Amarsaq (N), Amaryaq (S)—High Bush Cranberry Amaryat quuhnartaartut.—Highbush cranberries are (always) sour. The highbush cranberry (Viburnum edule), known locally as the bog berry or sour berry, is a large flowering shrub that grows in Kodiak’s thickets and clearings, often in shady spots. This plant, found widely across North America, produces small red berries that dangle […]
Today, the Alutiiq Museum released Coloring Alutiiq, a twenty-eight-page coloring book by Alutiiq artist Hanna Sholl. The publication features black and white line drawings of traditional Alutiiq clothing opposite the animals and tools used in their manufacture. A ground squirrel appears beside a squirrel skin parka. A caribou skin parka appears opposite a caribou and the […]
Litnauwista, Uciitilaq—Teacher Litnauwistarpet asirtuq.—Our teacher is good. Western-style teachers became part of the Kodiak landscape in the late eighteenth century, soon after the arrival of Russian fur traders. Although Alutiiq adults taught their children the skills they needed for life in the Alutiiq world, a small number of boys began to study the Russian language, […]
Urungilet, Urunguliit—Green Salmonberries Aanama niu’utaaqiinga “Urunguliit piturkunaki.”—My mom always told me not to eat the unripe salmonberries. Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis Pursh) are perhaps the most widely harvested wild fruit in the Kodiak region. The big juicy berries are a favorite summer treat, enjoyed fresh and in a mouth-watering assortment of deserts and preserves. Salmonberries flower […]