Unangax̂ Ecosystem Engineers: A Constructed Fisher-Hunter-Gatherer Landscape and Seascape

Abstract

The western Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands are home to Unangax̂ (Aleut), a suite of marine species, and a few terrestrial species, several of which have been introduced. As complex hunter-gatherers, the human relationship to the environment and its other inhabitants is intimate, essential for human survival, and has evolved over many centuries. The people have shaped this landscape and waters such that it is also mutually constructed. Archaeologists have made this claim as an ancient and historical phenomenon. This article documents more recent demonstrations of a constructed island chain environment, from the introduced land mammals to the subtle engineering of plant, shellfish, and fish species for abundance and variety, and it contributes to disciplinary discussions of forager models. These interactions are the result of deliberate choices to sustain communities of Indigenous Unangax̂ in volatile environmental and socioeconomic places.