Aleut culture resembles that of the Inuit, and scholars classify the two peoples in the Arctic Culture Area (see ARCTIC PEOPLES). But because of their location, the Aleut also had cultural traits in common with NORTH WEST COAST INDIANS, with whom they traded objects and shared ideas.
Aleut economy was based on the sea. Aleut hunted the mammals of the ocean, such as sea otters, seals, sea lions, walruses, and whales, and they fished, especially for salmon and shellfish. They also hunted birds and gathered roots and berries.
The Aleut lived in barabaras, large communal houses built over pits, with roof beams made from driftwood or whale bones and walls made from chunks of sod. The smokehole in the roof or a separate passageway facing east served as a door. The houses were heated and lighted with stone oil lamps.
Aleut kayaks, or baidarkas, were made much like Inuit kayaks—oiled walrus or seal skins stretched over light wood frames. They were short, with the bow curved upward and the stern squared off. Sometimes the bows were shaped like a bird’s open beak. Usually there were two cockpits—the rear one for the paddler and the front one for the harpooner. The harpooner used a throwing board for extra leverage in flinging the harpoon in addition to a stabbing harpoon. The Aleut also used larger open boats known as igilax.
Aleut clothing was efficient for rain and cold. It came in double layers and was made mostly from gut—espe-cially seal intestines—as well as from hide. Hooded parkas of varying lengths—extending to the hip or below the knee—served as outer garments. Hunters wore wooden helmets with long visors that were decorated with ivory and sea lion whiskers. The Aleut added intricate decorations to their clothing by using hair bristles and animal skin dyed different colors.
The Aleut also crafted elegant baskets, as did the Northwest Coast Indians, using rye grass growing on the beaches. The stems of the grass were split with the fingernails to make threads, and some of the threads were dyed to make intricate woven designs.
Another cultural trait that the Aleut had in common with Northwest Coast Indians was their type of social organization. The Aleut were more concerned with rank and wealth than the Inuit were. The toyons, or village chiefs, and the nobles under them demonstrated their rank through their possessions, such as shells or amber. Under the chiefs and nobles were commoners and slaves. Unlike the Northwest Coast Indians, the Aleut did not
Aleut baidarka (skin-covered boat)
Practice the potlatch, an elaborate feast during which gifts were exchanged.
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