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 […]
Imaq—Ocean Imam taanga taryutuu’uq.—The ocean’s water is salty. The bountiful North Pacific Ocean has been the economic foundation of Alutiiq communities for more than 7,500 years. Kodiak’s first settlers arrived by boat and were fully equipped to exploit the marine environment. These early colonists probably came from coastal areas of southwest Alaska and remained in […]
Augyaq, arauryaq—Crowberry, Blackberry Augyat lliitaakait uqumen.—They always put crowberries in oil. The crowberry, or blackberry, is a low growing, evergreen shrub found throughout the Kodiak Archipelago. This plant thrives in a variety of habitats, from bogs to spruce forests. In the spring it blooms with small lavender flowers. In August, it produces round, shiny, black […]
Culuk—Feather Mas’kaaq culungq’rtuq.—The mask has feathers. Birds were a central part of classical Alutiiq society, both as an economic resource and as spiritual beings. In addition to eggs and meat, they provided a variety of feathers with important everyday uses. Eagle feathers were used in mattresses and as fletching for hunting arrows and toy darts. […]