From the late 1700’s till 1983, the Aleut people of the Pribilof islands were in servitude to the fur seal business, first Russia controlled the trade and after the sale of Alaska to the U.S., the Aleuts were under the thumb of the federal government. Their transition to independence was not easy but 25 years after they were freed from fur seal industry bondage, the 450 residents of St. Paul island are celebrating and taking a week to relive various aspects of Aleut history.
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
