Paan’kaaq—Can Iqallut lliitaaqait paan’kaanun.—They used to put fish in cans. Kodiak relies heavily on labor to process locally caught fish for delivery to the world‘s market. Alutiiq people have been part of the cannery work force for more than a century, contributing to all stages of fishing processing from catching and cleaning fresh caught salmon […]
Manit-Eggs Manigsurciqukut.We’re going to look for eggs. Bird eggs are a favorite spring food in Alutiiq communities. Each year many thousands of seabirds nest along the rocky shores of the Gulf of Alaska coast. Collectors begin gathering eggs in May, particularly gull eggs. To avoid eggs with developing chicks, it is important to collect those […]
KUNGYUK—CRESTED AUKLET KUNGYUT AMLERTAALLRIIT KANGIYAMI.—THERE USED TO ALWAYS BE A LOT OF CRESTED AUKLETS IN THE BAY. The crested auklet (Aethia cristatella), known by some as the sea quail, is a member of the alcid family, a group that includes auks, puffins, and murres. About two million of these sea birds live in Alaska, in […]
Carliaq, Piipeq—Baby Katie carliangkutartuq.—Katie is going to have a baby. Among the Alutiiq people, babies are signs of luck. In traditional society, women gave birth with the help of a healer, who functioned both as a midwife and a community doctor. Pregnant women began visiting the midwife when they were three to five months pregnant. […]