fall the First Americans, none were more hardy and self-sufficient than the Eskimos and Aleuts of Alaska. Their homelands are some of the most for bidding land on earth. The home of the Aleuts is a 1,200-mile chain of rocky, cold, damp, and foggy islands off of Alaska's south- west coast mos have lived in an even larger area, including lands along Alaska’s Pa Arctic coasts. There, winters are long cold. Ice and snow blanket the frozen ground, The sun peeks over the horizon for only a few: hours each day. During the brief summer, grasses, shrubs and berry bushes flourish for a time. Eskimos welcomed the ripening of berries for a change in their usual diet of meat and fish. Their Home for 3,000 Years Eskimos and Aleuts'have thrived tough environment for about 3,000 year Over most of that time, they were left alone, Occasionally they clashed with American Indian tribes in Alaska’s interior. But no one tried to drive the Eskimos out because they alone had the skills to. survive in their bleak lands. 3oth Eskimos and Aleuts lived by hunting and fishing. They hunted seals, walrus whales, and sea lions from kayaks and big rowing boats called zmiaks. Ashore they went after caribou, a large type of deer. They also hunted grizzly bears, polar bears, mountain sheep, and other smaller game. From the ‘ocean and rivers they took salmon, whitefish, halibut and other fish by spearing and netting them. The Most Important Prey ‘The seal was the most important prey. Seal hunters in kayaks searched for seals coming to the surface to breathe. When they spotted one, they hurled a harpoon which was at- tached to a float hen the harpoon struck, the seal was forced to drag the float. The seal soon became tired and had to surface to breathe. When it did, the hunter killed it with a lance. Whales were hunted by several hunters working together. When the huge mammal had been hit by four or five harpoons with floats, it quickly became exhausted and had to surface. The hunters then killed it with lances. Success in hunting was vital for Eskimos For most of the year, meat was their only food.The three main types of native peoples in Alaska are Al Indians. All thre . The state's Indians may have crossed the Bering Strait from Russia into Alasks as early as 50,000 years ago. They settled in the evergreen forests of Alaska’s vast interior. Aleuts and Eskimos came much later. ‘They probably began arriving about 3,000 years ago. The Aleuts peopled 1,200 miles of the Aleutian Island string. The Eskimos set- tled the Alaskan coastal areas of the Pacific and Arctic oceans. They also mi grated eastward into Canada. Some went all the way to Greenland—3,000 miles from Alas skimos speak three differ- ent but related languages—Aleut and two Eskimo languages—Yupik and Inuit. Ther e several dialects of Inuit; in Alaska the main one is Inupiat. ‘Today, the populations of First Ameri- s in Alaska are: Eskimos, 44,400; made bones. If wood was scarce, whalebones were used in building houses, Eskimos burned the fat of whales and seals for heat and light in their homes. Animals’ fur, and intestines were used for clothin, nomads, They folkgrating animals. They traveled by dogsled on Jand and in umiaks on the seas and river Igloos Were Not Common ‘Only nos in north central Canada lived in snow had houses with a framework of wood or whalebones covered by sod. Often the houses were partly underground for warmth, In the summer, some Eskimos lived in tents made of animal skins, ‘Their summer clothing was of wate tant sealskin, For winter wear, Eskimos fa- vored caribou hide. They invented the layer- ing method of dressing for bitterly cold weather. They might, for example, have four layers of caribou fur under their mukluks, or boots. Eskimos and Aleuts lived lages. There might be as few as 10 people or as many as 50. ‘The Aleuts and some Eskimos in south- western Alaska were ruled by chiefs. Most Eskimo bands were not Eskimos and Aleuts were not warlike, al- though they would fight fiercely if attacke They rarely complained about hardships. A happy person was thought to be a good per- son. Eskimos loved singing and dancing. They created works of art by carving wood, bone, and ivory from walrus tusks. Festivals highlighting customs and crafts of the people of the Arctic are held ach year. May to September: NANA Museum of the Arctic, Kotzubue, Alaska, open daily 9 AM. to 8 PM, Grafts, Eskimo dancing, blanket toss. Demonstrations by Inupi Eskimo youth of traditional foods, cloth- , and survival methods. Phone (907) June 24 to 26: Midnight Sun Festival, Nome, Alaska. Events include Eskimo dancing and blanket toss. Phone (907) 443-553 July 20 to 23: World Eskimo-Indian Olympics at Big Dipper Ice Are ir banks, Alaska. Traditional Eskimo and Indian contests, including high kick, arm pull, ear pull, knuckle hop, seal skin- ning, fish cuttit Phone (907) 452. 6646. BOYS LIFE 4 NOVEMBER 1999,BOYS LIFE de NOVEMBER 1988 Eskimo children much. loved. Outsiders thought their parents spoiled them. Boys started to hunt and fish with their fa- thers at about the age of 8 Blanket Toss Both children and adults loved games and tests of strength and endurance. One indoor game was much like jackstraws. In another, called nugluktag, the player tried to poke a For outdoor play, a favorite game similar to soccer was played with a leather ball stuffed with caribou fur. (Today the favorite team game of E ms to be basketball) Particularly popular was an old game called blanket toss. A dozen or more players grasped the edge of a big walrus-hide blanket and tossed another player high in the air. The “flier” might go up 30 feet and perform acro- batics in the air. Blanket toss began with the ious purpose of sending a hunter high in the air to spot game over the pack ice. Eskimo life was hard, but it had its fun times too. Snowmobiles and Motorboats mos and Aleuts are no longer nomadic. now live in small villages. There are no reservations for them as there are for many American Indians in the “lower 48” states. Many Eskimos and Aleuts continue to rely on hunting and fishing. But now they have ri: and shotguns instead of harpoons and drive snowmobiles instead of and motorboats instead of Most live in wood frame houses instead of od houses and tents. They their food, watch television, and pl games just as you do. Eskimo children go to typical American schools. They may be taught in their own language as well as in English. ‘Some Alaskan Eskimos and Aleuts work for corporations owned by Native American groups. These groups operate seafood compa nies and hotels and invest in timber, mining, fisheries, and reindeer herds. The profits are used to help native villages Nunavut, the Eskimo Homeland Last year, Canada’s 17,500 Esk Inuit, started on the road to self-government. ‘They were given title to 135,000 square miles, of land in the Northwest Territories province. They also got hunting and fishing rights to 850,000 square miles more. In 1999 their homeland will become Nunavut, which means “our home." — —Robert W. Peterson 'Next month: Images of the American IndianCopyright © 2003 EBSCO Publishing