The secret WWII camps where 100 Unangax̂ died on American soil

The U.S. Government’s Forced Unangax̂ Internment Campaign

In June 1942, after Japan bombed Dutch Harbor, the U. S. took a dark turn. Military leaders forced 881 Unangax̂ people from their Aleutian homes with just 24 hours’ notice and one bag each. Some even watched as troops burned their village to the ground.

Then came the camps. Packed onto cramped ships, these Native Alaskans ended up in run-down canneries and mining camps with no heat, clean water, or proper roofs.

Nearly 100 died from disease while stuck in these “duration villages” for up to three years.

The Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area now tells this hidden American tragedy through the voices of those who lived it.

Japanese Planes Attacked Dutch Harbor

Japanese bombers hit Dutch Harbor on June 3, 1942, marking the first enemy attack on North American soil since the War of 1812. The enemy quickly invaded Attu and Kiska islands in the western Aleutians.

U. S. military leaders rushed to decide what to do with the native Unangax̂ people now living in a war zone.

The sudden attack raised concerns about civilian safety and fears that Japanese forces might use Aleutian villages as bases.

Military Leaders Ordered Everyone Out Within Days

On June 12, Navy ships got orders to remove Atka villagers and burn their village to stop Japanese use.

Most villagers had moved to distant fish camps for safety, leaving them with almost no belongings when they came back. The Coast Guard ship Onondaga received orders on June 14 to clear Saint Paul Island.

Two days later, the Army Transport Delarof began loading 477 Pribilof Islanders, sending them away with no warning about their destination.

Families Could Only Take One Suitcase

The remaining Unangax̂ people learned on July 18, 1942, that they had just 24 hours to leave their homes. Each person could take only one suitcase and a roll of blankets for the trip ahead.

Atka villagers watched sadly as U. S. servicemen burned their homes and church.

A total of 881 Unangax̂ from nine villages ended up packed onto crowded military ships, not knowing when they might return.

The Trip Took Them Far From Home

Evacuees traveled up to 1,500 miles from their homeland to Southeast Alaska in dirty, packed conditions. The Delarof stopped at Funter Bay on June 24 to drop off Saint Paul and Saint George villagers at an old cannery.

Atka residents ended up at a falling-apart herring plant at Killisnoo near Angoon.

Other villagers went to Ward Lake CCC camp, Burnett Inlet cannery, and Wrangell Institute, all far from their traditional lands.

Old Buildings Became Their New "Homes"

The camps were old canneries, gold mine camps, and broken-down buildings with no plumbing, electricity, or proper toilets.

Buildings had holes in roofs, missing windows and doors, and dirty water that often made people sick. At Funter Bay, a single outhouse built over the beach served 300 people.

The Unangax̂, used to open skies on treeless islands, suddenly found themselves under the thick, dark forest of Southeast Alaska.

Sickness Spread Through All Camps

TB, pneumonia, measles, and flu ran through the camps as people lived crammed together in dirty conditions.

Medical care barely existed, with government officials often ignoring complaints about the awful living conditions. Ward Lake camp saw the worst suffering with an 18 percent death rate.

The very young and the old died first, taking with them traditional knowledge and cultural practices that had lasted for generations.

Almost One In Ten Never Made It Home

The death count grew across all camps. Thirty-two people died at Funter Bay, seventeen at Killisnoo, twenty at Ward Lake, and five at Burnett Inlet.

Nearly 100 Unangax̂ died in the camps, almost one in ten of all those forced to leave. Death papers for children often listed the cause simply as “pain.”

The Saint George villagers at Funter Bay suffered badly, with about 40 of 180 people dying from TB and other preventable sicknesses.

People Found Ways To Survive Despite Everything

The evacuees refused to give up hope despite their hardships. Many found ways to work outside the camps to improve their situation.

They built new living quarters, fixed old structures, and even brought electricity and running water to some compounds.

Unalaska villagers created a makeshift church named after their beloved Church of Holy Ascension of Christ. Twenty-five Unangax̂ men joined the Armed Forces, with three even participating in the U.S. invasion to recapture Attu Island.

Government Forced Men Back To Islands For Profit

The spring of 1943 brought a new injustice when the government pressured men from Pribilof camps to return for the annual fur seal harvest.

Officials threatened that none would be allowed to go home after the war unless they “volunteered” for seal harvesting duty. The U.S. government kept making money from Unangax̂-harvested fur seal pelts throughout the war.

Workers got told the fur was needed for military uniforms to justify their dangerous return to islands near active combat zones.

Years Passed Before They Could Return Home

The evacuees stayed trapped in camps until spring 1944 for Pribilof Islanders and April 1945 for others.

This meant they remained in terrible conditions for a full two years after American forces had already retaken Attu and Kiska from Japanese forces in 1943.

Many still wonder about the racial motivations behind the Department of Interior’s decision to keep them in camps so long. The U.S. Army Transport David W. Branch finally began taking evacuees home in April 1945, long after the military threat had passed.

Coming Home To Nothing But Ruins

Many villagers returned to find their homes ransacked by departed soldiers and contractors who had taken or destroyed their possessions.

Atka village lay completely destroyed by the military, leaving returnees with no houses at all. Religious artifacts, cultural treasures, and family heirlooms had been looted by both Japanese and U.S. personnel.

Some villages including Biorka, Kashega, and Makushin were declared uninhabitable and permanently abandoned, erasing entire communities from the map forever.

Visiting Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area, Alaska

The Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area at 2716 Airport Beach Road in Unalaska tells the story of 881 Unangax̂ people forced from their homes after the 1942 Japanese attack on Dutch Harbor.

Visit the center Tuesday-Sunday 11am-6pm in summer for $5 ($2 for military/seniors, free for veterans). You can see a reconstructed 1940s radio room upstairs and watch WWII films.

For Fort Schwatka on Mount Ballyhoo, get a $6 daily permit at the visitor center.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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