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Western Aleut (Western Aleutian)

Western Aleut is the name of one of the two major dialects of the Aleut tribe (the other being Eastern Aleut.) Western Aleut is usually considered to have included the dialects spoken by the Atkan, Qaxun, and Attuan Aleuts; however, since the Qaxun and Attuan varieties are no longer spoken and not very well attested, this grouping is uncertain. Some linguists have suggested Atkan may have been a distinct dialect from the other two, and prefer to refer to Atkan as Central Aleut.

The life of the Western Aleuts was severely disrupted by forced relocations during the Russian colonization and then again by Japanese attacks and American internments during World War II. Many Western Aleuts were moved to different islands, where they shifted to using either Eastern Aleut or English. Atka is the only remaining Aleutian island with significant numbers of Western Aleut speakers today.

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Here are links to our webpages about the Western Aleut tribe and language:

Western Aleut language
Aleut Native Americans
Aleut information
The Aleut words
Aleut pronunciation
Eskimo-Aleut language
Alaska Native culture

Here are a few good books about the Western Aleuts:
Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion
Aleut Dictionary
Aleut Tales and Narratives

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