Social Organization

For Aleuts, an individual's most important social group beyond the family was first their barabara, and then the village. Like other Alaska Natives, there was no central government or political ties beyond the village. Each settlement had defined territories for harvesting resources such as seals, sea lions, halibut, cod, birds, plants, and driftwood.

A typical village consisted of 50 to 200 people living in five to ten barabaras. Residents of a village usually were related by blood or marriage. Each barabara was independent.  A recognized leader, usually the eldest male, made decisions for his household. The head of the most powerful barabara would be considered the village leader (titled toyon by Russians). His duties included watching over the common good, and protecting the village's borders, and hunting and fishing grounds. The village leader was responsible for decisions concerning war and peace.

Aleut society was divided into three social classes: honorables, commoners, and slaves. Honorables and commoners were normally closely related. The number of slaves, primarily women, is believed to have been small, and their status was not hereditary. 

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