Midwife– Paapuskaaq Cukaluten, paapuskaaq iwa’aru! Carliangqutartuq. – Hurry, get the midwife! She’s going to have a baby. Each Alutiiq community had at least one midwife, a healer versed in herbal medicines and the arts of bloodletting, surgery, and childbirth. Appointed by her community at a young age and apprenticed to an older midwife, this woman tended […]
Beaver–Paluqtaq Pingayun paluqtat kuigmi. – There are three beavers in the creek. Although beavers (Castor canadensis) thrive around Kodiak today, they are not part of the region’s original fauna. Beavers were introduced to the archipelago in 1925 in an effort to provide valuable game for trapping and a commodity for the fashion industry. Most beaver […]
Tunturpak—Moose Maani Sun’ami tunturpanek piitukut.— Here on Kodiak we don’t have moose. Moose (Alces alces) are the biggest member of the deer family. These large-bodied, long-legged creatures are known for their droopy nose and dewlap: a flap of hair-covered skin beneath their chins. Only the males have antlers. Moose live in forests across North America, […]
Arrow Game–Ruuwarluni Tamamta ruuwartaallriakut Paas’kaami. – We used to all play bow and arrow at Easter time. In the Alutiiq language, the word for “arrow”—ruuwaq—has a variety of meanings. It can be used as a noun to refer to the wooden-shafted, feather-fletched projectiles fired from hunters’ bows. Alternatively, this word can be used as a […]