Ruuwarluni – Arrow Game (verb) Tamamta ruuwartaallriakut Paaskaami. – We used to all play bow and arrow at Easter time. (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken) 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 […]
Agayuluni – To Pray Agayutaartut qawarpailameng. – They always pray before they go to sleep. In the Alutiiq language—agayuluni—means sacred. Today people use this term to describe Christian prayer or holding a church service. This term expresses a core Alutiiq value, the practice of spiritual faith. In its broadest sense, prayer is a form of […]
Shark — Arlluguaq Arlluguaq culurngauq. – The shark is beached. Like whales or sea lions, sharks are large predators found throughout the Gulf of Alaska. Biologists recognize ten varieties of sharks in gulf waters, but others stray into the area from warmer climates. Alaskan species include the formidable blue and great white shark. However, the […]
Socks — Cuukiiq Cuukii’itua! – I have no socks! In the past, Alutiiq people often went barefoot. A historic account from Karluk tells of Alutiiq ladies dressed in stylish, velvet dresses, walking to church barefoot. Boots were saved for cold winter weather, and often included a lining of moss or grass and a pair of handwoven […]