Gaaleq – Window PatRiitaq inimauq gaalem caniani. – The picture is hanging next to the window. (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken) Alutiiq sod houses, ciqlluat, were dark inside. Their thick wood-planked roofs, covered with sod, grass, and boards, were designed to be waterproof and therefore let in little light. Most houses had a […]
PaRanaq; Pehnaiq – Mountain Goat Maani tang’rtaanitua parananek. – I never see mountain goats around here. (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken) Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) are one of four large ungulate species introduced to Kodiak in the early twentieth century. These docile alpine grazers live on steep, rocky mountain slopes, where they eat […]
Sikiaq – Partially Smoked Salmon Ugnerkami iqallut taikata sikialitaartukut. – In the spring when the salmon come, we make the partially smoked salmon. (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken) Sikiaq, a lightly smoked salmon, is a common offering at Alutiiq breakfast tables. Stay at an Alutiiq lodge or bed and breakfast and you may […]
Iraluq tuqu’uq (literally, “The moon died.”) – Eclipse Cuumi niugtaallriit, “Iraluq tuqu’uq.” – Before they always used to say “The moon died.” (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken) An eclipse occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. This term is often used to describe a solar eclipse, when the moon’s […]