Aleut

Introduced in: Native Lights

Appearance
Aleut is a mer-horse, with coloring similar to a seal, in various grey colored splotches.

Tribe
The tribe this steed is based on are located on the seventy Aleutian Islands that extend 1,000 miles southwest from Alaska. Russians named this tribe Aleuts. They call themselves Unangan, which means “The People.”

During World War II some Aleuts were captured by the Japanese and held as prisoners of war. Traditional Aleuts were exceptional maritime hunters, using harpoons to catch prey, which consisted of whales, otters, sea lions and seals. They built light, flexible boats called kayaks. Aleuts built and lived in underground houses called barabaras. Barabaras were camouflaged to blend in with the surrounding ground, making them almost undetectable. Aleuts made jewelry out of ivory, bone and feathers. Aleuts developed techniques for surviving harsh arctic winters. During the summers the Aleuts would travel inland to fish for salmon and live in temporary dwellings. Today Aleuts still live in Alaska, where 44 million acres of federal land was set aside for Alaska’s Inuit and Aleut populations.

Inspirational Message
Unknown.