Aleut Mortuary Practices. Re-Interpretation of Established Aleut Burial Customs

Abstract

The Unangan/Aleut people have lived in the Aleutian Islands for more than 9,000 years. About 250 years ago this unique and successful balance between nature and man was disturbed to such a degree, that the Unangan people almost became extinct. Russian fur hunters and traders (promyshlenniks) killed, annihilated, raped, introduced new diseases (leprosy, smallpox, syphilis and consumption (tuberculosis)), and forcefully displaced Unangan people for the purpose of promoting their fur business. This resulted in major declines in the Unangan population size. It is estimated that an original population of more than 15,000 people in 1741 (time of arrival of Russians in the Aleutian Islands) to less than 2000 in 1800. This drastic reduction in the population size and increasing Russian control did not result in a thoroughly eradication of the Unangans’ culture and spiritual belief. Also, it is doubtful that the Russian Orthodox Church had much control over the Unangans’ spiritual activities, as previously suggested by the church’s records. Our research, based on the historical record, archaeological excavations and particularly on the reconstruction of the traditional mortuary practices, strongly support our present hypothesis that the Unangans’ devotion to their traditional spirituality was well established and operational at any given time, including: — after the arrival of the promyshlenniks (1741), — after the establishment of the Russian American Company (1799), — after the introduction of the Russian Orthodox Church (ca. 1800), — after the sale of Russian America to the USA in 1867, — and most likely well into the 20th century.