Aleuts. On the advent of the Russians, about 150 years ago, the twenty Aleut races numbered about 10,000 people; they had marked peculiarities and well-defined tribal divisions. The cruelty, oppression, and persecution of the Russians rapidly decreased their numbers; their natural and tribal distinctions were lost and forgotten; they were entirely cowed and subdued; they embraced Greek Christianity, and were transported by their conquerors all along the coast.
Khagántagákuhn. Number 350, and inhabit western end of Aliaska peninsula and Shumagin Islands.
Unaláshkuhns. Number 750; inhabit Unalask, Unmak, and Priboloff Islands.
Atkanhun. Number 470, and inhabit the Western Islands.
Tinneh. Interior Indian tribes belonging to the same family; occupy either flank of the Rocky Mountains, from the mouth of Mackenzie’s River southward as far as Mexico. In Alaska they extend westward to near the delta Yukon, but absolutely reach the sea-coast only at two places, the mouth of the Atna River and the shore at Cook’s Inlet.
Koyukukhotana. Number about 600, and inhabit the mountain north of the Yukon and east of Norton Sound. A fierce and warlike tribe, constantly at war with the Kaiguhkotima; live in permanent villages, and travel by dog-sledges. They subsist by hunting deer and mountain-sheep.
Kaiguhkotima. Number about 2300; have many settlements between lat. 60° and 65° N. and long. 150° and 160° W., on the lower Yukon and Kuskoquin Rivers. They live by fishing and trading dried fish with the tribes of the upper rivers for moose and deer meat, wooden-ware, and beech-bark canoes, which the latter are very skillful in making; they travel by dog-sledges.
Unakhotana. Number about 500, and live in the valley of the Yukon from long. 152° to 156° W.; do not build permanent villages, keep only hunting-dogs, practice polygamy, take and discard wives at pleasure.
Ahtona. Number about 1500, and inhabit the basin of the Atna, or Copper River. This is one of the two tribes that have forced their way through the Ararians and conduct their annual trading independent of the middlemen of the coast.
Tchaninkutchin. Number about 1000, and inhabit north shore of Kenai peninsula and basin of Suchinto River. This is the second instance of interior Indians proper who have forced their way through the Ararians. Less is known of them than any other coast tribes; they are intelligent and warlike, and subsist on mountain-sheep, with the skins of which they clothe themselves.