The people who settled along the Aleutian archipelago are often referred to as Aleut, a name given to them by Russian fur traders, but most prefer to call themselves Unangax̂, or coastal people. It is believed they migrated across the Bering land bridge from Asia between 12,000 and 15,000 years ago.
Akutan is the site of an ancient Unangax̂ village, fur storage and trading port located on Akutan Island in the eastern Aleutians, one of the Krenitzin islands of the Fox Island group.
False Pass is an early English name for the Isanotski Strait. The strait was called False Pass by early American sailing ship captains because it was thought to be impassable.
Nikolski is one of the oldest continuously occupied communities in the world. Archeological evidence from Ananiuliak Island, on the north side of Nikolski Bay, dates back as far as 8,500 years ago.
Unangax̂ have occupied Atka for thousands of years. Their first contact with Russians occurred in 1747, when Atka became an important trade site and safe harbor for the Russians.
Once a seasonal fish camp used by the Unangax̂ people, Nelson Lagoon is now a permanent community with commercial fishing as its economic base.
In 1786, a Russian fur trader, Gavriil Pribylov, came across the island while looking for the northern fur seal breeding grounds and named it St. George after his ship.
