MiRikaan’saaq – American MiRikaan’saat amlertut Sun’ami. – There are many American people in Kodiak. In the eighteenth century, Russian entrepreneurs spread eastward into Alaska, settling the Pacific coast of North America to claim land and harvest the region’s rich resources. Although the number of Russian colonists was very small, they established communities from western Alaska […]
Sukunuuk – Daddy Long Legs Sukunuut guangkuta mik’tangraata aliktaapet! – We are always scared of daddy longlegs, even when they’re small! Daddy longlegs is a common term used to refer to a variety of spider-like creatures: bugs with exceptionally long, thin legs. Among this group are harvestmen, eight-legged arachnids with a two-sectioned body and just […]
Winarpak – Walrus Wiinarpat guut’gpagtuut. – Walrus have big teeth. Winarpk, the Alutiiq word for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) translates as ‘big sea lion.’ This term that reflects the rarity of walrus in the Alutiiq homeland. Walruses are coastal resident of western Alaska, found along the shores of the Bering and Chukchi seas. […]
Cirniq – Chignik Cirnimen aglita. – Let’s go to Chignik. The salmon-rich Chignik region of the southern Alaska Peninsula is home to three Alutiiq communities, each named for the body of water it overlooks: Chignik Bay, Chignik Lagoon, and Chignik Lake. Foot trails link these small villages, winding through a lush, rolling, treeless landscape that […]
There will be two classes held on June 10th. The first class begins at 10 am and ends at noon. An afternoon session will also be held from 1 pm until 3 pm. Taught by Alutiiq artist June Pardue, this is an introductory course in how to paint with alcohol ink. No previous painting experience […]
Qayarpak – Two-hatched kayak Qaniq aturtaakait qayarpat. – They used to always use two-hatched kayak. From the Arctic Ocean to Prince William Sound, Native people crafted swift, seaworthy boats from wood and animal skins. Each culture had a distinct style of qayaq with unique qualities designed for their environment. Alutiiq qayat were long and slender, […]
Qaugtat – Barnacles Qaugtat ilait allrani angtaartut. – Some barnacles are sometimes large. Barnacles are one of the oldest living species on earth and a familiar resident of Alaska’s shores. These filter-feeding crustaceans typically live in shallow waters and will grow on just about anything–rocks, shellfish, docks, boats, marine debris, and even sea mammals. Whales […]
Ugnerkaq – Spring 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 Alutiiqs, spring is a time of waiting as the subsistence cycle […]
Skuunaq (schooner); Raa’uciq (sailboat) – Ship Skuunaq tang’rk’gka. – I saw the ship. Sailing ships were a common sight in Kodiak waters in the historic era. Russian traders traveled to Alaska aboard wooden vessels that carried men, provisions, weapons, and smaller boats for coastal exploration. The Alutiiq word for ship, skuunaq, comes from the word […]