The labor-management system on the islands assumed all the earmarks of a typical colonial relationship. The federal government controlled the natural resources, paid the Aleuts increasingly low wages in relation to other comparable United States workers, undermined them psychologically, and dominated their political life to assure control of their labor. By the time of the reforms in the 1920s and 1930s, this colonial system had developed a life of its own, one which made it self-generating, resistant to changes in national mood and attitudes, even in national laws. Wages and hours legislation, collective bargaining rights, the Social Security Act, welfare reform, and an enlightened Indian policy failed to dent the system. While the situation of other workers dramatically improved, that of the Pribilof Aleuts deteriorated.
Most social organizations begin as entities designed to fulfill certain functions and goals.
To survive they must take into account and adapt to the demands of the interest groups that surround them. But the Pribilof system was uniquely isolated and insulated from such demands. Its functions were highly specialized and did not attract general interest. Its operation took place in a remote part of the country, unseen by others. Management maintained a policy of secrecy about the program and required special permits for all visits.