The ''Aleut Restitution Act of 1988'' (also known as the ''Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Restitution Act'') was a reparation settlement passed by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

in 1988, in response to the internment of

Aleut The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the ...

people living in the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large v ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Before the Japanese invasion of Attu and

Kiska Kiska ( ale, Qisxa, russian: Кыска) is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about long and varies in width from . It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is require ...

in 1942, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

forcibly relocated some 800 Aleuts to camps in Southeast Alaska, where it is estimated that more than 1 in 10 evacuees perished.

Proposal of the Aleutian and Pribilof Restitution Act (1987)

The bill was introduced on January 6, 1987, by Representative

Thomas S. Foley Thomas Stephen Foley (March 6, 1929 – October 18, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 49th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from ...

(D-WA), along with 166 co-sponsors. It declared the following:H.R.442, a bill to implement the recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (both Japanese and Aleut)S.1457, an amendment to the Aleutian and Pribilof Restitution ActAleutian Pribilof Islands Association — History & Culture
/ref> #The Aleut

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not " combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant ...

residents of certain islands who were relocated during World War II remained relocated long after any potential danger had passed. #The United States failed to provide reasonable care for the Aleuts, resulting in illness, disease, and death, and failed to protect Aleut personal and community property. #The United States has not compensated the Aleuts adequately. #There is no remedy for injustices suffered by the Aleuts except an Act of Congress. Under the new bill, a trust fund was established to be used "for the benefit of the following people and purposes": #The elderly, disabled, or seriously ill #Students in need of scholarship assistance #Preservation of Aleut cultural heritage and historical records #The improvement of community centers in affected Aleut villages, and #Other purposes to improve Aleut life. For each eligible Aleut, $12,000 was paid to compensate for any personal property losses sustained during the war.

Amendment to the Aleutian and Pribilof Restitution Act (1993)

On September 14, 1993, an amendment was proposed to the original 1988 Restitution Act, increasing authorization for payments from $1,400,000 to $4,700,000, in order to include church property damaged or lost during the war. The bill was passed by the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and the Senate, and the Act was amended on October 5, 1994.

References

{{Alaska history footer 100th United States Congress 103rd United States Congress 1988 in Alaska 1994 in Alaska Alaska Natives and United States law Aleut Native American history of Alaska Reparations United States federal Native American legislation

Proposal of the Aleutian and Pribilof Restitution Act (1987)

Amendment to the Aleutian and Pribilof Restitution Act (1993)

See also

References