Aleut is a noun
According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary Aleut means: a member of a people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands, other islands in the Bering Sea, and parts of western Alaska.
On page 7 of the story Jackson stated, ” When I got to the wharf, I ran into three Aleut cousins, who sat on a wooden bench and stared at the bay and cried.” These Aleuts were from Alaska. They were homesick and wanted to leave Seattle to return to their home.