This text is a condensed version of “Unangax̂: Coastal People of Far Southwestern Alaska,” written by Douglas W. Veltre. Dr. Douglas Veltre is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he has worked since 1974.  His primary interests are the history and culture of Unangax̂ people, and he has conducted archaeological and ethnohistorical research in the Aleutian and Pribilof islands since 1971. Dr. Veltre’s largest projects have been on Umnak, Atka, Unalaska, St. George, and St. Paul islands. He has also served as an advisor to local and regional Unangax̂ groups on matters relating to archaeology, history, and repatriation. He is a former member of the Alaska Historical Commission, a past chair of the Anthropology Department, and a past president of the Alaska Anthropological Association. Dr. Veltre, who lives in Anchorage with his wife Kathie, can be reached at dwveltre@alaska.edu.   Introduction The Aleutian Islands region of southwestern Alaska is dominated by volcanic peaks, rugged coastlines, powerful oceans, and severe weather. It is also one with rich resources, so varied and abundant that people have thrived in the area for almost 10,000 years. The Native people of the greater Aleutian Islands region refer to themselves by two names, Unangax̂ and Aleut, the former in their own language, Unangam tunuu, and the latter a name applied only after foreigners first came to the region in the mid-1700s.   Population and Territory   It is impossible to know precisely how many Unangax̂ lived in the region before the arrival of Russians and other non-Natives beginning in the mid-1700s. When insights from Unangax oral history, archaeology, and early Russian period documents are combined, it is likely that about 12-15 thousand Unangax occupied a territory that included the western end of the Alaska Peninsula, the Shumagin Islands just south of … Continue reading History