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The culture of a people is complex. It has to do with the people's traditions, livelihood, and lifestyle. The historic Alaskans left some clues for us, including skulls, bones, flint points, arrowheads, grinding stones, and jewelry. This tells historians that the first Alaskans were survivors.
Their different symbols and different jewelry probably signify the different believes between tribes, and different languages. But, all the differences, came together. The tribes lived peacefully, and used the land to their benefit.
Today these same tribes exist, but their lifestyles are very different. The Inuit, or Eskimo, lives in northern Alaska. While tradition tells us they lived in Igloos, that was a nomadic dwelling. Most Eskimos today live in homes, just like you and I, in towns that are quite large. Rarely will you find dog sleds used for anything except racing. Snowmobiles are the primary mode of transportation in the winter. Their livelihood today consists of guiding hunters and fishermen though the tough terrain of Alaska.
The Aleut live in southwest Alaska. Historically the Aleut lives on the streams and ocean, eating salmon and marine mammals. Today they inhabit Kodiak, Aleutian and Pribilot Islands, and make their living like you and I.
The Athabaskan tribe are a diverse group united by language. Their ancestors lived in the fat north and south mountain ranges, making it hard to survive starvation. Hunting and gathering would have to be fierce during the summer months, to make up for the winter's long days. Now most Athabaskans live near small villages near rivers, where they boat in the summer and ride snowmobiles in the winter.
The Tlingit live in southeast Alaska. Their ancestors were slave-holders, establishing social status by sponsoring enormous feasts. The porlatches, or feasts, as they were known would allow the family to give away everything they owned, setting up an obligation of reciprocity. Today, the Tlingit live in small villages, making their living off the land. They still perform their traditional dances and their artifacts are on display at museums in Juneau and Sitka.
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