A Social Analysis of Native Alaskans
There are few regions of the world that have experienced such rapid social, economic and political change as the North American Arctic. As Richard Condon (1990) noted almost 15 years ago, this region of the world became strategically and economically significant during the prolonged decades of the Cold War, resulting in increased settlement by non-Natives and with an influx of programs and activities designed to benefit Native American peoples (many of whom are Inuit or Allutiiq) impacted by changing times. The ôencounter,ö so to speak, between Native Alaskans and other indigenous peoples of the region and the majority population of North America (Euro-Americans) has resulted in many changes to traditional lifestyles and cultures (Sullivan & Brems, 1997). This essay will examine some of these effects, focusing on societal values, gender-specific social behaviors and rites of passage among Native Alaskans, also known as Allutiiq.
According to archeological studies, the ancestors of the Eskimo-Inuit-Aleut residents of the arctic crossed the Bering Straits between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. As they spread across the north, the group evolved into specific language groups. In 1741, the life of these Native Americans was transformed with the arrival of Russian explorers and the subsequent establishment of trading stations; consequently, the Native Alaskans were exploited by Russian traders for their otter-hunting skills, rebelling in the 1760s only to be crushed by the Russians (Eskimo-Aleut religion, 2004).
Disease and further exploitation at the hands of the Russians and Americans involved in the fur trade reduced the total population of these peoples dramatically. In 1867, Alaska was sold by Russia to the U.S. for $7.2 million and in 1883 the opening of the first canning factory which provided seasonal employment for Native Alaskans reduced dependency upon traditional lifestyle ...