Introduction to Unalaska

Located approximately 800 miles southwest of Anchorage along the Aleutian Chain, Unalaska is just a two hour flight by daily jet service. This island gem, the second largest island in the Chain, is a perfect side trip when visiting Alaska. Unalaska/Dutch Harbor is a community of contrast - the buzz of the largest international fishing port in the nation, next to the rich culture and history of Unangan and Russian heritage that shaped this island. It is a land of haunting beauty, and home to thousands of resident and migrating seabirds, foxes, seals, sea otters, and whales that migrate through the chain each year. Come discover Unforgettable Unalaska!

Unalaska has documented 238 years of international trade, from the time that Stepan Glotov and his crew of Russian fur procurers spent three years at Umnak and Unalaska islands beginning August 1, 1759. Unangan trade and travel, though only documented orally, has been ongoing for at least 8,000 years.

The Unangan, known by outsiders since the Russian era as "Aleuts", are an incredibly resilient people, having survived the enslavement of the Russians, the decimation of the population from around 17,000 to 3,000 in a matter of 60 years, and eventually surviving their assimilation into the American way of life when Alaska was purchased by the United States. By far the most well-documented hardship of the Unangan was the forced evacuation of the people during WWII. This point in Unangan history shows how they survived under adverse conditions when shipped to abandoned fish canneries in Southeast Alaska. Read When The Wind Was A River by Professor Dean Kohlhoff to understand what happened to the Unangan during the Aleutian Campaign of WWII.

The Unangan were hunters and gatherers, known for their expertly crafted iqax (kayaks), their unparalleled knowledge of sea travel and marine mammal hunting, their incredibly fine sewing and weaving and their extensive medical knowledge which included acupuncture, surgical procedures and mummification of those who passed on. Until WWII and the forced evacuation, most families were trilingual, speaking Unangan, Russian and English. The geometrical designs that they used in their artwork was very intricate and the polymer paints they made were very sophisticated. They subsisted by utilizing marine mammals, beach foods such as clams, mussels, chitons, crab, limpets, seaweed and sea urchins, and gathered also many edible plants and berries. Their knowledge of medicinal uses of plants was extensive.

Now the 11th largest city in Alaska, Unalaska's year round resident population numbers 4000. Since the 1970's, we have survived a growth rate of over 2000%. We have one of the largest single-site schools in Alaska, with 381 children enrolled from kindergarten to 12th grade, with another 68 waiting in the wings at our preschool. We have been the number one fishing port in the United States in both volume of fish taken and value of fish for the past five years. We are proud to have over 800 volunteers actively participating in such varied tasks as fire fighting, emergency medical technicians, senior citizen helpers, culture and art proponents and visitor services.

So, you might ask, what is there to do in Unalaska? There is an incredible variety of things, of which 101 are documented in a $1 booklet put out by the CVB. Examples would be:

For travelers looking for a unique, unforgettable experience, come to Undiscovered, Unforgettable, Unalaska!

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Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 545, Unalaska, Alaska 99685
(907) 581-2612 or (877) 581-2612
Fax (907) 581-2613
updhcvb@arctic.net