Kalla’alek; Samanaq – Shaman Kalla’alek alingnartuq. – The shaman is scary. Alutiiq shamans healed the sick, foretold the future, controlled the weather, and recounted events in far-off places. They acted as intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds, fulfilling the dangerous task of communicating with animals, ancestors, and supernatural beings. Shamans could turn themselves into […]
Pukilaaq; Kapilaq; Tep’aq – Driftwood Pukilaanek iwa’at’skut. – Let’s look for driftwood. Spruce trees are a recent addition to the Kodiak environment. Pollen and tree-ring studies indicate that the spruce forests of Shuyak, Afognak, and northern Kodiak are 500 to 900 years old. For ancient Alutiiq communities, driftwood was the primary source of lumber for […]
Cungaq; Cungasqaq – Blue Qapilaat cungartut. – The mussels are blue. In the Alutiiq language, the colors green and blue are not differentiated. A single term describes both colors, reflecting the fact that Alutiiqs traditionally interpreted blue as a shade of green. Despite the use of a single color term, recent research suggests that Alutiiq […]
Masking is a winter Alutiiq ceremony, inspired from Ukrainian folk traditions, that takes place in the days leading up to the Russian New Year. Like carolers, maskers traveled from home to home. Groups of fully disguised men and women dance to see if people can guess their identity. If they are identified, they must unmask and stop for the […]