The Alutiiq and Aleuts – indigenous inhabitants of the Aleutian islands – once lived in these communal dwellings. A barabara was built partially underground, similar to an earth lodge, designed to survive the high winds in the Aleutians.
The word is thought to be an Americanism, derived from Russian dialect, circa 1865. The building is also known as an ulax (Aleut) and ciqlluaq (Alutiiq).
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