Salt Fish — Sulunaq, Salt Fish Sulunaq piturnirtaartuq. – Salt fish is always tasty. For centuries, people around the world have enjoyed salted fish. The interaction of salt and fish enzymes creates a wonderful flavor, especially in cod. Salt is also an effective preservative. It limits the growth of bacteria. Fishermen working in both the […]
Spring — Ugnerkaq Ugnerkartuq awa’i. – Spring is here. Spring is an unpredictable season in the Kodiak Archipelago. Some years, calm weather ushers in longer days and milder temperatures, but in others, winter storms pound the coast, and snow falls well into April. For Alutiiq people, spring is a time of waiting as the subsistence […]
Hungry — Kaigluni Kaiyaqameng kenirtaartut. – When people are hungry they cook. Throughout northern environments, late winter and early spring are the leanest times of the year. There are fewer sources of fresh food in this season, and bad weather can make those that are available hard to reach. Moreover, by late winter, food stores […]
Urine — Etquq Cuumi tan’urat etquat aturtaakait. – They used to use boys’ urine before. Across Alaska, Native people used human urine for processing hides. In Alutiiq communities, urine was collected in wooden tubs stationed outside people’s houses. Hides were soaked in these tubs, where the ammonia acted as soap, breaking down fatty deposits clinging […]