Bracelet — Tayarnerutaq Tayarnerutamek nuliqa pikisk’gka. – I gave my wife a bracelet. The Alutiiq word tayarnerutaq means “something for your wrist.” In classical Alutiiq society, several objects fell into this category. Some items worn on the wrist were jewelry, bracelets created for adornment. In the nineteenth century, Alutiiq women wore bracelets fashioned from glass beads. Worn […]
Fog — Tumanaq (N), Umneq (S) Tumanaq martuq. (N), Umneq martuq. (S) – The fog is thick. Each summer Kodiak’s coast clouds of mist and sea fog envelop Kodiak’s coast. As warm summer air passes over the cool North Pacific Ocean, dense patches of fog build against the island, where they may sit for days. […]
Louse — Neresta Aikut nerestangq’rtut. – The dogs have lice. Historic accounts indicate that lice were a constant plague in Native communities. These small, rapidly reproducing parasites were hard to eradicate, as people lived in tight quarters where they passed easily from one person to the next. Moreover, people wore heavy fur and bird skin […]
Backpack, Hunting Bag — Atmak, Ekgwik, Ekguiyutaq Atmangq’rtuq. – He has a backpack. Packing well for a hunting or fishing trip was as important in the past as it is today. Alutiiq men filled their kayaks with useful things: wooden containers filled with fresh food and water, sleeping blankets, and even inflated seal bladders for […]