▁to ▁have ▁been ▁visited ▁by ▁European ▁expl or ers . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁about ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁Central ▁Al ask an ▁Y up ik ▁and ▁Si ber ian ▁Y up ik ▁living ▁in ▁several ▁villages ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century . ▁They ▁subs isted ▁by ▁hunting ▁wal rus ▁and ▁wh ale ▁and ▁by ▁fish ing . ▁A ▁fam ine ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 – 1 8 8 0 ▁caused ▁many ▁to ▁star ve ▁and ▁many ▁others ▁to ▁leave , ▁dec im ating ▁the ▁island ' s ▁population . ▁A ▁re venue ▁cut ter ▁visited ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁and ▁estimated ▁that ▁out ▁of ▁ 7 0 0 ▁inhabitants , ▁ 5 0 0 ▁were ▁found ▁dead ▁of ▁star v ation . ▁Re ports ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁put ▁the ▁bl ame ▁on ▁trad ers ' ▁supp lying ▁the ▁people ▁with ▁liqu or ▁causing ▁the ▁people ▁to ▁ ″ neg lect ▁lay ing ▁up ▁their ▁usual ▁supply ▁of ▁prov isions ″ . ▁Near ly ▁all ▁the ▁residents ▁remaining ▁were ▁Si ber ian ▁Y up ik . ▁ ▁Rein de er ▁were ▁introduced ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁bol ster ▁the ▁economy . ▁The ▁rein de er ▁her d ▁grew ▁to ▁about ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁animals ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁but ▁has ▁since ▁decl ined . ▁Rein de er ▁are ▁her ded ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of