Native Alaskans
The first major invasion of people coming to Alaska across the then existing land bridge between Asia and Alaska were the Haidas and Tlingits (settling in the Southeast and British Columbia) and the Athabascans (they stayed in the Interior).
The two other groups were the Aleuts (Aleutin Islands) and Inuit (Eskimo) who settled at the coast of the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
The Tlingit and Haida cultures were advanced, they had permanent settlements including large clan houses. They were known for their excellent woodcarvings, particularly totems.
The Tlingits occasionally went far south to Seattle in their large dugout canoes. They were hunting game and fishing.
The Aleuts and Inuit had to develop a highly effective sea-hunting culture as they had much colder winters and cooler summers in their living areas in the harsh parts of Alaska.
The Inuit had skilled ice-hunting techniques. With jade-tipped harpoons they stalked and killed 60 ton whales in skincovered kayaks, called bidarkas and umikaks.
The Aleuts were known for some of the finest basket weaving in North America using the Attu grass of the Aleutian Islands. The Inuits were the best carvers of ivory, jade and soapstone; many still support themselves today on selling those items.
The natives were numerous until the White Man brought guns, alcohol and disease that destroyed the delicate relationship with nature and wiped out entire villages.
Once there lived 20000 Aleuts on almost each of the Aleutian islands. 50 years after the Russians came there were less than 2000 left (mainly by using the natives for forced labour).
There are more than 85000 indigenous people (half of them are Inuit) living in Alaska today. They are no longer nomads but live in villages with 40 to 4000 inhabitants. Barrow is the largest center.
Today their houses are constructed of modern materials and often heated by oil or electricity.
However many native Alaskans live below the poverty level. Drug and alcohol abuse in rural Alaska is also rampant leading to a high death rate. On average one native Alaskan dies every 12 days directly from Alcohol abuse.