Unangax̂ Restitution

 

 

[Evacuees] learned from being in Juneau, being in the armed forces, and having seen how other people lived in other places. They began to realize that they were losing out on a lot of things: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of movement. And I think it was those kinds of freedoms that the Aleut people decided they better do something about.

—Flore Lekanof, Evacuee, Aleut Story

Image credit: Aleut Story (Vision Maker Media, SprocketHeads LLC), American Archive of Public Broadcasting.

 

The Unangax̂ Seek Justice

World War II-era internment changed Unangax̂ life and culture forever. Many Unangax faced indescribable conditions, illness, and death during this time – all as a result of the government’s negligence. Beyond the struggles endured on an individual and community level, Unangax̂ culture at large survived the World War II era despite the passing of elders and interrupted access to traditional Unangax ways of life.

Unangax̂ internment survivors and community members decided to take action and ask the government to address these injustices. Unangax̂ elders recounted painful memories so that their experiences could be documented for their legal case. After several trips to Washington, D.C. and countless hours of hard work advocating for their communities, Unangax̂ citizens successfully secured a recommendation of restitution from the Commission of Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. That recommendation would later result in the passage of the Aleut Restitution Act, described below.

 

What is restitution?

Restitution is the act of restoring something that was lost or stolen. In legal terms, restitution is an attempt of making up for loss, damage, or injury.

 

Aleut Restitution Act of 1988

After decades-long efforts, the U.S. government finally granted restitution to the Unangax̂ through a bill declaring the harms done as well as the financial compensation that Unangax̂ people would receive for their suffering. This bill, HR 442, made the same recognitions for Japanese-American citizens who had endured similar tragedies through World War II-era internment. Learn more about this historic settlement below.

 

Acknowledgements of Harm Done

The Statement of Congress made in HR 442 recognizes the following harms exacted upon Unangax people during World War II: 

• “[…] Aleut civilian residents […] were relocated during World War II to temporary camps in isolated regions of southeast Alaska where they remained, under United States control and in the care of the United States, until long after any potential danger to their home villages had passed. 
• The United States failed to provide reasonable care for the Aleuts, and this resulted in widespread illness, disease, and death among the residents of the camps; 
• and the United States further failed to protect Aleut personal and community property while such property was in its possession or under its control. 
• The United States has not compensated the Aleuts adequately for the conversion or destruction of personal property, and the conversion or destruction of community property caused by the United States military occupation of Aleut villages during World War II.” 

Restitutions Made

HR 144 established a fund “to be used for the benefit of the following people and purposes within specified Aleut communities: 

1. the elderly, disabled, or seriously ill; 
2. students in need of scholarship assistance; 
3. preservation of Aleut cultural heritage and historical records; 
4. the improvement of community centers in affected Aleut villages; and 
5. other purposes to improve Aleut life.” 

 

The Legacy of Injustice

 

It was humiliating for independent Aleuts to be treated like children. The evacuation made Aleut people feel as though they had no rights whatsoever. I noticed that we were referred to as ‘these people’ whenever there was a discussion about the evacuees. Well, ‘these people’ are now in control of their own destinies, as much as any American citizen is, and will continue to do a good job preserving their culture and traditions.

—Alice Snigaroff Petrivelli, Evacuee, Aleut Story

Image credit: Aleut Story (Vision Maker Media, SprocketHeads LLC), American Archive of Public Broadcasting.

 

HR 442 states that “[t]here is no remedy for injustices suffered by the Aleuts during World War II except an Act of Congress providing appropriate compensation for those losses which are attributable to the conduct of United States forces and other officials and employees of the United States.”

Financial compensation provided the resources to rebuild Unangax̂ communities and acknowledgements of harm validated the suffering of the Unangax̂ in a public way, these results did not undo the suffering of Unangax̂ people during World War II. It is only thanks to the resilience of Unangax̂ culture bearers and their descendants that these people were able to preserve their ways of life as much as possible and rebuild a thriving community of Alaska Natives today.

 

Works Cited

Marla Williams, Aleut Story (2005; Lincoln, NE: Vision Maker Media, SprocketHeads LLC), American Archive of Public Broadcasting.