Long-Tailed Duck — Aaraliq Aaralit amlertut ikani.—There are a lot of long-tailed ducks over there. The long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) is a small, diving, sea duck. This species breeds in lakes and ponds across the high arctic, and then migrates south to winter in the waters along the north Pacific and north Atlantic coasts. The long-tailed […]
Real People-Sugpiat Guangkuta “Sugpianek” ap’rtaakiikut cuumi, nutaan ap’rtaaraakut Alutiit. – They used to call us Sugpiaq before, but now we are called Alutiiq people. Who are Kodiak’s Native people? This is a common question. Russian fur traders called them the Aleut, a word derived from a Siberian Native language that means coastal dweller. The Russian’s […]
Morning-Unuaq Unuami ilait suuget kuufiarturtaartut.—Some people always drink coffee in the morning. The Alutiiq word unuaq means morning, but on Kodiak many speakers use it to specify early morning. Elders recall that one of the first important chores each morning was to start the household fire. Katya, an Elder from Karluk, describes her mother instructing her to […]
Ruuwarluni – Arrow Game (verb) Tamamta ruuwartaallriakut Paaskaami. – We used to all play bow and arrow at Easter time. (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken) In the Alutiiq language, the word for “arrow”—ruuwaq—has a variety of meanings. It can be used as a noun to refer to the wooden-shafted, feather-fletched projectiles fired from […]