World War II proved a trying time for Aleut peoples. The Japanese attacked the Aleutians and captured the island of Attu in 1942, removing villagers to Japan. The United States regained control the next year and evacuated Aleut families from other islands to abandoned canneries on the mainland. Without enough food or fuel for heating or medical attention, many died. On returning, Aleut survivors found most of their villages destroyed or their possessions stolen by U. S. military personnel.
The majority of Aleut now live in protected Native villages, many on the mainland. These have been organized, along with a number of Inuit villages, into Native regional corporations to manage money and land conveyed by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association was founded in 1986 to help Aleut with health, education, and employment needs. Many Aleut work as commercial fishermen or in fish canneries. The oil spill of 1989 of the Exxon Valdez tanker in Alaska’s coastal waters proved a major economic setback for those Aleut peoples depending on the sea. Some Aleut still practice the Russian Orthodox religion. Aleut elders are working to teach the young their traditional songs, dances, and crafts. The Museum of Aleutians in Unaluska is dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Aleut.
World History
