LLAANIQ – WEST, WEST WIND MACAQ LLAANIRMEN KALUTAARTUQ. – THE SUN ALWAYS SETS IN THE WEST. Among the world’s cultures the cardinal directions—north, east, south and west—are tied to the location of the rising and setting sun. For example, the English word west comes from an ancient Germanic word meaning down—referring to the direction where […]
AMIQ – SKIN/HIDE ARHANEK AMIIRTAALLRIIT, TAUMI-LLU ATKULILUTENG. – THEY USED TO SKIN SEA OTTERS AND THEN MAKE COATS OUT OF THEM. Across the Alutiiq world, animal hides were once essential material for clothing, bedding, and boats. Alutiiq people stitched cormorant and caribou skins into parkas, wrapped their families in plush bear hides for sleeping, and […]
TUPUURUQ – AXE TUPUURULLEQ YAAMAMEK CANAMAUQ. — THE OLD AXE IS MADE OUT OF STONE. Today, Alutiiq speakers refer to axes and adzes with the term tupuuRuq, a word derived from the Russian term for an axe. However, historic sources reveal that there were once distinct Alutiiq terms for different types of adzes. The verb cikllarluku means to […]
UNUK – NIGHT AGYAT AKIRTAARTUT UNUGMI. – THE STARS ARE BRIGHT AT NIGHT. In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox is the September day when the sun shines directly on the Earth’s equator, creating roughly equal periods of light and darkness. The equinox is the official first day of fall. In Alaska, however, the season […]