I don't know why nobody thinks these people had the brains to build umiats/kayaks and paddle across the straits. If the Polynesians could cross 3,000 miles of empty ocean, these Altaians could have paddled across the Bering Strait, not to mention their ability to walk across the ice in the winter.
That's funny!
Great catch and good comment. Any floating piece of wood would teach the lesson effectively.