KAWISQAQ – RED GIINAN KAWIRTUQ. – YOUR FACE IS RED. In prehistoric times, Alutiiq people manufactured red pigment from naturally occurring ochre, a locally available iron oxide. Historic sources suggest that this soft mineral was ground to a powder and then mixed with seal oil and blood to produce paint. Several thousand years ago, ochre […]
AR’UQ, ARWAQ – WHALE AR’UT AMLERTUT. – THERE ARE MANY WHALES. Six species of baleen whales feed in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Each spring, grey, humpback, minke, fin, right, and blue whales swim by on their way to the Bering Sea, although many remain in the Kodiak area. For Alutiiq communities, […]
ILAI’ARNGASQAQ – CHIPPED ONE YAAMAQ ILAI’ARNGAUQ. – THE ROCK IS CHIPPED. Flint knapping, or stone chipping, is the process of transforming a piece of stone into a useful tool. This technology relies on fine grained and glassy stone, material a knapper can break in desired ways. Knappers typically use a hard rock to knock flakes […]
ARafkuq (N), IRafkuq (S) – Rope / Cord ARafkumek piliyuq. – She is making rope. In classical Alutiiq society rope and cord were essential parts of many harvesting tools. Boats, bows, harpoons, fishing rigs, and nets all required quantities of cord. People often choose sinew, or animal tendon, for making cord because of its strength and […]