Snail-Alutiiq Word of the Week-April 23rd
IPUK – SNAIL IPUT YAAMAT ACAATNI ETAARTUT. – SNAILS ARE ALWAYS UNDER THE ROCKS. Snails, particularly the periwinkle (Littorina sitkana), are common residents of Kodiak’s intertidal waters. These slow-creeping marine…
Cross-Alutiiq Word of the Week-April 16th
KRistaaq – Cross Suu’ut ilait KRistaartumataartut. – Some people wear a cross. Introduced to Kodiak by nineteenth-century Russian Orthodox clergy, the Christian cross is a symbol that appears widely in…
Face-Alutiiq Word of the Week-April 9th
Giinaq – Face Giinan tang’raqa! – I see your face! The human face is the most frequently portrayed image on Alutiiq masks. Although many masks have animal elements–a beak shaped…
Awareness-Alutiiq Word of the Week-April 2nd
LLANGARLLUNI – TO GAIN AWARENESS CARLIAQA LLANGLLARNGAUQ. – MY CHILD IS AWARE. Why do toddlers like to say, “No!”? The answer lies in a baby’s growing brain. In the transitions…
Television-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 19th
Ulutegwik – Television Ulutegwik ikirsgu. – Turn the television on. Television began reaching rural Alaska communities in the1970s, as communication systems evolved following World War II. Alutiiq villages began to…
Blue Mussel-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 12th
Qapilaq – Blue Mussel. Qapilat piturnirtaartut. – Blue mussels are always tasty. Blue mussels (Mylitus edulis) are one of the most common intertidal invertebrates in the Kodiak Archipelago. These purple-shelled…
Razor Clam-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 5th
Cingtaataq – Razor Clam Cingtaatarsurlita! – Let’s gather razor clams! Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) can be found in sandy beaches from California to the Aleutian Islands. Alaska is home…
Baleen-Alutiiq Word of the Week-February 26th
Kagit’ruaq – Baleen Inartat kag’it’ruamek pilitaallriit. – They used to make baskets out of baleen. What do hooves, horns, hair, claws, finger nails, feathers, scales, beaks, and baleen have in…
