The Aleut
The indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and Russia, the Aleuts (Unangan, Unungas) are a group whose traditional territory spans America and Asia.
The Aleut live in partially underground houses known as barabaras, with multiple families living in a single barabara. They remain primarily hunter-gatherer-fisherpeople.
Visual arts of the Aleut include baidarkas (Aleutian kayaks for hunting), weaving, embroidery, and mask making. In particular, masks are used to portray figures from oral history and religion. The masks were carved wood, decorated with paint, feathers, and other natural products.
The Aleut used tattoos and piercings, especially facial markings, for religious and cultural reasons. As people who lived in possibly the harshed climate in the world, the clothing was beautiful and incredibly effective. They used the natural water repulsion of animal skins to create hooded parkas that remain unparalleled for cold, snowy climates.
The first Outside contact with the Aleut was by Russian Orthodox missionaries in the late 18th century.
