grass fibers, craftswomen created geometric patterns based on symbolic figures: rhombus, rectangle, triangle, zigzag.

Nikolskoye village

Performance by the Aleut national ensemble "Unangan"

Reindeer Neck Earring

The Aleuts had a kind of headdress that was hollowed out of a single piece of wood and steamed to give it its shape. Then they were painted and decorated with carved walrus tusk plates, beads, and pinniped skins. The whiskers of a sea lion were inserted into the side holes, indicating the number of animals killed. These headdresses were worn only by men.

The Aleuts worshiped nature spirits in animal forms. One of these animals was the whale, which, judging by the excavations, was assigned a special role. In ancient burials, hunters' skulls are found between two whale ribs. Like the ancient Egyptians, the Aleuts mummified the bodies of their dead and buried them in caves in a sitting position. Family burials were placed in rock recesses. Tools, weapons, dishes, ritual masks and personal amulets were placed with the deceased. Their slaves were buried with the noble Aleuts.

An important role in cultural traditions was assigned to dances filled with semantic meaning. The dances were standing and sitting. Seated staged dances were the most ancient. They moved the upper body, head, arms and facial muscles. Standing ones consisted of springy movements on half-bent legs with the body tilted forward, sharp turns with different positions of the arms. In cult dances, a masked shaman used magical movements to summon the souls of dead warriors, hunters, as well as good and evil spirits. In the most ancient totem rituals, the Aleuts reincarnated themselves into sea animals and birds and skillfully imitated their plastic movements with body movements.

The old people remained the guardians of the clan's customs. Song folklore was very developed. During the holidays, with the help of a tambourine, musicians sang of the exploits of their ancestors, their prowess in fishing, and their agility in steering a canoe. During games, ritual actions and storytelling, they sang to the accompaniment of a sword-shaped zither. Most of the songs are dedicated to marine fishing. There is a whole series of songs about love. The Aleuts have heroic tales, narrative heroic epics, stories about ancient customs, everyday stories, songs, sayings and riddles.

At the end of the 18th century, the Aleuts came under the influence of Russian culture and the Orthodox faith. Spread schooling, bilingualism. Religious books appeared, translated into the Aleut language. Aleuts still remain staunch adherents of Orthodoxy; religious rituals are performed in Russian and Aleut languages.

Orthodox missionary I. Veniaminov (later Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Innokenty), who lived among the Aleuts and overcame many obstacles while carrying out missionary work, writes: “The most terrible suffering will not wrest a groan or cry from the Aleut. Having fallen into a trap, the Aleut will wait motionless until the teeth deeply embedded in the body are removed from his leg. Travelers testify how, for example, an Aleut, crushed by a huge stone, suffering in the death agony for more than four hours, never groaned and did not express in a single word how hard it was for him to endure this suffering. Aleut is completely fearless. He considers it extremely indecent to be surprised at anything. There is nothing you can do to please him, nothing you can frighten him, nothing you can make a strong impression on him.” One of the Aleuts - Peter Aleut - is revered Orthodox Church like a martyr.

Before the adoption of Christianity, fairly free morals reigned among the Aleut tribes. Polygamy and polyandry were common in their family structure. There was group marriage, where a group of men were considered potential husbands for a group of women. Marriages between first cousins ​​were possible. Relationships were calculated on the maternal side. According to custom, the hospitable host provided his wife for the night to the guest. With the adoption of Christianity, by the middle of the 19th century, dowry - a ransom for a wife and the labor that replaced it (the husband lived for one or two years in the family of his wife’s parents and helped run the household), as well as polygamy, polyandry and hospitable heterism - had largely disappeared. At the same time, matchmaking and wedding rituals spread.

Russian ethnographer Gustav-Theodor Pauli wrote about the Aleuts in his study “Ethnographic Description of the Peoples of Russia”: “The Aleuts have an exceptional talent for imitation, and their abilities are so developed that they quickly adopted from the Russians all the crafts that these latter practice in front of the Aleuts . They very cleverly repeat the characteristic features and funny antics of those people who are in contact with them. Aleuts show a great taste for reading and seem capable of grasping abstract concepts, such as the principles of mathematics. But, despite these abilities, as well as excellent memory and vivid imagination, the Aleuts, of course, cannot be equal to representatives of peoples whose civilization has spanned many generations.”