Embroidered design on an historic Alutiiq parka, Etholen Collection, National Museum of Finland
The Unangax and Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) People - Who We Are The Unangax and Alutiiq (Sugpiaq)maritime peoples living in south and southwest Alaska. The water is living, whether it’s the creeks and rivers near villages, the shore outside or the vast waters of the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Knowledge of these resources and skill in harvesting them define the cycle of life in a village. The intensity of the weather that travels through our islands governs activities more than any other factor. The Unangax and Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) cultures were heavily influenced by the Russians, beginning in the 18th century. The Orthodox Church is prominent in every village, Russian dishes are made using local subsistence food, and Russian words are part of common vocabulary although two languages, Unangax and Sugcestun, are the indigenous languages. Excerpt from the Alaska Native Heritage Center (Learn more here) Click here to learn more from the Alutiiq Museum Website
Children's Literature Featuring the Unangax and Alutiiq (Supiaq)
Hesse, Karen. Aleutian Sparrow. Illustrator Even Zerbetz. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003. 160 pages, Secondary, Young Adult
Summary: "In June 1942, Japanese forces attacked the Aleutian Islands. Within days of the attack, the U.S. military removed the native people of these islands to relocation centers in Alaska's southwest, supposedly for their own protection. Conditions in these camps were deplorable. The Aleuts were held for approximately three years, and many of them died. In a series of short, unrhymed verses, Hesse tells this moving story through the eyes and voice of Vera, a girl of Aleut and Caucasian heritage." (Karen Hesse)
Brown, Tricia. Children of the Midnight Sun: Young Native Voices of Alaska. Roy Corral. Alaska Northwest Books, 1998. 48 pages, All Ages Summary: After 30 years of working with Alaska Native Peoples and visiting 60 villages, Brown writes from the perspectives of eight children each representing a region in Alaska. The book is compiled of photographs by Roy Corral, essays from children, as well as a brief history of the culture and descriptions of everyday life and traditions. "For Native children, growing up in Alaska today means dwelling in a place where traditional practices sometimes mix oddly with modern conveniences. Children of the Midnight Sun explores the lives of eight Alaskan Native children, each representing a unique and ancient culture. This extraordinary book also looks at the critical role elders play in teaching the young Native traditions. " (Book Description from its official website page.)