Qatgat – Armor Anguyatsuutet aturtaakait qatgat. – Our warriors always use armor. In addition to clubs, hatchets, spears, bows, and arrow filled quivers, Alutiiq warriors created protective gear for battle. This included armor vests. Made from narrow slats of wood or whalebone tied together with sinew, these garments covered the torso, leaving the arms and […]
Nagaayuq – Refuge Rock; Fortress Nagaayuq Ikani et’uq. – There is a refuge rock over there. To protect their families from raiders, Alutiiqs built temporary settlements at the top of precipitous cliffs and small, rocky, cliff-bound islands. These strategically located refuges were designed to repel attackers. Here, families prepared shelters and stockpiled supplies. When communities […]
Cimigiuq; Cimiyuq – Trade; Exchange Suuget cimiutut. – People are trading. Alutiiq communities obtained resources and formed alliances by exchanging foods and raw materials. In good weather, people traveled by skin boat to neighboring communities to share their surplus goods and barter for items. Trade with the Alaska mainland was particularly important. Here, Kodiak Islanders […]
Ulukaq – Ulu Ulukaq aturluku. – Use the ulu. Commonly known as the Eskimo woman’s knife, the ulu is an item of technology shared by coastal peoples from Alaska to Greenland. Ground from a thin leaf of slate, the traditional Alutiiq ulu has a broad, convex blade with a beveled cutting edge, well designed for […]