Aleutian Region School District

Aleutian Region School District serves three communities in the Western Aleutian Islands; Nikolski, Atka and Adak. The District, its people and its geography are quite a fascinating story. Its boundary actually crosses over into the Eastern Hemisphere. Although there are no longer any functioning US communities west of Adak, we maintain contact wit... h Russian Aleuts from the Kommander Islands. Therefore, we like to think of ourselves as linking the hemispheres geographically, intellectually and culturally. While both very small in numbers and remotely located, the history and culture of the Unangax (Aleut) people of this region is ancient and rich. For example, there is evidence of continual habitation in the Village of Nikolski (Chalukax) for over 8,000 years, perhaps as far back as 10,000 years. The Unangax people were among the few on earth to have practiced mummification of the dead, and, there is evidence they successfully performed brain surgery. The iqyax (bairdarka or kayak) designed by the Unangax people represents, scientifically, the most efficient ever built. Historical records chronicle Unangax hunters racing Russian sailing ships over considerable distances, and beating them, from one destination to another. Aleuts, travelling in iqyax, accompanied Russian explorers as far down the west coast of the US as northern California. During the colonial period, Aleut captains commanded ships carry furs back to Russia by way of South America and the Cape of Good Hope. While many indigenous people developed counting systems which were limited to relatively small numbers, the Unagax counting system has no such limitation. Flourishing in a climate which can be harsh and unforgiving testifies to the sophistication and adaptability of the Unangax people. Today, the area encompassed by the District contains major fishing grounds, which help to feed the world. The Bering Sea is abundant in halibut, pollock, cod and crab (bairdai, opilio and king). There are also salmon, which are fished locally for recreation or ...Read More