Cultural
Change in the Aleutian Islands:
Contact with Another Culture
A 6th Grade Social Studies Unit
8-10 days
SECTION I: THE ALEUTS' HOMELAND
OBJECTIVES
1. Students can find the Aleutian Islands
on a map of Alaska
2. Students can locate the homeland of the Aleuts
3. Students can demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the natural
environment, particularly the sea, to Aleutian
history
MATERIALS
1. Cultural Change book (1 per student)
2. Long sheet of butcher paper, poster paint, magic markers and yard stick
for time line (if done as a class; see p. 9).
3. Map of Alaska (Map G)
4. Native Peoples and Languages of Alaska map
5. Map of Aleutians
6. Map or globe of world (not provided in this unit)
7. F 1861: The First Americans (enrichment)
8. Aleutian Resources filmstrip
9. The Aleutians book
10. F 4280 The Aleutians: Chain of Life (enrichment)
11. Sea otter fur sample
12. Quiz I (1 per student)
PREPARATION
1. Tack up maps
2. Duplicate Alaska Geography Unit
3. Distribute Cultural Change to students (1 per student)
4. Order F 1861 if desired (see p. 9)
5. Order F 4280 if desired (see p. 12)
6. Arrange with other 6th grade teachers to share sea otter fur sample.
7. Duplicate copies of Quiz I (one per student)
8. Duplicate map of Alaska (p.27 ) for Alaska Geography unit and Quiz I
ACTIVITIES
1. Make notebooks
2. Alaska Geography study and quiz (if necessary)
3. Map study and associated vocabulary work
4. Read and discuss Chapter I in Cultural Change
5. Films (enrichment)
6. Time Line: students begin construction
7. Aleutian Resources filmstrip
8. Administer Quiz I
VOCABULARY:
ALEUTS the original inhabitants
of the Aleutian Islands.
ANCESTOR a person from whom one is descended, especially anyone earlier
in a family line than a grandparent.
ARCHIPELAGO a group or chain of many islands.
BIDARKI (ALSO BAIDARKA) (bə där kë) the Russian word for iqax
or kayak. Also, the term by which chitons are called in the Aleutians.
CHAIN a series of islands, arranged in a chain-like line.
CHITON(kït' n) a small oval-shaped mollusk with a shell of eight
overlapping plates covering its back.
INTERTIDAL the shore zone from the low tide mark to the high tide mark.
IQAX the Aleut word for a kayak.
KAMLEIKA(kam lï1 kə) a gut waterproof parka used especially
when hunting from a bidarki.
LAXATIVE making the bowels loose and relieving constipation.
PENINSULA a land area projecting out into the water.
SUGPIAQ (ALLUTIIQ)the Eskimo language traditionally spoken by Kodiak,
Prince William Sound, and Alaska Peninsula Natives, designated Aleuts by the
Russians.
UNANGAN (UNANGAS IN THE WEST) the Aleuts' name for themselves.
SECTION I: THE ALEUTS' HOMELAND
I. MAKE FOLDERS
Introduce the unit to students by having
them start folders or sections in their loose-leaf binders for
the work they will be doing. You might keep the folders on a bookshelf
in the room rather than in students' desks. Folders will eventually
contain some or all of the following (exact contents are your choice):
vocabulary words
time line
maps
Data Sheet answers
crossword puzzle
tests
II. MAP WORK
A. ALASKA GEOGRAPHY UNIT
Most teachers found that a quick unit on
Alaska geography was necessary at the beginning of the Aleut unit.
If you have not developed one of your own, you may use the one
on p. 25, developed by Carol Comeau (sixth grade teacher at Ocean
View). Use Map G of Alaska as your resource for this portion of
the unit. Each student will need three blank maps of Alaska. A
fourth blank map should be used for the quiz. The quiz can be open-book,
if you like. It can also be administered in conjunction with Quiz
I (pp.33-34) upon
completion of this section.
B. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS MAP
As part of the unit, you have been given
a two-sheet map of the Aleutian Islands. Tape it together and use
it as your main source of information. The Aleutians (Alaska
Geographic) also contains a map of the Aleutians. You might also
want to purchase from the U.S. Geological Survey the "Base Map
of the Aleutian-Bering Sea Region," Map I-879. It costs $l.50(cash
only - no
purchase orders). Call 277-0577 to make sure the map is in stock
before you go by for it.
Now concentrate on the Aleutian Islands.
What country are they close to? Approximately how many miles separate
the Aleutians from Siberia?
Refer to the large blue map of the Aleutians
included with this unit. Have a student measure the distance between
the easternmost and the westernmost of the islands. Measure the
distance between Anchorage and the chain on your world map.
Introduce the terms "chain," "peninsula," and "archipelago."
Review the groups of islands within the
Aleutian Chain: Fox Islands, Andreanof Islands, Islands of the
Four Mountains, Rat Islands, Near Islands, and Sanak Islands. Mark
the Shumagin Islands on your map (the group of islands northeast
of Sanak Island, off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula).
Refer to the map of Alaska. Mention to
students that they have probably never seen a complete map of Alaska
with all Aleutian Islands in their proper locations. Discuss why
not.
C. LANGUAGE MAP: WHO ARE THE ALEUTS?
Note on the Native Peoples and Languages
of Alaska map where the boundaries of the Aleut language
exist and where the boundary between the Western and Eastern
dialects of the Aleut language is. Point out to students that
the term "Aleut" has reference to several different groups of
Alaska Natives:
1. the Unangan (Unangas) people
from the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands (a term which will appear
in Chapter I of the text)
2. the Sugpiaq (as marked on the language
map) or Alutiiq (more current designation) speakers of Prince
William Sound. These people are also called "Chugach Eskimo" or "Chugachmiut" and
were linguistically more closely related to Yup'ik Eskimos
than to Aleuts. They are today called Aleuts because that was
the term the early Russian traders originally called them.
3. Sugpiaq (or Alutiiq) speakers from
the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak, the latter group of which
is also called "Koniag." Koniags were, at the time of contact
with the Russians, enemies of the Aleuts. Many of their customs
were similar, though they, too, spoke a language more closely
related to other Eskimo languages than to Aleut. Like the Chugachmiut,
the Koniagmiut were first termed "Aleuts" by Russians despite
linguistic and cultural distinctions.
III. TEXT: CHAPTER I OF CULTURAL CHANGE
IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
A. VOCABULARY
Be aware of new vocabulary words as students
read the text. Their meanings are contained in the glossary at
the end of the text, and at the beginning of each section in this
guide. See p. ll4. of this guide for help in pronouncing Aleut
words. Mention the words "Unangan" and "Unangas".
B. PREHISTORY
For more information on this topic, refer
either to Laughlin's The Aleuts (pp. 62-96) or Dumond's The
Eskimos and Aleuts, pp. 66-78 (see Appendix F in this guide
for reference information).
C. ENRICHMENT: F
1861
The first reel of the film First Americans contains
a portion on the Umnak and Anangula Island sites. You might choose
to show this film, especially to high ability students; the film
may be too technical for average students.
D. TIME LINE
Introduce the concept of a time line. Explain
that items that go on a time line are usually those, which happen
once in history. In modern American thought, most events are placed
in this category. Thus, though wars may occur over and over again,
we tend to think of each one as separate and unique. Similarly,
though the process of electing a president is repeated every four
years, we still tend to think of each election as special and unlike
any other. Refer students to the Important Events in Aleutian History
list on p. 76 of their texts. Talk about students' own lives as
time lines; what events would they mark down about themselves?
Now let students begin drawing a time line
to be used throughout their study of Aleut culture change. This
could be a class project, consisting of one long chart tacked onto
your wall, or individual time lines to be placed in students' folders.
For a class project, divide the class into
work groups, each being assigned to a different task. Or, you might
have a committee devoted to keeping up the time line for the benefit
of the rest of the class. The following steps should be followed:
1. Cut a long sheet of butcher paper, preferably
the length of one of your walls.
2. With poster paints, paint a horizontal line across the middle of the paper.
There should be room above or below the line to write the events, which are
to be recorded on the line.
3. Decide what the earliest event should be on your time line. This event is
marked on the left side of the paper.
4. The present date should be on the right-hand end of the paper.
5. Determine how many inches should be devoted to each year or decade. Mark
those periods with poster paint.
6. Mark events which students have read about so far. Students may be given
the choice of which dates they consider to be important, or they may use the
dates at the back of their books. Events can be marked by taping a separate
piece of paper on which the date and event have been marked, or they can be
written with magic marker directly on the time line. In some cases, important
events do not have dates attached to them, but are nonetheless important (Aleuts'
expansion west is an example). Decide how to handle those events on the time
line.
7. Tack or tape the time line on your wall, preferably within reach of students.
E. IGADIK'S DISCOVERY
Relate Igadik's discovery with the Aleuts'
skill in boating.
Locate the Pribilof Islands on the map
of Alaska. Mark and name the islands in that group (use the Language
Map). Compute their distance from Unimak Island. You might have
one of your students investigate methods of reaching the Pribilofs
today. Airlines and barge companies could be contacted for information
on how long and how often people travel there. Compare modern traveling
modes with the iqax.
Discuss whether or not the Pribilof Islands
have been aptly named.
F. ALEUT NAVIGATION: ENRICHMENT
Refer one of your students to Laughlin's The
Aleuts, p. 43 (paragraph #5) for a discussion of how the
Aleuts were able to navigate across open water. Have that student
report to the rest of the class. Relate it to Igadik's feat.
IV. ALEUTIAN RESOURCES FILMSTRIP
A. FILMSTRIP WORKSHEET
Show and discuss the Aleutian Resources
filmstrip. Have students fill out the Filmstrip Worksheet (pp. 29-30)
as they view it. They will probably
not be able to find all the answers the first time through, so
be sure to make the filmstrip and its written script (pp.l3-24
following) available for student use after you have shown it. The
completed worksheet should be placed in students' folders, and
will be important information to be used in completing the Crossword
Puzzle later in the unit (p. 51).
B. SEA OTTER FUR SAMPLE
Each school has been provided with one
sea otter fur sample, to be shared among the classes. This can
be passed around at this time or later in the unit -it fits in
everywhere since the sea otter has been an important motivating
force throughout Aleutian history. At this point in the unit, introduce
it as an animal whose fur was taken for parkas, meat was eaten,
and bones were used to make tools. It was not the most important
of the sea mammals to the Aleuts, however. The fur seal probably
holds that position for its fur was more durable and useful for
a variety of purposes, and valuable oil could be rendered and used
for cooking and heating.
C. ENRICHMENT: >F4280
If possible, show The Aleutians: Chain
of Life to your students.
V. QUIZ I
Administer Quiz I. The Answer Guide shows
suggested point values. You may administer the map quiz as part
of this one if you like.
ALEUTIAN RESOURCES SLIDE SHOW: SCRIPT
Start Sound
Title
Credits
Credits
Writers often describe the Aleutian Islands
as a windy, barren, cold and uninviting place.
However, the islands have provided well
for the Aleuts, the inhabitants of the islands, for thousands of
years. In fact, these islands were the setting of an advanced and
innovative culture whose members were expert at using resources
in all parts of the environment: the
sea, the land, and
the intertidal area in between.
This filmstrip will include photographs
of some of the many plants and animals that the Aleuts traditionally
used as food, medicine, or shelter. Most of the photographs you'll
see were taken near this fish camp on Unalaska Island.
This camp, like the Aleut fish camps through
the years, is located so that it is accessible to the yearly salmon
run. These fish have provided a regular and predictable source
of protein for centuries.
Aleuts have always been excellent fishermen
but they most impressed the early Russian explorers and traders
by their outstanding skills as boatsmen and sea mammal hunters.
The Russians called the Aleut craft "baidarkas",
and the term is still used.
The sea provided well for the Aleuts, for
the sea is the home of many kinds of sea mammals: fur seals, sea
lions, whales, and sea otters among them.
These sea mammals have provided Aleuts
with more than food; also clothing, like this qutskin parka, called
kamleika by the Russians,,and household
objects like this sea lion stomach storage bag.
Nowadays, commercial fishermen gather the
sea's resources when they fish for shrimp, crab, and halibut.
And, the sea also provides another important
type of food, a food that is available all year round, and that
can be harvested by both young and old, in calm and stormy weather: intertidal
shellfish. These are chitons, called bidarkies in the Aleutians
because they look like little boats.
To eat the bidarkies, you first pound along
both sides to loosen the meat from the shell. Then you can either
peel off the shell and eat them raw, or
soak them overnight in fresh water, and steam them lightly before
eating them.
Sea urchin eggs are also a good low-tide
food that you can easily find. To
get the eggs, you first cut the sea urchin in two. Then
scoop the yellow eggs out with the back of your thumb, and
eat!
Mussels are common all along Alaska's coast.
In many places they make a good food, though they can also be deadly
poisonous if there has been a red tide. To
eat them, cut them open with a knife, and eat them raw.
Little limpet shells also contain good
meat. Just scoop the meat out of the shell with another empty limpet
shell.
Altogether, the beach provides a delicious
breakfast: Bidarkies, sea urchin eggs, mussels, limpets, some beach
greens, and cool fresh water.
This beautiful place, with its mild, moist
weather, is also rich in plant resources.
For instance, several plants have delicious
edible roots. One of these is the Kamchatka lily, a common plant
which grows along the entire southern arc of Alaska's coast, from
Ketchikan to the Aleutians, and in Siberia as well. It is also
called the wild rice or the chocolate lily.mYou
dig the bulbs of the plant in the fall.
They're white and look like rice.
After you have cleaned and soaked them,
you steam them in a little bit of water; then their ready to eat.
The Kamchatka lily is on the right and
another plant with qood edible roots, the wild hyacinth, is on
the left. Here's a close-up view of the wild hyacinth flower.
The Nootka Lupine is a beautiful plant
that is common in the same area as the Kamchatka lily: all along
the southern arc of Alaska. Although the seeds of the lupine are
poisonous, the insides of the root are edible and, in fact, the
Aleuts traditionally ate them both raw and cooked with seal oil.
You can see the putchkii, also called the
cow parsnip, almost everywhere you go in the Aleutians.
The good part of the putchkii is the inside
of the stem. First, you have to peel the hairy outer covering off.
Then eat it raw.
This plant is called the petrouskii in
the Aleutians. It grows along the beach, and its leaves can also
be boiled to make a tea. The stems and leaves can also be boiled
with fish and seal meat to make a good stew. This
is a close-up of the petrouskii flower.
The tips of the nettle plant are also good
when they're cooked. Nowadays, people eat the steamed greens with
butter. Traditionally, seal oil was probably used instead of butter.
Several plants taste good raw in salads;
for instance beach greens, wild spinach, the
young shoots of fireweed, and the
early spring leaves of the dandelion plant.
Lots of different kinds of berries grow
in the Aleutians. This summertime salmonberry blossom...will form
the fall time fruit.
The mossberry, or crowberry flower looks
like this, while the fruit is this
familiar black berry.
Other good berries that grow in the Aleutians
are lingonberries, which are also called low-bush cranberries, blueberries, beach
strawberries nagoonberries, bearberries, and
the closely related kinnick-kinnick berry.
The Aleuts were well known for their skill
as surgeons and doctors, and they were well aware of the curing
properties of many local plants. Among these medicinal plants is
yarrow, which they used to treat chest, stomach and muscular pains,
as well as the common cold.
The beautiful wild iris plant was also
used as a medicine. The root was
boiled in water, then the solution was drunk as a laxative.
The Aleutian climate, with its mild winters
and nearly continuous rainfall, allows for this rich diversity
in plant and animal resources. It's hard to believe that some people
consider this a barren and forbidding area!
Credits
Name__________________________
ALASKA GEOGRAPHY UNIT
Make a separate map for each of the following
three lists.
Neatness and accuracy are essential.
1.Water Areas- Draw
in each river, label the bays, oceans, and seas.
|
Colville River
|
Gulf of Alaska
|
|
Copper River
|
Bering Sea
|
|
Kobuk River
|
Beaufort Sea
|
|
Koyukuk River
|
Chukchi Sea
|
|
Matanuska River
|
Arctic Ocean
|
|
Nenana River
|
Pacific Ocean
|
|
Noatak River
|
Bering Strait
|
|
Chitna River
|
Bristol Bay
|
|
Kuskokwim River
|
Cook Inlet
|
|
Tanana River
|
Cordova Bay
|
|
Susitna River
|
Norton Sound
|
|
Yukon River
|
Kotzebue Sound
|
|
Prince William Sound
|
Kuskokwim Bay
|
|
Yakutat Bay
|
Shelikof Strait
|
|
Kachemak Bay
|
Portage Glacier
|
Cities, Villages, Towns, Mountains:
Locate and label each of the
following; be sure to include a map key.
|
Brooks Range
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Sitka
|
|
Alaska Range
|
Haines
|
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Aleutian Range
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Skagway
|
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Talkeetna Mountains
|
Dillingham
|
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Wrangell Mountains
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Petersburg
|
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Chugach Mountains
|
Aniak
|
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Kenai Mountains
|
Fairbanks
|
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Mt. McKinley (Denali)
|
Glennallen
|
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Mt. St. Elias
|
Pt. Barrow
|
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Mt. Spurr
|
Nome
|
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Mt. Redoubt
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Copper Center
|
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Anchorage
|
Pt. Hope
|
|
Palmer
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Kotzebue
|
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Homer
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Ruby
|
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Kenai
|
Galena
|
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Valdez
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Prudhoe Bay
|
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Ketchikan
|
Gulkana
|
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Juneau
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Tok
|
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Wrangell
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Seldovia
|
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Cordova
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Circle Hot Springs
|
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Wales
|
|
Geographic Regions, Peninsulas,
Islands -
Locate and label each of the following;
be sure to include a map key.
|
Shumagin Islands
|
Islands of the Four Mountains
|
|
Sanak Islands
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Near Islands
|
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Rat Islands
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Fox Islands
|
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Andreanof Islands
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Kodiak Island
|
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Pribilof Islands
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Nunivak Island
|
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St. Lawrence Island
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Attu Island
|
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Kiska Island
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Amchitka Island
|
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Umnak Island
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Unimak Island
|
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Unalaska Island
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Annette Island
|
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Seward Peninsula
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Alaska Peninsula
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Kenai Peninsula
|
|
|
|
|
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Regions
|
|
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Southeastern (panhandle)
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Southcentral
|
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Southwestern
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Central (Interior)
|
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Arctic Slope
|
Bering Sea Coast
|

Click here to see bigger image
Name______________________
ALASKA MAP QUIZ
Draw and label the following on the attached
map.
|
Kuskokwim River
|
Aniak
|
|
Yukon River
|
Fairbanks
|
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Prince William Sound
|
Pt. Barrow
|
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Gulf of Alaska
|
Nome
|
|
Bering Sea
|
Pt. Hope
|
|
Beaufort Sea
|
Kotzebue
|
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Chukchi Sea
|
Prudhoe Bay
|
|
Arctic Ocean
|
Wales
|
|
Pacific Ocean
|
Shumagin Islands
|
|
Bristol Bay
|
Sanak Islands
|
|
Bering Strait
|
Islands of the
Four Mountains
|
|
Cook Inlet
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Rat Islands
|
|
Shelikof Strait
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Near Islands
|
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Norton Sound
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Fox Islands
|
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Brooks Range
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Andreanof Islands
|
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Alaska Range
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Kodiak Island
|
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Aleutian Range
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Pribilof Islands
|
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Mt. McKinley (Denali)
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Nunivak Island
|
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Anchorage
|
St. Lawrence Island
|
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Valdez
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Unalaska
|
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Ketchikan
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Unimak
|
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Juneau
|
Amchitka
|
|
Sitka
|
Kiska
|
|
Skagway
|
Attu
|
|
Dillingham
|
Alaska Peninsula
|

Click here to see image
Name____________________
ALEUTIAN RESOURCES
Worksheet
1. The three parts of the environment which
the Aleuts used
were:
a._________________________________
b._________________________________
c._________________________________
2. This fish was important to the Aleuts
because it returned every year to provide a regular and predictable
source of protein:_________________________________
3. Aleut bidarkis allowed for sea mammal
hunting. List four species of sea mammals the Aleuts hunted.
a._________________________________
b._________________________________
c._________________________________
d._________________________________
4. The Russian term for a gutskin rain
parka is_________________________________.
5. A good storage bag can be made from
a sea lion_________________________________.
6. Modern Aleut fishermen fish for:
a._________________________________
b._________________________________
c._________________________________
7. The shellfish which looks like a little
boat is a chiton, also called a_________________________________.
8. The eggs of the_________________________________can
be eaten raw.
9. These mollusks are good to eat unless
there has been a poisonous red tide recently:_________________________________.
10. These little shellfish can be scooped
out with another shell and eaten:_________________________________
11. The Kamchatka lily is also called:
a._________________________________
or
b._________________________________
12. Another plant with good edible roots
is the wild_________________________________.
13. Although the seeds of this beautiful
plant are poisonous, the roots are edible_________________________________.
14. The cow parsnip is called the_________________________________in
the Aleutians.
15. The leaves of this plant are used to
make tea or stew_________________________________.
16. The leaves of this plant are steamed
and eaten with butter or seal oil_________________________________.
17. Salad foods include:
a._________________________________
b._________________________________
c._________________________________
d._________________________________
18. Berries that are harvested in the Aleutians
include:
a._________________________________
b._________________________________(Or)_________________________________
c._________________________________(Also
called)________________________
d._________________________________
e._________________________________
f._________________________________
g._________________________________
h._________________________________
19. A useful plant for any doctor, because
of its wide variety of uses, is the_________________________________.
20. A plant whose root was boiled to make
a laxative is the_________________________________.
ANSWER GUIDE
ALEUTIAN RESOURCES
Worksheet
1. The three parts of the environment which
the Aleuts used were:
a. SEA
b. LAND
c. INTERTIDAL AREA
2. This fish was important to the Aleuts
because it returned every year to provide a regular and predictable
source of protein: SALMON
3. Aleut bidarkis allowed for sea mammal
hunting. List four species of sea mammals the Aleuts hunted.
a. FUR SEALS
b. SEA LIONS
c. WHALES
d. SEA OTTERS
4. The Russian term for a gutskin rain
parka is KAMLEIKA
5. A good storage bag can be made from
a sea lion STOMACH
6. Modern Aleut fishermen fish for:
a. SHRIMP
b. CRAB
c. HALIBUT
7. The shellfish which looks like a little
boat is a chiton, also called a BIDARKI
8. The eggs of the SEA
URCHIN can be eaten raw.
9. These mollusks are good to eat unless
there has been a poisonous red tide recently: MUSSELS
10. These little shellfish can be scooped
out with another shell and eaten: LIMPET
11. The Kamchatka lily is also called:
a. CHOCOLATE LILY or
b. WILD RICE
12. Another plant with good edible roots
is the wild HYACINTH
13. Although the seeds of this beautiful
plant are poisonous, the roots are edible: NOOTKA LUPINE
14. The cow parsnip is called the PUTCHKII in
the Aleutians.
15. The leaves of this plant are used to
make tea or stew: PETROUSKI
16. The leaves of this plant are steamed
and eaten with butter or seal oil: NETTLE
17. Salad foods include:
a. WILD SPINACH
b. BEACH GREENS
c. FIREWEED SHOOTS
d. YOUNG DANDELION LEAVES
18. Berries that are harvested in the Aleutians
include:
a. SALMONBERRY
b. MOSSBERRY (or) CROWBERRY
c. LINGONBERRIES (also called) LOWBUSH CRANBERRIES
d. BLUEBERRIES
e. BEACH STRAWBERRIES
f. NAGOONBERRIES
g. BEARBERRIES
h. KINNICK-KINNICK BERRY
19. A useful plant for any doctor,
because of its wide variety of uses, is the YARROW
20. A plant whose root was boiled to make
a laxative is the WILD IRIS
Name___________________________
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION I: QUIZ I
1. Where did the Aleuts originally live?
Circle the area on the attached map.
2. Vocabulary: define the following:
a. Unangan
b. iqax
c. bidarki
d. archipelago
e. intertidal
3. Short Answer:
a. The westernmost Aleutian Islands
are closest to what foreign country?
b. What invention allowed the Aleut
culture to expand and develop?
c. How long have the Aleutian Islands
been inhabited, according to archaeological evidence?
d. Why is Igadik important?
e. List the three parts of the environment
which the Aleuts used:
(1)
(2)
(3)
Name____________________
ANSWER GUIDE
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION I: QUIZ I(100 PTS. TOTAL)
1.(9 PTS.)Where did the Aleuts originally
live? Circle the area on the attached map.
2.(7 PTS.EACH)Vocabulary: define the following:
a. Unangan- THE ALEUTS' NAME FOR
THEMSELVES
b. Iqax- THE ALEUT WORD FOR A KAYAK
c. bidarki- THE RUSSIAN WORD FOR IQAX OR KAYAK- ALSO
THE TERM BY WHICH CHITONS ARE CALLED
d. archipelago- A GROUP OR CHAIN OF MANY ISLANDS
e. intertidal- THE SHORE ZONE FROM THE LOW TIDE MARK TO THE HIGH TIDE MARK
3.(8 PTS. EACH) Short Answer:
a. The westernmost Aleutian Islands
are closest to what foreign country? RUSSIA
b. What invention allowed the Aleut culture to expand and develop?
IQAX, BIDARKI,OR KAYAK
c. How long have the Aleutian Islands been inhabited, according to archaeological
evidence? 8,400 YEARS
d. Why is Igadik important? HE DISCOVERED THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS
e. List the three parts of the environment which the
Aleuts used:
(1)SEA
(2)LAND
(3)INTERTIDAL AREA
I. TEXT: CHAPTER II
A. INTRODUCE THE TEXT
Before having students read Chapter II,
make some introductory comments: define "pre-contact"; discuss
the concept of imaginary characters like Stephan and Anna, and
explain that history is actually made up of individual life histories
like theirs. Students might ask why the characters do not have
Aleut names. Inform them that, through the years, Aleut names have
been forgotten so that now the only truly Aleut names which people
remember are those of certain famous people in history, such as
Igadik. For reasons students will learn later, most Aleuts today
have Russian or American names.
B. DISCUSSION TOPICS
After having students read the text, discuss
the following:
1. What resources did Stephan
and Anna's family feel were important in locating their village?
2. How did the Aleuts in Stephan and
Anna's family go about claiming certain areas? (This is not
spelled out in the text; have students speculate.)
C. LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITY: THE SONG
The song which Stephan sings in the text
is actually a very old Aleut song, first recorded in the early
1800's by an Atkan Aleut named Iakov Netzvetov. The song has been
translated into English by the linguist Knut Bergsland and rewritten
in poetic form by Richard Dauenhauer. Talk about the song and what
is happening in it. Have students do one of the following:
1. Draw a picture that shows what
Stephan is singing about.
2. Act out the song for the class as
you think Stephan would have done in the winter festival.
3. Write a poem or song of your own
that tells about something that you set out to do but didn't
accomplish.
4. Write down some things about the
Aleuts that this song teaches you.
D. ENRICHMENT: THE SONG
See Appendix B of this guide for a second
English version of this song. This version was translated from
the Russian version which Father Veniaminov recorded in the early
1800's. Interested students could compare Veniaminov's version
with the one that occurs in the text by answering the following
questions:
1. Why are the versions different?
2. Which version seems more like a song?
3. Which version is easier to understand? Why is it easier?
4. Which version do you think is closer in meaning to the original Aleut? Why
do you think that?
5. Which version do you prefer?
Inform students that these are thought
questions and that there are no right or wrong answers. However,
students should be able to defend the answers they give.
E. ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: FOLKLORE
See Hudson's Stories Out of Slumber for
retellings of traditional Aleut folklore. Note that these stories
were not rewritten or edited for children, so you might want to
pre-choose one or two stories to read to students.
II. DATA SHEETS AND QUESTION CARDS
A. ASSIGNMENT: SMALL GROUP WORK
The next series of activities revolves
around small group or individual work (according to teacher and
student preferences). Divide the class into six working groups
of 4 or 5 students. Tell students that each group will receive
a grade for its work, but that each student is expected to write
all answers and place the work in his or her folder.
Number the six sets of Data Sheets and
Question Cards so that each set can be kept separate. Give each
group a packet containing the Data Sheets and Question Cards, and
a copy of the Floral Resources in Makushin Bay booklet. Cuttlefish
Two, The Aleutians (Alaska Geographic Society) and Aleutian
Resources filmstrip should be available in a center as resources
for this activity.
The Data Sheets contain information on
eleven topics of Aleut culture. In addition, the Question Cards
are of three types, printed on three colors of paper: Fact Questions,
Thought Questions, and Research Questions. The instruction sheet
tells students to:
Work together in a group or individually.
You may either read through the Data Sheets first, or you may merely
use them to find answers to the questions asked on the Question
Cards. You may also use the Floral Resources in Makushin Bay booklet
in finding the answers. Each of the 25 Fact Question Cards must
be answered and the answer put in your notebook.
When everyone in your group has answered
all the Fact Questions, compare answers. Be sure that you are all
satisfied with the answers you each have. Later, in class discussion,
you will be asked to present group answers to some of the questions.
When your group is through with the Fact
Question Cards, turn to the Thought Question Cards. Answer as many
as you can in the time your teacher gives you. Remember that there
are no single correct answers to these questions, but you must
be able to defend your answers with facts!
Your teacher may assign Research Question
Cards for you to do as well.
B. DISCUSSION: DATA SHEETS AND QUESTION
CARDS
Class discussion to follow the group work
should begin with a review of the Fact Questions. Each question
should be answered in class discussion, with student answers listed
and added to. This will take from 2 1/2 to 3 hours of class time.
C. STUMP THE PANEL GAME
(This game is included courtesy of its
originator, Fred Goerisch, sixth grade teacher at Wonder Park.)
The Data Sheets contain much more information
than is asked for in the various Question Cards. There are several
ways to encourage students to learn more of that information. A
game of 20 Questions is an example. Having student groups make
up worksheets for other students to answer, then trading the sheets
amongst the groups is another.
Stump the Panel is a third suggestion.
It involves all the students in a question-and-answer game.
Each student must write and submit to its
group 15 to 20 difficult but answerable questions, based on the
Data Sheets, Aleutian Resources filmstrip, and Floral
Resources book (or whatever resources you designate). The group
meets and reviews the questions, throwing out the duplicates until
it has a large supply of questions with which it hopes to stump
other groups. You should check over the questions to be sure they
are worthwhile. Answers must appear with the questions in case
the questions are challenged. These answers also serve as references
when the group has its turn to try to answer someone else's questions.
On the day of the game, each group is armed
with questions and answers. There are three positions in which
a group may be: Asker, Answerer, and Spectator (several groups
are Spectator at the same time).
ASKER: The Asker group chooses a difficult
question and asks it. If the question
cannot be answered by anyone and it is a fair question, the Asker
group earns 10 points.
ANSWERER: The Answerer group tries to answer
the question within a given time
limit (1 to 2 minutes). The only references which maym be
used are the written questions and answers which that group devised.
A correct answer earns 10 points.
SPECTATOR: Spectator groups may also earn
points by knowing the answer to a question before the Answerer
group does. Spectators quickly write their answers down, then raise
their hands until acknowledged by the teacher. After the Answerer
group has answered the question, Spectators show the teacher their
written answers. Correct answers earn them 5 points. If the Answerer
group cannot answer the question, Spectators can still earn 5 points
with correct answers.
Rotate the positions until all groups have
had a chance to be Askers and Answerers. This should take about
40 minutes. Tally points and, if you wish, assign a group grade
so that the winning group gets an A, second gets a B, and so on.
This game can be adapted to other portions
of the unit in those cases when you want students to learn a number
of facts.
D. ANSWERS TO FACT QUESTIONS:
1. Name a tool or object that was used
by the Aleuts in precontact days, and is also used in America today.
ANSWER: A variety of objects.
For instance, needles, fishhooks, awls, drills, boats, whetstones,
axes, knives (Objects Card and others).
2. Name at least three materials that were
used in making precontact Aleut objects.
ANSWER: A variety. Examples are
ivory, grass, bone, stone, animal skins, animal guts, wood (Objects
Card and others).
3. What artistic skill are Aleuts best
known for today?
ANSWER: Fine basketry (Objects
card).
4. Give two other names for "kayak" Tell
what languages the two names are
in.
ANSWER: Iqax: Aleut; bidarki or
baidarka: Russian (Objects card)
5. Who trained young Aleut boys to be men?
Why?
ANSWER: Their material uncles
because the boys belonged to their uncles' families; descent was
reckoned through their mother (Growing Up card).
6. What are some of the things Aleut girls
had to learn as they were growing
up?
ANSWER: Will vary. Examples are:
child-caring, sewing, basket weaving, cutting fish, gathering beach
food, cooking, curing (Growing Up card).
7. Name a medical skill which Aleut healers
had and which modern doctors also use.
ANSWER: acupuncture; suturing
wounds; surgery (Healing card)
8. What flower eases a sore throat?
ANSWER: Geranium, avens, yarrow
(Healing card)
9. What flower helps heal intestinal disorders?
ANSWER: yarrow, iris, or pondweed
(Healing card)
10. What flower has poisonous roots?
ANSWER: Monkshood (Whaling card)
11. How did the pre-contact Aleuts use
amulets?
ANSWER: To protect them or bring
them luck in life's activities (Religion card).
12. What was done to prepare the bodies
of wealthy people for death?
ANSWER: Mummification (Mummies
Card)
13. What characteristics did a good Aleut
leader have to have?
ANSWER: Support of others, wealth,
wisdom, generosity (Leaders card).
14. What is a toyon?
ANSWER: The Russian term for an
Aleut leader or chief (Leaders card).
15. How were the parts of a whale used
after they were caught?
ANSWER: Whale ribs were sometimes
house supports; meat and blubber were eaten; oil used to burn in
lamps for light and heat; teeth and bones for tools. (Whaling Card)
16. Which relatives lived together in a
single barabara?
ANSWER: Relatives who were related
to the toyon of the barabara, or head of the family, through the
mother's line (Households card).
17. How were Aleut mummies preserved?
ANSWER: Some were rubbed with
a special mixture before being put in a
cave. Some scientists think volcanic fumes may have helped preserve
some mummies (Mummies card).
18. Name three items of clothing which
provided an adaptation to the Aleut
environment.
ANSWER: There are many possibilities.
Examples: kamleikas protected against
the rain; wooden hats did the same; bird and otter skin parkas
were both warm and water resistant (Clothing card).
19. How were the Aleut women able to sew
their kamleikas with a waterproof
stitch?
ANSWER: The seams were sewn with
sinew which swells when wet. In swelling, the sinew completely
filled the holes made by the needle (Clothing card).
20. How many birdskins did it take to make
a parka:
ANSWER: 25-40, depending on the
size of the bird and the parka. (Clothing card)
21. How long was an atlatl?
ANSWER: Exactly the length from
a hunter's middle finger to his elbow
(Objects card).
22. How many holes did the iqax or bidarki
have?
ANSWER: Before the Russians came,
one or two. Afterward, some bidarkis were made with three hatches,
or holes (Objects card).
23. Describe an exercise that prepared
young boys for hunting.
ANSWER: Arm-stretching, finger-hanging,
and cold-water bathing (Preparation for Hunting card).
24. What foods were obtained by women,
old people, and children?
ANSWER: Shellfish, sea urchins,
octopus, fish, birds, bird eggs, and plants (Food Gathering card).
25. Who owned the barabaras?
ANSWER: Women usually owned the
barabaras (Households card).
E. THOUGHT QUESTIONS
Next, refer to the Thought Questions. Each
student should have chosen three or four to answer. Go over all
questions briefly in class. Questions are:
1. What modern objects take the place that
Aleut baskets used to serve?
2. What do you think Aleut parents looked
for in husbands or wives for their
children?
3. Read this paragraph. Then tell what
culture it is talking about.
"When boys and girls reach the
age of 5 they leave their homes, many for the first time. They
are taken to a new location to be taught by strangers. These strangers
are adults who are not even distantly related to the children;
in fact, many times the children have never seen them before. Still,
the adults are respected and considered very knowledgeable by the
children's parents."
Discuss what students think of this educational
process. Compare it with the Aleut process.
4. Name some modern-day religious beliefs
and practices similar to the traditional Aleut ones.
5. In what ways is the Aleut system of
choosing a toyon like the modern American way of choosing a mayor?
Unlike it?
6. What do you think the Aleuts learned
about human beings by preparing
their bodies for death? How might this information have
helped them in other areas of life?
7. Can you think of any modern objects
which people use as amulets today?
8. Why do you think the whales' spirits
were told they were going to be
hunted?
9. Why were there different sizes of barabaras
in the precontact days?
10. How does the practice of mummification
show that the Aleuts believed in
an afterlife?
11. Why was a woman's skill in sewing as
important as a man's skill in hunting
when it came to getting food?
F. ENRICHMENT: RESEARCH
Research Questions are designed to be enrichment
activities and may be worked on as you feel is appropriate. Each
student should work on only one research question. This could be
a long-term project to be turned in at the completion of the entire
unit. Be sure to check with your librarian ahead of time for help
in locating resources. Discuss the various resources (aside from
books) which might be used to answer the questions. The Research
Questions are:
Research which species of whales migrate
through the Aleutian Island passages.
ALEUTIAN TOPICS CROSSWORD

Click to see larger image
ACROSS
1. The sea mammal for which the Russians
traveled thousands of miles
8. Nowadays, many Aleuts make a living from this small animal
11. What the weather often does in the Aleutian Islands
13. A red tide can make these poisonous
14. Whales or seals provided this valuable energy source
17. Used to make holes in leather
18. Used for sore throats & other sores
19. This plant has delicious roots and a delicious-sounding name
22. This animal is called by the same name as an Aleut boat
24. A plant which no Aleut healer would be without
25. Country which paid Russia for Alaska (abbrev.)
20. A small body of land surrounded by water
27. Describes much of the coastline of the Aleutians
29. The part of the whale used in making Aleut houses
30. Same as 31 Down
32. This weed actually makes a good salad in the spring
35. 14 Across provided the Aleuts with light and-------.
36. A drink introduced by the Russians
37. Every year the Aleuts look for their return
39. This part of the sea lion makes a good storage bag
40. Aleut girls played with these
DOWN
2.This part of the body is not visible in hair seals
3.This part of the sea urchin is good to eat
4.Hot stones placed in a basket of water will make the water______.
5.Aleut boys needed to learn the--------of their families
6.Also called a "throwing board," this implement was always at a hunter's side
7.Also called the mossberry, this plant was stored in oil for the winter
8. The northernmost island in the Pribilofs is named------- Paul (abbrev.)
9. Abbrev. for millimeter
10. The cow parsnip, a common plant in the Aleutians and much of Alaska, is
called this in the Aleutians
12. To feel ill
15. An Aleut house
16. A large island in the Fox Island group of the Aleutians
20. Describes temperatures throughout the year in the Aleutians
21. Lots of food can be gathered at this time
23. The skins of this animal were used to make parkas
24. Abbrev. for yard
28. Same as 1 across
29. Means "regarding"
31. Large island in the Andreanof Island group of the Aleutians
An important food resource to the Aleuts
33. Skilled Aleut boatsmen could________the boats completely over in the water
34. This drifted in to shore
35. A thin board was bent into a cone-shape to make this
38. Negative
by Patricia Partnow
ALEUTIAN TOPICS CROSSWORD
ANSWERS
|
ACROSS
|
DOWN
|
|
1. SEA OTTER
|
2.EAR
|
|
8. SHRIMP
|
3.EGGS
|
|
11. RAINS
|
4.BOIL
|
|
13. MUSSELS
|
5.HISTORY
|
|
14. OIL
|
6.ATLATL
|
|
17. AWL
|
7.CROWBERRY
|
|
18. AVENS
|
8. ST.
|
|
19.CHOCOLATE LILY
|
9. MM
|
|
22. BIDARKI
|
10. PUTCHKII
|
|
24.YARROW
|
12. AIL
|
|
25. U.S.
|
15. BARABARA
|
|
20. ISLAND
|
16. UNALASKA
|
|
27. ROCKY
|
20. COOL
|
|
29. RIB
|
21. LOWTIDE
|
|
30. ATKA
|
23. DUCK
|
|
32. FIREWEED
|
24. YD
|
|
35. HEAT
|
28. OTTER
|
|
36. TEA
|
29. RE
|
|
37. SALMON
|
31. ATKA|
|
|
39.STOMACH
|
32. FISH
|
|
40.DOLLS
|
33. ROLL
|
|
|
34. WOOD
|
|
|
35. HAT
|
|
|
>38. NO
|
Name______________________
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION II: QUIZ II
1. Vocabulary: define each of
the following terms:
a. Toyon______________________
b. Atlatl______________________
c. Barabara______________________
d. Pre-contact______________________
e. Kamleika______________________
2. Fact Questions: answer all
of the following questions:
a. Name four tools or objects
that were used by the Aleuts in pre-contact days, and are also
used in America today:
(1)______________________
(2)______________________
(3)______________________
(4)______________________
b. Name at least four materials
that were used in making pre-contact
Aleut objects:
(1)______________________
(2)______________________
(3)______________________
(4)______________________
c. What artistic skill are
Aleuts best known for today?
____________________________________________
d. Give two other names
for "kayak". Tell what languages the
two names are in.
(1)______________________
(2)______________________
e. Who trained young Aleut
boys to be men? Why?
____________________________________________
f. Name a medical skill
which Aleut healers had and which modern doctors also use.
___________________________
g. Name one flower used
by the Aleuts in medical practice. What was it used for?______________________
h. How did the pre-contact
Aleuts use amulets?______________________
i. What was done to prepare
the bodies of wealthy people for death? ____________________________________________
j. Name two parts of the
whale and tell how they were used after they were caught.
(1)______________________
(2)______________________
k. Which relatives lived
together in a single barabara?______________________
1. How were Aleut mummies
preserved?______________________
m. Name four items of clothing
which provided an adaptation to the Aleutian environment.
(1)______________________
(2)______________________
(3)______________________
(4)______________________
n. Name four foods which
were obtained by women, old people, and children:
(1)______________________
(2)______________________
(3)______________________
(4)______________________
o. Describe how the waterproof
stitch, which Aleut women used, worked.
3. Thought Question:
List three reasons the pre-contact
Aleuts placed their village sites where they did.
a.______________________
b.______________________
c.______________________
ANSWER GUIDE
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION II: QUIZ ll
1.(5 POINTS EACH) Vocabulary:
define each of the following terms:
a. Toyon LEADER OR CHIEF
b. Atlatl SOUTH AMERICAN INDIAN WORD FOR THROWING DART
c. Barabara TRADITIONAL STYLE SEMI-SUBTERRANEAN SOD HOUSE WHICH, IN PRE-CONTACT
DAYS, MIGHT HOUSE SEVERAL FAMILIES
d. Pre-contact TIME IN ALASKA HISTORY BEFORE ALASKA NATIVES MET, OR
HAD CONTACT WITH EUROPEANS
e. Kamleika GUT WATERPROOF PARKA
2. (4 POINTS EACH) Fact Questions: answer
all of the following questions:
a. Name four tools or objects
that were used by the Aleuts in pre-contact days, and are also
used in America today:
|
NEEDLES
|
BOATS
|
|
FISH HOOKS
|
WHETSTONES
|
|
AWLS
|
AXES
|
|
DRILLS
|
KNIVES
|
b. Name at least four materials that
were used in making pre-contact Aleut objects:
|
IVORY
|
GRASS
|
|
BONE
|
STONE
|
|
ANIMAL
|
SKINS
|
|
ANIMAL
|
GUTS WOOD
|
c. What artistic skill are Aleuts best
known for today?
FINE GRASS BASKETRY
d. Give two other names for "kayak".
Tell what languages the two names are in.
(1) IQAX: ALEUT
(2) BIDARKI: RUSSIAN
e. Who trained young Aleut boys to
be men? Why?
THEIR MATERNAL UNCLES BECAUSE THE BOYS BELONGED TO THEIR UNCLES' FAMILIES;
DESCENT WAS RECKONED THROUGH THE MOTHER.
f. Name a medical skill which Aleut
healers had and which modern
doctors also use. ACUPUNCTURE, SUTURING WOUNDS, SURGERY
g. Name one flower used by the Aleuts
in medical practice.
YARROW, IRIS, PONDWEED FOR INTESTINAL DISORDERS, MONKSHOOD FOR POISON USED
IN WHALE HUNTING
h. How did the pre-contact
Aleuts use amulets?
TO PROTECT THEM OR BRING THEM LUCK IN LIFE'S ACTIVITIES; PATICULARLY
IN HUNTING FOR THE MEN
i. What was done to prepare the bodies
of wealthy people for death? THEY WERE MUMMIFIED ESPECIALLY
IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALEUTIANS
j. Name two parts of the whale and
tell how they were used after they were caught.
RIBS: HOUSE SUPPORTS;
MEAT AND BLUBBER:FOOD;
OIL: LIGHT AND HEAT ;
TEETH AND BONES: TOOLS
k. Which relatives lived together in
a single barabara?
RELATIVES WHO WERE RELATED TO THE TOYON OF THE BARABARA OR HEAD OF THE FAMILY,
THROUGH THE MOTHER'S LINE
1. How were Aleut mummies preserved?
SOME WERE RUBBED WITH A SPECIAL MIXTURE BEFORE BEING PUT IN
A CAVE, SOME SCIENTISTS THINK VOLCANIC FUMES MAY HAVE HELPED
PRESERVE SOME MUMMIES
m. Name four items of clothing which
provided an adaptation to the
Aleutian environment.
(1) KAMLEIKAS
(2) WOODEN HATS
(3) BIRD SKIN PARKAS
(4) OTTER SKIN PARKAS
n. Name four foods which were obtained
by women, old people, and children:
MUSSELS, CITONS, SEA URCHINS, HALIBUT, BIRDS,& BIRD EGGS
o. Describe how
the waterproof stitch, which Aleut women used, worked.
THE SEAMS WERE SEWN WITH SINEW WHICH SWELLS WHEN WET, IN SWELLING, THE SINEW
COMPLETELY FILLED THE HOLES MADE BY THE NEEDLE
3.(5 POINTS EACH)Thought Question:
List three reasons the pre-contact Aleuts
placed their village sites where they did.
LIST MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
EASE OF BIDARKI LANDING AND LAUNCHING
AVAILABILITY OF FISH
AVAILABILITY OF SEA MAMMALS
AVAILABILITY OF BIRDS AND EGGS
AVAILABILITY OF LAND ANIMALS
AVAILABILITY OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES
AVAILABILITY OF FRESH WATER
AVAILABILITY OF DRIFTWOOD
AVAILABILITY OF BEACHED WHALES
GOOD LOOKOUT SPOT
EASILY DEFENDED FROM ENEMIES
SECTION III: CONTACT
OBJECTIVES
1. Students apply their knowledge about
Aleut and Russian motivations to simulation and values clarification
exercises involving contact between the two cultures.
2. Students begin to formulate a definition
of the term "culture shock"
3. Students apply their knowledge about
Aleutian culture to predict outcomes of
the contact situation
|
MATERIALS
|
PREPARATION
|
|
1. Cultural Change
|
1. Prepare information slips for
the
Contact Simulation (p. 61)
|
|
2. Objects for Recognizing a Claim
simulation (see p. 64)
|
2. Duplicate Value Ratings worksheet
|
|
3. Value Ratings list (1 per student)
|
3. Duplicate Quiz III
|
|
4. Quiz III
|
|
ACTIVITIES
1. Read and discuss Chapter III in Cultural
Change
2. Simulation Activity: Contact
3. Read
and discuss Chapters IV and V
4. Simulation: Recognizing a Claim
5. Value Ratings worksheet
6. Predictions
7. Read and discuss Chapter VI
8. Mark time line
9. Quiz III
>VOCABULARY:
CONTACT a meeting, as between two groups
of people
CULTURE SHOCK the reaction people have when faced with another culture which
changes their day-to-day lives
CZAR the title held by Russian emperors
OKHOTSK a town on the coast of Siberia from which early Russian fur traders
sailed on their way to Alaska
RETALIATE to pay back injury for injury
SERF a person bound to his master's land and transferred with it to a new owner.
SECTION III: CONTACT
I. TEXT: CHAPTER III
Read and discuss the reading. Should Bering
be given credit for discovering Alaska? Discuss the concept of "discovery" of
already inhabited lands. Review the Russian traders' motivations
for coming to Alaska.
Have students add important events to their
time lines.
II. SIMULATION: CONTACT
A. PURPOSE
Students will have an opportunity to experience
the contact situation from either the Aleut or the Russian point
of view.
B. STRATEGIES
1. Divide the class into two groups.
Explain that each group will be planning for a meeting with another
group of unknown people who do not speak their language. You will
give each the information it needs in order to plan for the meeting.
2. You could subdivide each of the
two groups into workable smaller groups of 5 to 8 students
each. Assign areas of the room for meetings. Explain to students
that they must plan all strategies within their group since
they will not be allowed to talk aloud once the meeting occurs.
3. Now distribute slips of paper to
each group with the following information on them:
"A" GROUPS: each slip should say:
"You have lived in this place for centuries. You are used to enemies from nearby
territories, but your lookout has noticed that
these people are not from your area. They look strange, act strangely, and wear
strange clothes. You have no idea why they are here. As usual, you have your
spears, knives, and harpoons in a handy location should any trouble arise."
"B" GROUPS: each slip should say:
"You have read reports of this area and know that there are rich furs here which
you plan to obtain. Unfortunately, you have never hunted sea mammals before.
You also know that some of the men
who have visited here before were probably killed by the local
inhabitants -perhaps
the very same people who live at the village you see on shore.
Your experiences tell you that these
do not have guns and probably do not know know you will need
their help, though, so be friendly."
4. Give students 5 to 10 minutes
to plan for the contact situation.
5. You could act out the meeting itself
in one of two ways:
a. Have one A group and one
B group act out their meeting for the rest of the class.
b. Have each A group meet face
to face with a B group.
Remind students that the groups
speak different languages and so cannot communicate verbally.
Any talk within a group must be done out of earshot of
the other.
C. EVALUATION
Discussion to follow the simulation should include consideration of:
1. Feelings of the two groups:
what did the actors feel like? What did the observers feel?
2. Strategies of the groups: were there
any surprise moves? Were the sides evenly matched? Was. violence
resorted to? If so, do students feel violence is inevitable
in a cross-cultural meeting? How might it have been avoided?
3. Culture shock: introduce the term
to students. A definition might be that the rules and expectations
which people are used to living with are suddenly changed.
People must suddenly change their ways of doing things, valuing
things, thinking about themselves and the world. A writing
assignment could involve giving an example of a way in which
a sudden change in their own lives upset them and how they
dealt with it. Relate students' experiences with those of the
Aleuts and Russians at the time of contact.
III. TEXT: CHAPTERS IV AND V
DISCUSSION
Read Chapters IV and V in Cultural Change.
Compare the actions of Stephan and Anna's village with those of
your "A" groups. Refer students to the previous discussion on Stephan
and Anna as imaginary characters. Ivan is also such a character
who could have lived in 1756, but whose actual existence is not
claimed.
Discuss the cruelty of the Russians. What
specific acts indicate that they were cruel? Why did they act that
way? What do you think of the Russians' behavior? Were they acting
in self-defense or were they the protagonists?
Discuss Ivan's motivations. What was important
to Ivan? Does Ivan fit the students' preconceptions of what the
Russians were like? Were all Russians cruel? Why didn't Ivan stop
the cruelty? Do you think he could have stopped it if he wanted
to?
IV. SIMULATION: RECOGNIZING A CLAIM
A. PURPOSE
The contact between the Russian traders
and trappers and the Aleuts was often marked by strife, and one
of the first causes of this strife was a disagreement over who
had the rights to the various resources in the islands.
The following simulation deals with this
issue. It will take from 1 to 10 hours and should be done in one
session if possible.
The basis of the simulation is that two
separate groups will, independently of each other, claim the same
resources. You may use any of the following as your resources:
1. areas of the classroom
2. valuable resources in your classroom (such as textbooks)
3. objects which you bring in
The following directions can be adapted
to any of the three options listed above.
B. STRATEGIES
1. Bring to class a box with various
items which the students can divide among themselves. There should
be about 2/3 the number of items as there are students in your
class. Examples of items might be a pencil, a pen, scotch tape,
etc.
2. Divide the class into two groups
(not the same ones as in the Contact Simulation). These groups
should be completely separated throughout the simulation. Send
the first group, Group 1, out of the room.
3. Group 2 should look through the
items in the box and each student should select one item. Students
should then announce to each other and the group as a whole
which objects they have chosen. Allow them to assimilate, as
best they can, which student has selected which item. No writing
is allowed at this stage.
4. Now Group 2 goes out to the hallway
and Group 1 comes in to select items. Again, let each student
select one item.
5. Group 1 students write descriptions
of their items and sign the papers. You should collect the
papers and hide them in your desk before calling Group 2 back
into the room.
6. Bring Group 2 back into the classroom.
Hold up the items one by one and ask who selected each one.
Whenever a disagreement arises, ask for confirmation of ownership
from both parties.
C. EVALUATION
Then discuss the simulation. Points to cover:
1. Group 1: did you know someone
else had already claimed your items? Should priority of a claim
count for anything in this instance? Why or why not? Why did you
assume it was OK to claim any objects in the box?
2. Both groups: how did you seek to
prove that you owned the object?
3. Group 2: did you have difficulty
convincing other Group 2 members of your claim to an object?
Did you have any problems remembering who claimed what later?
4. Group 1: did you have difficulty
convincing other Group 1 students of a claim to an object?
5. Both groups: why did problems arise
when the two groups got together?
Relate it to the previous discussion on culture shock.
6. Both: How does this relate to the
situation of the Aleuts and
the Russians? Refer to Chapters III, IV, and V of the text.
7. As a writing assignment have students
describe the Aleut and Russian methods of claiming resources.
Then have them define "recognizing a claim."
PREDICTIONS
A. VALUE RATINGS
Students now have a background for understanding
both the Aleut and the Russian points of view. Individual work
assignments can now center on their using that understanding to
make predictions.
By way of preparation, distribute to each
student the Value Ratings worksheet(p. 69). Explain the worksheet,
then have students fill it out. Emphasize that there are no right
or wrong answers to this exercise, but that students are to use
what they have already learned in filling it out.
B. WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Based on their understanding of Aleut and
Russian values, have students write predictions on the way Aleut
culture will change (or remain the same) in the Aleutian Islands
following contact with Russians. You can provide guidance with
the following questions:
How involved will the Aleuts become in
the Russian fur trade? Will the Russians take on some of the Aleut
customs? Will the Aleuts take on some of the Russian customs? Which
parts of the Aleut culture will Stephan, Anna and their relatives
cling to most strongly? Which parts will be changed most quickly?
C. DISCUSSION
After students have written their predictions,
hold a brief discussion about students' own lives if faced with
a similar situation: specifically, which parts of their cultures
would they cling to most strongly if faced with an alien presence?
VI. TEXT: CHAPTER VII
A. BACKGROUND
For more detailed information on Medvedev and the Aleut rebellion, see Laughlin's The
Aleuts, pp. 120-133.
B. DISCUSSION
Read Chapter VII in Cultural Change.
Discuss: do you think the Aleuts were justified in rebelling? Under
what circumstances do you think violence is justified? Relate this
rebellion to the Revolutionary War; to wars fought by other Native
American groups in the Lower 48. Suggest to students that the American
Indians, too, were motivated by a desire to protect their homes
and cultures. Relate the rebellion to the concept of culture shock.
Discuss the changes in Aleut history in
the context of their changing cyclical patterns. What cycles had
been interrupted for the Aleuts in 1763?
Ask students: has your life cycle ever
been disrupted? (Examples might be moving, divorce of parents,
birth of a sibling, etc.) Ask students how they reacted to those
changes.
C. TIME LINE
Turn again to the time line made at the
beginning of this unit. Have students mark any significant events
since they last added to the line.
VII. QUIZ
Administer Quiz III at this time.
Name______________________
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION III: QUIZ III
1. Vocabulary: Define the following:
a. czar______________________
b. contact______________________
c. serf______________________
d. recognizing a claim______________________
e. culture shock______________________
2. Short answer. Use the back of this page
for your answer if necessary.
a. Did Vitus Bering discover Alaska?
Explain your answer with details.
b. How did the Aleuts make claims on
land or resources before the 1700's?
c. How did the Russians (and other
European countries) make claims on land resources?
d. What happened when the two systems
of making claims met?
e. Why is the date 1763 important to
the Aleuts?
3. Thought Question: Answer one of the
following. You may use the back of the paper if necessary.
a. Do you think violence is bound
to occur whenever two unlike cultures meet? Explain your answer.
b. Do you feel the Aleuts were justified
in killing the Russians during their rebellion? Explain your
answer.
APPENDIX C
LISTING IN ASD AVS CENTER RELATING TO ALEUT CULTURE
F 1861 First Americans
F 4280 The Aleutians: Chain of Life
VT 360 Atka: An Aleut Village (preview first; the visual quality is low)
VT 450 The Aleutian Story: World War II
VT 485 The Aleutian Story: A Matter of Record
VHS 883 And the Song Goes On
UN 489 Outlook Unit
UN 517 Aleut Basketry (ask librarian to put in display case)
UN 521 Time of Change
UN 599 Aleut Social Studies Unit
UN 611 Aleut Resources Packet
UN 642 Far North Unit
UN 692 Aleut Material Culture Slide Show
UN 701 A Visitor in Unalaska Slide Show
UN 735 The Aleutians: Looking Back; Looking Forward
In addition, there are a number of films
on specific natural resources indigenous to the Aleutian Islands.
ANSWER GUIDE
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION III: QUIZ III
1.(9 POINTS EA.)Vocabulary: Define the
following:
a. Czar THE TITLE HELD BY RUSSIAN
EMPERORS BEFORE 1917
b. Contact A MEETING, AS BETWEEN TWO GROUPS
OF PEOPLE
c. Serf A PERSON BOUND TO HIS MASTER'S LAND AND TRANSFERRED WITH IT TO A NEW
OWNER
d. Recognizing a claim ACCEPTING SOMEONE'S CLAIM TO OWNERSHIP OF LAND OR PROPERTY
e. Culture shock THE REACTION PEOPLE HAVE WHEN FACED WITH ANOTHER CULTURE WHICH
CHANGES THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES
2. (9 POINTS EA.)Short answer. Use the
back of this page for your answer if necessary.
a. Did Vitus Bering discover Alaska?
Explain your answer with details.
STUDENTS ANSWERS SHOULD MENTION THE POINT THAT SINCE "DISCOVER" MEANS
THE FIRST PERSON TO SEE A LAND, BERING DID NOT DISCOVER ALASKA.
HOWEVER, THE EUROPEANS
THOUGHT HE DID, AND SO GAVE HIM CREDIT.
b. How did the Aleuts
make claims on land or resources before the 1700's?
VERBALLY, BY INFORMING OTHERS OF THEIR CLAIMS
c. How did the Russians
(and other European countries) make claims on land resources?
THE RUSSIAN SYSTEM CONSISTED OF FORMALLY CLAIMING LAND AND PLACING THE CLAIM
IN WRITING, THEN SENDING IT OUT TO OTHER MONARCHS.
d. What happened
when the two systems of making claims met?
WHEN THE TWO SYSTEMS MET, THE ALEUT SYSTEM WAS VIRTUALLY IGNORED BY THE RUSSIANS,
WHILE THE ALEUTS IGNORED THE RUSSIANS CLAIM AT FIRST. NEITHER SIDE UNDERSTOOD
THE OTHERS' SYSTEM. INCLUDE OTHER ANSWERS PER CLASS SIMULATION AS CORRECT.
FOR INSTANCE, VIOLENCE, RUSSIANS TOOK CONTROL, ETC
e.Why is the date 1763 important to
the Aleuts?
THIS WAS THE YEAR OF THE ALEUT REBELLION
3. (10 POINTS )Thought Question: Answer
one of the following. You may use the back of the paper if necessary.
a. Do you think violence is bound
to occur whenever two unlike cultures meet? Explain your answer.
b. Do you feel the Aleuts were justified
in killing the Russians during their rebellion? Explain your
answer.
ANSWERS WILL VARY
SECTION IV: THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS
OBJECTIVES
1. Students can recall at least 10 of 25
facts about the Russian period in the Aleutian
Islands
2. Students examine in-depth at least four
causal or speculative questions about
the Russian period in Alaska
3. Students write about the social and
cultural effects of at least one change
brought about by the Russians
|
MATERIALS
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PREPARATION
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|
1. Cultural Change
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1. Prepare Aleut Bingo game for playing;
gather or make markers for students
|
|
2. Time line (should still be to
use in playing the game tacked on wall from Section I)
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2. Duplicate Quiz IV (1 per student)
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|
3. Research materials (for enrichment
activities - see pp. 77-79)
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|
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4. Bingo cards and markers
for students, clues for teacher
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|
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5. Kasakam Uniikangis: Russian
Stories (enrichment)
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|
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6. Quiz IV
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ACTIVITIES
1. Read and review Chapter VII in Cultural
Change
2. Discuss or assign at least 4 of the suggested discussion topics
3. Mark time line
4. Enrichment: population changes in the Aleutians
5. Non-reading and writing experiment
6. Literacy writing assignment
7. Bubblegrams on other areas of change in the Russian period (enrichment)
8. Play Aleut Bingo as a class and in small groups
9. Read Kasakam Uniikangis: Russian Stories (enrichment)
10. List the stages of cultural change
11. Enrichment: apply those stages to other aspects of history
12. Quiz IV
VOCABULARY
CLERGYMAN-a minister, priest, rabbi, etc.
ECONOMY-a system of producing, distributing, and consuming wealth
ENDANGER-to expose to danger, loss, or harm; to be near extinction
EXTINCT-no longer in existence; having no living descendent
HEIROMONK-a monk who has also been ordained as a priest
LITERACY-ability to read and write
MONOPOLY-an exclusive privilege of engaging in a certain business granted to
only one company by a ruler or monarch
ROOKERY-a breeding place; a place where baby animals are born (especially birds,
seals, penguins, etc.)
RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY-the state religion of the Russians from the 11th century
until 1917
RUSSIAN PERIOD-the period in Alaskan history when Russia claimed sovereignty
over the territory from 1741 to 1867
VENIAMINOV (pronounced Vën yä mën öff)-a Russian Orthodox
priest who stayed in the Aleutians from 1824 - 1834, respected among the Aleuts
and known for, among other things, helping to write the Aleut language for
the first time.
VERST-a measure of distance. One verst equals approximately 3/5 mile
SECTION IV: THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS
l. TEXT: CHAPTER VII
A. REVIEW
Read Chapter VII in Cultural Change.
Then quickly compare what actually happened in the Aleutians with
the students' predictions made during the previous lesson.
Review with the class the ways in which
life in the Aleutians became more like life in Russia during this
hundred years, and less like life in the old days.
B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY
Russian Orthodoxy is still the dominant
religion in the Aleutian Islands. There are also many people in
Southeastern Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula, and parts of the lower
Kuskokwim and South-central Alaska (Eklutna, for instance) who
follow that faith. If you or your students would like more information
on the history or dogma of the Orthodox Church, refer to Paul,
Archbishop of Finland, The Faith We Hold, Ware, The Orthodox
Way, or Smith, Russian Orthodoxy in Alaska (see Appendix
F this guide). More information, a visit by a resource person,
or a field trip to the Russian Orthodox Church in town could possibly
be arranged through the Community Resources office (276-8011).
Most non-Orthodox people are aware of two
outward signs which differentiate Russian Orthodoxy from other
Christian religions: the cross shape and the dates for Christmas
and Easter. There are at least two interpretations of the triple-barred
cross symbolism:
1. The criminal's charge or crime
was written on the top bar. The middle bar was the part of the
cross which the criminal carried on his way to the crucifixion
area, and to which he was nailed and hoisted up to the vertical
bar (which remained in place for subsequent crucifixions). The
bottom slanted bar allowed the criminal to sit and relieve some
of the pressure on his esophagus.
2. An alternate explanation for the bottom slanted bar is that it symbolizes
the good thief on one side of Christ (pointing toward heaven) and the bad thief
on the other side of Christ.
The date for Christmas (January 7) is different
from that celebrated by other Christian religions because Orthodoxy
follows the old Julian calendar. This calendar made no provision
for leap-year so that each four years it advanced one day beyond
what it should have been. Today, this accounts for the 13 day difference
between other Christmas days and Orthodoxy's date. There is currently
discussion within the church on changing to the newer Gregorian
calendar, with an accompanying change in the date of Christmas.
Easter's date in the Russian Orthodox calendar
is dependent on the date of Passover, which is derived from the
Jewish calendar which is lunar-based rather than solar-based. Other
Christian religions set Easter on the first Sunday after the first
full moon following the spring equinox.
C. DISCUSSION TOPICS
The following topics can be handled in
one of several ways: as discussion
topics, writing assignments, enrichment projects. Choose at least
four of the topics to cover in class.
1. Why did the Russian trading
companies want to form monopolies?
2. Do you think the monopolies were
respected by other companies? What do you think happened in
case of a dispute between companies?
3. Why did the Russians think their "discovery" of
the Pribilof Islands would solve the problem of the dwindling
sea otter population?
4. How could so few Russians have brought
about so many changes in the Aleutian Islands?
5. Why do you think so little effect?
6. Why do you think the Russians began
to depend more on the Aleut hunters and less on the Russian
hunters?
7. What hardships did Aleuts face as
a result of being paid once a year? Have students ask their
parents what problems might
face if they were only paid once a year.
8. Discuss the statement that the Aleuts'
main pre-contact strength,
their abilities with the iqax, was ultimately the means for
the destruction of much of their culture.
D. TIME LINE
Mark time lines using the information in
the chapter.
E. ENRICHMENT: POPULATION
Have students research the present and
past population of the Aleutian Islands as of the 1980 census.
They can do so by calling the Alaska Department of Labor, Labor
Market Information Office (Neal Fried or Greg Huff) at 264-2400.
Alternatively, they could write to the Bureau of the Census; Department
of Commerce; Information Data User Service; Federal Building, Room
312; 915 2nd Ave.; Seattle, WA 98174.
Compare 1980 populations with the populations
of 1741, 1866, 1870, 1880, and 1970. Advance theories on any changes
or trends in population.
An example of a chart reflecting this information
might be:
|
Population of Aleutian
and Pribilof Islands
|
|
|
Aleut & Creole
|
Non-Aleut
|
TOTAL
|
|
1741(estimate)
|
16,000-20,000
|
0
|
16,000-20,000
|
|
1866 (U.S. Census)
|
|
|
4,363
|
|
1870 (est.by John Dall)
|
2,154 Total:
1,789 Aleut
365 Creole
|
|
|
|
1880 (est.
by John Muir)
|
2,369
|
|
|
|
1970
(U.S. Census)
|
|
|
|
|
1980
(U.S. Census)
|
|
|
7,768
|
II. COMMUNICATION: BEFORE AND AFTER LITERACY
A. BEFORE LITERACY: AN EXPERIMENT
Chapter VII discusses Pan'kov's and Veniaminov's
contributions in bringing literacy to the Aleutians. For this next
series of activities backtrack to the days before literacy and
consider how the Aleuts communicated without the use of a written
language. It is important to avoid placing any positive or negative
values on literacy at this point. The goal is to collect data,
not to judge.
B. AFTER LITERACY: WRITING ASSIGNMENT
As a way of organizing some of the ideas
students have come up with in these discussions, prepare to chart
and group those ideas with a "bubblegram" (see p.85 for an example).
Write on butcher paper the words "people become literate." Ask
students some of the things that occurred as a result of literacy,
both positive and negative. Draw lines between related ideas as
in the example. When the chart is completed, assign a writing project
to students. They are to write an essay on the effects of literacy,
based on the organization and ideas expressed in the bubblegram.
You might require each student to write on only one set of ideas
represented on the chart, rather than the chart as a whole.
III. ENRICHMENT: MORE BUBBLEGRAMS
There are several other topics which might
be treated in the same manner to determine cause and effect relationships.
Students could construct their own bubblegrams or design bulletin
boards showing the effects of one or more of the following changes:
trading posts
population decrease
schools
extinction of sea otters
hunting for furs rather than for food
having the chief chosen by Russians rather than according to traditional methods
You may have to help students find resource
books on some of the above topics (extinction of sea otters, for
instance).
Remind students of the vast amount of medical,
scientific, practical, historical, and legendary knowledge which
was communicated in precontact days. Ask for examples.
Ask students whether they could conduct
most of their business without the use of reading and writing.
You might experiment by announcing that, for one day you will be
giving all instructions orally with no written backup. Stick to
the plan; it is bound to create frustration, but can be a valuable
learning experience. The following day have the students assess
their abilities to act without written instructions. Did they remember
the directions? Did the work get done? Did the class seem disorganized?
The experience should stimulate discussion
in two opposite directions. Be sure to cover both:
1. Our total dependence on literacy
today, to the extent that we find it hard to operate without
the written word. To emphasize this point, brainstorm the things
we do read. Include everything from funny papers to signs to
labels on food, and so on.
Consider some of the skills which the pre-contact
Aleuts must have had which most literate people do not possess.
If some students have pre-school siblings they might be aware of
how well non-readers can remember facts. Talk about this. Many
children seem to have phenomenal memories for stories, details,
facts, etc., before they learn to read; those memories often seem
to atrophy due to disuse after the children become literate.
2. The things which literacy allows which
would be impossible without written language. Brainstorm some of
the new abilities the Aleuts must have discovered as they began
to communicate with each other through writing.
IV. ALEUT BINGO
A. DIRECTIONS
The Aleut Bingo game is designed as a review
and reinforcer of the topics covered in Chapter VII. Be sure students
have markers (buttons or construction paper squares, for instance)
before you begin playing the game. Distribute one card to each
student. Shuffle the clue cards and draw them from a pile, one
at a time. Read the clue; then it is up to the students to determine
which answer that clue refers to and to mark it with a button.
A child wins when he has marked 5 squares in a straight line, either
vertically, horizontally or diagonally. He must then check his
answers with the clue cards you have called. If he is incorrect,
he is out of the game. Continue calling clues until someone else
wins.
B. PLAY AGAIN
You should play this game with the class
as a whole at least three times. This is especially important since
it is one of the students' main review vehicles before Quiz IV.
Also allow students to play the game in small groups after they
have finished other work.
V. ENRICHMENT: AN EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL CHANGE
Each elementary school library should have
a copy of Kasakam
Uniikangis: Russian Stories by Nevzoroff,
Bergsland and Dirks. An enrichment activity could involve a student
reading the booklet and writing or telling how it exemplifies cultural
change in the Aleutians.
Vl. STAGES IN CULTURE CHANGE
A. REVIEW
As students complete their study of the Russian period in the Aleutians it
is appropriate for them to review the stages through which the Aleuts went
in their attempts to adapt to this new presence. Review those stages with
the students, eliciting them when possible. Tie them in with the time line.
One listing of stages might be:
1. Disbelief, denial: Aleuts refuse
to believe that the Russians are there to stay.
2. Anger and rebellion: Aleuts attempt
to extract the Russians through raids, ambushes, etc.
3. Bargaining: Aleuts attempt to improve
the situation by sending letters and representatives to the
czar
4. Depression and hopelessness: Aleuts
realize that the Russians are there to stay and feel powerless to
do anything about it.
5. Acceptance and adaptation: Aleuts
begin to accept those portions of Russian culture which are
useful, adapt to those they can't do anything about, change
their yearly cycle to match the new situation.
NOTE: Your students might come up with
a slightly different set of stages,
equally valid with the one given above. The important thing is
for them to begin to generalize from the particular actions to
a more general picture of what occurred.
B. ENRICHMENT
Some students might be interested to learn
that the five stages listed on the previous page are those through
which the dying have been observed to go (see Elisabeth Kübler-Ross'On
Death and Dying). This is not to imply that Aleut culture was
dying; rather that human beings may all react in similar ways to
situations of extreme stress.
If you have any students who are very interested
in history they might be interested in looking at other cataclysmic
events in the history of Alaska or the United States in light of
the above stages. Let them report to the class on their research.
An additional enrichment activity might
be for students to research the Russian Orthodox yearly cycle.
Then, based on what they have learned about Aleut culture during
this period have them draw what was probably a "typical" Aleut
yearly cycle during the Russian period. Compare it with Stephan's
pre-contact cycle and present it to the class.
VIII. OUIZ IV
Administer Quiz IV at this time.
Name______________________
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION IV: QUIZ IV
1. Definitions: define all six of the following
terms:
a. literacy______________________
b. monopoly______________________
c. Russian Orthodoxy______________________
d. extinct______________________
e. Russian period (give dates and define)______________________
f. rookery______________________
2. Identification: identify the following:
a. A priest who learned from the
Aleuts as well as taught them.______________________
b. An Aleut who helped invent the Aleut writing system.______________________
c. A Russian who is given credit for finding the fur seal rookeries.______________________
d. This animal was the main object of hunting during the first part of the
Russian period.______________________
e. This animal was the main object of hunting during the last part of the Russian
period.______________________
f. The name of the company which ran all the hunting and trading operations
in Alaska after 1799.______________________
Extra Credit
g. The name of the first Aleut
(Creole) Russian Orthodox priest.______________________
3. Thought questions: answer 2 of the following
4 questions. Use the back of this page for your answers.
a. Explain how literacy changed
life in the Aleutians. Be as complete in your answer as you can.
b. Explain why the Russian trading
companies wanted to form monopolies.
c. Do you think the Pribilof Islands
were well named? Why or why not?
d. Explain why you agree or disagree
with the following statement: The iqax was both the Aleuts'
main strength and the instrument of their downfall.
4. Thought Question:
You have studied life in the Aleutians
from early times to the 1860's. Now imagine that you are an Aleut
girl or boy living at that time. Write a paragraph or more telling
how the Russian presence in the Aleutians changed the culture of
your people.
Name______________________
ANSWER GUIDE
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION IV: QUIZ IV
1. (7 POINTS EA.) Definitions: define
all six of the following terms:
a. literacy-ABILITY TO READ AND
WRITE
b. Monopoly-AN EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGE OF ENGAGING IN CERTAIN BUSINESSES~
GRANTED BY A RULER OR MONARCH
c. Russian Orthodoxy-THE STATE RELIGION OF THE RUSSIANS FROM THE 11TH CENTURY
UNTIL i~17
d. Extinct-NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE~ HAVING NO LIVING DESCENDENT
e. Russian period (give dates and define)-THE PERIOD IN ALASKAN HISTORY WHEN
RUSSIA CLAIMED SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE TERRITORY FROM 1741 TO 1867.
f. Rookery-A BREEDING PLACE; A PLACE WHERE BABY ANIMALS ARE BORN (ESPECIALLY
BIRDS, SEALS, PENGUINS, ETC.)
2. (6 POINTS EA.) Identification: identify
the following:
a. A priest who learned from the
Aleuts as well as taught them.
VENIAMINOV
b. An Aleut who helped invent the Aleut
writing system.
IVAN PAN'KOV
c. A Russian who is given credit for
finding the fur seal rookeries.
PRIBILOV
d. This animal was the main object
of hunting during the first part of the Russian period.
SEA OTTER
e. This animal was the main object
of hunting during the last part of the Russian period.
FUR SEAL
f. The name of the company which ran
all the hunting and trading operations in Alaska after 1799.
RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY
Extra Credit
g. The name of the first Aleut (Creole)
Russian Orthodox priest.
IAKOV NETZVETOV
3. (11 POINTS EA.)Thought questions: answer
2 of the following 4 questions. Use the back of this page for your
answers.
a. Explain how literacy changed
life in the Aleutians. Be as complete in your answer as you can.
b. Explain why the Russian trading
companies wanted to form monopolies.
c. Do you think the Pribilof Islands
were well named? Why or why not?
d. Explain why you agree or disagree
with the following statement: The iqax was both the Aleuts'
main strength and the instrument of their downfall.
ANSWERS WILL VARY
SECTION V: THE AMERICAN PERIOD
OBJECTIVES
1. Students will be able to identify Aleut,
Russian, and American elements in present-day Aleut culture
2. Students will be able to recount the
cause of cultural change in at least one specific technological
area
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MATERIALS
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PREPARATION
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1.Cultural Change
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1. Obtain filmstrip from school
library
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2. Time Line
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2. Order VT 450 from AVS Center
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3.Land claims texts (enrichment)
(see p. 93)
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3. Invite an Aleut resource person
or land claims expert to speak to your class (if available
through ASD Community Resources office)
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4. VT 450 The Aleutian Story:
World War ll.
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4. Prepare art supplies for mural
activity
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5.UN 701 A Visitor in Unalaska slide
show (also in filmstrip form in your school library)
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5. Duplicate Quiz V
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6. Research material (enrichment:
see appendices) (see p. 93)
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6. Duplicate map of Alaska (p.
27) to be used as part of Quiz V.
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7. Art supplies for mural
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ACTIVITIES
1. Read and discuss Chapters VIII through XI
in Cultural Change
2. Show an discuss VT450
3. Discuss or study Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (enrichment)
4. Show Visitor in Unalaska filmstrip
5. Reports or study of Aleut communities today (enrichment)
6. Invite Aleut resource person to class if available
7. Make a mural showing the three historical periods in Aleut history
8. Quiz V
VOCABULARY
AMERICAN PERIOD-the portion of Alaska history
after the United States purchase of Alaska (1867)
EVACUATION-the removal of people from some place, often to protect
them
DEPRIVATION-the state of being without things which are normally part of one's
life
ICON-an image or picture of Jesus, Mary, a saint, etc., to be held sacred
INTERNMENT-the confinement within a defined area
MONETARY-having to do with money
PARTITIONED-divided into parts
PELT-the skin of a fur-bearing animal
SCENARIO-an outline for a series of events
SCORES-sets of twenty; one score is twenty
SECTION V: THE AMERICAN PERIOD
I. TEXT: CHAPTERS VIII THROUGH XI
A. DISCUSSION/QUESTION/WRITING TOPICS
Read Chapters VIII through XI in Cultural
Change. The following questions relate to the reading:
1. What changes do you think the
Aleuts went through after the American take-over of the Aleutians?
Do you think they were as traumatic as the Russian changes? Why
or why not?
2. In what ways were the Americans
different from the Russians in the early days? Discuss possible
American motivations which might explain why they encouraged
certain changes, discouraged others.
3. Why did the barabara, the bidarki,
and the throwing dart persist through the Russian period in
spite of the other changes which occurred in Aleut culture
during that period? What factors determined that they, too,
would finally be changed?
4. On September 15-19, 1981, hearings
on the reparations requests by the interned Aleuts were held
in Anchorage, Unalaska, and St. Paul. VT 450 provides excellent
background on the entire topic. It consists of interviews with
the people who were interned. Show this videotape and provide
any further developments on the issue which have occurred since
the hearings. Then discuss or have students write on one or
more of the following:
a. Do you think the Aleuts
should receive reparation?
b. What motivated the U.S. Government to remove the Aleuts from their homes?
c. Could this happen today under similar circumstances?
d. Could the Aleuts have done anything to prevent their removal? Should they
have?
e. More information can be obtained on World War II in the Aleutians in Garfield's Thousand
Mile War (Appendix
5. Enrichment activities on the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act (see Arnold, Alaska Native
Land Claims, Appendix F) or current-day life (see below)
would be appropriate at this time.
B. TIME LINE
Have students complete their time lines.
C. FILMSTRIP OR FILM
Prepare to show the filmstrip A Visitor
in Unalaska (available in all elementary school libraries),
or the slide show by the same name (UN 701) to the students.
Before showing it instruct the students to watch especially for
evidences of the three cultures: Aleut, Russian, and American.
Afterwards, discuss what students found.
D. ENRICHMENT: COMMUNITY STUDIES
Students can do individual reports or studies
on Aleutian villages today based on information in the community
profiles produced by the university of Alaska (see Appendix F).
Ask your librarian to obtain a set through inter-library loan (there
are only a limited number of copies available) for a classroom
center. Prepare questions about the communities. Examples of questions
are:
1. Locate the community on a map
of the Aleutians
2. When was the community established?
3. How do people make a living there today?
4. What resources are available near this community?
5. If this is a recently established community, would it have been chosen by
the pre-contact Aleuts as a village site? Why or why not?
6. What evidence can you find of the Aleut, Russian, and American periods in
the community?
II. RESOURCE PERSON
This would be a good time for a visit by
an Aleut resource person to your classroom to talk about the ways
the three cultures are interwoven into modern Aleut culture, or
about the status and future of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement
Act provisions. Contact the ASD Community Resources office for
assistance in scheduling such a person.
III. FINAL ACTIVITY: A TIME MURAL
As a way to reinforce and use the information
learned in this unit, work on a class time mural. The mural should
show the three periods in Aleut history, and could be arranged
in one of several ways. For instance, the mural might have three
panels, each showing the same place in a different period. Or,
the mural might consist of transparent overlays, each overlay showing
a different period in history. Or, the mural might show a single
modern picture with evidences of the different periods somehow
marked.
Subjects for the mural might be:
the waterfront
a village
subsistence practices
Your art resource teacher might be able
to help with the technical aspects of painting a mural.
IV. QUIZ V
Prepare students for Quiz V. It is the
final exam for the unit and covers material from the entire unit,
including map study. Some questions are from previous quizzes,
and some are designed to test students' overall mastery of the
information in the unit.
Name______________________
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:
SECTION V: QUIZ V
1. Vocabulary: Define the following:
a.Unangan
b. pre-contact
c. Kamleika
d. barabara
e. czar
f. literacy
g. Russian Orthodoxy
h. bidarki
i. archipelago
2. Identification: tell
why 2 of the following people are important in Aleut History (Extra
Credit for identification of more than two):
a. Veniaminov______________________
b. Pan'kov______________________
c. Igadik______________________
d. Pribylov______________________
3. Give the dates for:
a. Russian period______________________
b. American period______________________
4. Timeline: below is
a timeline with some important dates marked on it. Choose 2 of
those dates and identify what happened in each of those years which
was important to the Aleuts.
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>6400 B.C.
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>1763
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>1786
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>1799
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>1824
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>1941-45
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>1971
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>Today
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___________________________________________________________________
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5. Map Section:
Label the following
on the map of Alaska:
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a. Bristol Bay
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f. Juneau
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b. Bering Sea
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g. Pribilof Islands
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c. Kodiak Island
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h. Attu Islands
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d. Pacific Ocean
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i. Fox Islands
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e. Anchorage
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6. Thought Question. Use the back of this
page for your answer.
You have studied life in the Aleutians
from early times to the present. Describe the one aspect of Aleut
life which was, in your opinion, the most changed by the Russian
presence in the Aleutians.
ANSWER GUIDE
CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ALEUTIAN
SECTION V:QUIZ V
1.(4 POINTS EA.) Vocabulary: Define the
following:
a. Unangan-THE ALEUTS' NAME FOR
THEMSELVES
b. pre contact-THE TIME IN ALASKA HISTORY
BEFORE ALASKA NATIVES MET, OR HAD CONTACT WITH, EUROPEANS;
IN THE ALEUTIANS, BEFORE 1714
c. Kamleika-A GUT WATERPROOF PARKA,
USED ESPECIALLY WHEN HUNTING FROM A BIDARKI
d. barabara-A TRADITIONAL STYLE SEMI-SUBTERRANEAN
SOD HOUSE WHICH, IN PRE-CONTACT DAYS, MIGHT HOUSE SEVERAL FAMILIES
e. czar-THE TITLE HELD BY RUSSIAN EMPERORS
BEFORE 1917
f. literacy-THE ABILITY TO READ AND
WRITE
g. Russian Orthodoxy-THE STATE RELIGION
OF THE RUSSIANS FROM THE 11TH CENTURY UNTIL 1917
h. bidarki-THE RUSSIAN WORD FOR IQAX
OR KAYAK. ALSO THE TERM BY WHICH CHITONS ARE CALLED IN THE
ALEUTIANS.
i. archipelago A GROUP OR CHAIN OF
MANY ISLANDS
2. (4 POINTS EA.)Identification: tell why
2 of the following people are important in Aleut History (Extra
Credit for identification of more than two):
a. Veniaminov-A RUSSIAN PRIEST
WHO WAS LOVED AND RESPECTED BY THE ALEUTS, AND WHO WAS INSTUMENTAL
IN WRITING THE ALEUT LANGUAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME
b. Pan'kov-AN ALEUT CHIEF
WHO HELPED INVENT THE ALEUT WRITING SYSTEM
c. Igadik-THE LEGENDARY ALEUT
WHO IS SAID TO HAVE DISCOVERED THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS
d. Pribylov-THE RUSSIAN NAVIGATOR
WHO IS CREDITED WITH FINDING THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS
3. (4 POINTS EA.)Give the dates for:
a. Russian period 1741-1867
b. American period 1867 TO PRESENT
4. (4 POINTS EA.)Timeline: below is a timeline
with some important dates marked on it. Choose 2 of those dates
and identify what happened in each of those years which was important
to the Aleuts.
6400 B.C. FIRST EVIDENCE OF PEOPLE LIVING
ON ALEUTIANS
1741 BERING FIRST SIGHTS ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
1763 ALEUT UPRISING
1786 PRIBYLOV FIRST SIGHTS PRIBILOF ISLANDS
1799 RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY GRANTED MONOPOLY OVER ALL RESOURCES
1824 FR. VENIAMINOV FIRST CAME TO ALEUTIANS
1876 U S. PURCHASED ALASKA FROM RUSSIA
1941-45 W. W. II: ALEUTS WERE RELOCATED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE
1971 PASSAGE OF THE ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT
5. (3 POINTS EA.)Map Section:
Label the following on the map of Alaska:
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a. Bristol Bay
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f. Juneau
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b. Bering Sea
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g. Pribilof Islands
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c. Kodiak Island
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h. Attu Islands
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d. Pacific Ocean
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i. Fox Islands
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e. Anchorage
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6.(13 POINTS)Thought Question. Use the
back of this page for your answer.
You have studied life in the Aleutians
from early times to the present. Describe the one aspect of Aleut
life which was, in your opinion, the most changed by the Russian
presence in the Aleutians.
ANSWERS WILL VARY
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