Culture and Archaeology of the Ancestral Unangax̂/Aleut of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska - by Debra Corbett & Diane Hanson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Upto now, only the history of the north coastal cultures has been (briefly) discussed

The understanding of Aleut cultures has shifted dramatically in recent times, and information about that is only available in journals, conference proceedings and government reports

This book is further exploring the intruiging and complex Aleut culture and present the information so that it is accessible and understandable to everyone

From the Back Cover

For the past 9,000 years, people lived and flourished along the 1,000-mile Aleutian archipelago reaching from the American continent nearly to Asia. The Aleutian chain and surrounding waters supported 40,000 or more people before the Russians arrived. Despite the antiquity of continuous human occupation, the size of the area, and the fascinating and complex social organization, the region has received scant notice from the public. This volume provides a thorough review describing the varied cultures of the ancestral Unangax̂, using archaeological reports, articles, and unpublished data; documented Unangax̂ oral histories, and ethnohistories from early European and American visitors, assessed through the authors' multi-decade experience working in the Aleutian Archipelago.
Unangam Tanangin ilan Unangax̂/Aliguutax̂ Maqax̂singin ama Kadaangim Tanangin Anaĝix̂taqangis (Culture and Archaeology of the Ancestral Unangax̂/Aleut of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska) begins with a description of the physical and biological world (The Physical Environment and The Living Environment) of which the Unangax̂ are part, followed by a description of the archaeological research in the region (The People). The rest of the book addresses ancestral Unangax̂ life including settlement on the land, and the characteristics of sites based on the activities that took place there (People on the Landscape). From this broad perspective, the view narrows to the people making a living through hunting, fishing, and collecting food along the shore-line, making their intricate tools, storing and cooking food, and sewing and weaving (Making a Living); household life including house construction, households, and the work done within the home (Life at Home); and the personal changes an individual goes through from the time they are born through death, including spiritual transitions and ceremonies (Transitions), and the evidence for these events in the material record. This bookis written in gratitude to the Unangax̂ and Aleut people for the opportunity to work in Unangam Tanangin or the Aleutian Islands, and to learn about your culture. We hope you find this book useful. The purpose of this book is to introduce the broader public to the cultures of this North Pacific archipelago in a single source, while simultaneously providing researchers a comprehensive synthesis of archaeology in the region.

Review Quotes

"The book is organized thematically, endeavoring to broadly integrate the physical surroundings with cultural chronology and ancestral lifeways. ... Throughout the book, several themes are prominent. ... Corbett and Hanson have produced a readable, affordable, and largely comprehensive synthesis of the physical environment, archaeology, and ethnohistory of the Unangax^ /Aleut region. This volume is a welcome addition to the body of literature relating to the study of the Aleutian chain." (Jason Rogers, Alaska Journal of Anthropology, Vol. 22 (1-2), 2024)

About the Author

Debra Corbett, Diane Hanson, and Mark Luttrell met during an archaeological survey on Adak Island to document selections by The Alaska Corporation through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), not realizing that they would be brought together 40 years later to write (and illustrate) this book. Debra Corbett went on to complete a Master's degree in Anthropology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, then became an archaeologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that manages the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge of which the Aleutian Islands are a part. Through her work and several research projects within the refuge, she spent the rest of her career working in the Chain. Following the Adak Survey Diane Hanson left to complete a doctoral degree in Archaeology from Simon Fraser University after working in the Northwest Coast. She returned to Alaska working for the USDA Forest Service, State of Alaska Office of History and Archaeology, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District, eventually settling at the University of Alaska Anchorage where she launched another archaeological project not far from the ANCSA survey area on Adak Island. Mark Luttrell, through Debra's encouragement, incorporated illustration into his archaeological expertise and established a scientific illustration business called Artifact Illustration in Seward, Alaska. He has worked primarily on North Pacific coastal sites from Yakutat and the Prince William Sound to Kenai Fjords National Park, and in the Aleutian Islands.