Cikusinaq – GlacierCikusinat urugcaurtut. – The glaciers are starting to melt. In the Alutiiq language, the term for glacier varies by region. Among Kodiak area Alutiiq speakers, the word is cikusinaq. The root of this word, ciku-, means ice, piece of ice, or iceberg. Add the suffix –sinaq, meaning large or great, and you get […]
Suarnituluni – Wild Tasting / Gamey Una tuntuq suarnituu’uq. – This deer has a wild taste. Wild meats can have a gamey taste. There are people who claim to like this flavor, but most prefer to avoid eating gamey steaks and roasts. To prevent filling their larders with wild-tasting deer, elk, goat, or bear, Alutiiqs […]
Ciqiluku – Splash It Yaamat ciqiki. – Splash the rocks. It’s Saturday evening and curls of smoke drift from the small shed next to an Alutiiq home. It is banya night and a family has lit the woodstove in their bathhouse to heat rocks and water for washing. Inside, smooth, water-worn beach cobbles cover a […]
Kuingwik – Boardwalk Kuingwigmi kuingtut. – They are walking on the boardwalk (walking place). The Alutiiq word for boardwalk–kuingwik–translates as walking place. Boardwalks are a common feature in Alutiiq villages. Ouzinkie is known for its scenic boardwalks, pathways that that skirt the shore of the community, wind through large spruce trees, and provide scenic views […]
Guuta’ista – DentistGuuta’istat alikanka. – I am afraid of dentists. Before contact with the West, Alutiiq people relied on their own resourcefulness for oral health. At that time, cavities were not much of a problem. Without a major source of sugar in the diet, most northern cultures had good dental health. Instead of brushing teeth, […]
Tang’rciqamken – Good ByeTang’rciqamken camiku. – I will see you again sometime. For example, saying goodbye in Alutiiq is a lot harder than saying hello. Cama’i, the Alutiiq greeting, is a simple one word, a two-syllable welcome that people remember easily. To say farewell, however, you must use a full Alutiiq phrase. The common leave-taking […]
Litnauwiluni – TeachUciitilat litnauwitaartut. – The school teachers always teach. Children in Alutiiq communities learned traditional skills by playing and working with adults. Children’s toys were miniature replicas of adult tools that helped youth practice the essential activities of a subsistence lifestyle. By age six, girls were weaving mats and assisting their mothers with household […]
Uspaq – Vaccination Cuumi uspaq’rtaaqait. – They used to give us vaccinations. Vaccinations may seem like a feat of twentieth-century bioengineering, but they have a long history in Europe and even Alaska. The world’s first vaccines became available after 1796, when British physician Edward Jenner used cowpox to develop an immunization for smallpox. Russian authorities […]
Isuwim Suqaa – Seal StomachUquq isuwim suqani etaartuq. – Oil is always in the seal stomach. Although seal meat makes a tasty meal, seals once provided much more than food. In classical Alutiiq society, every part of the animal was used. Skins were fashioned into clothing and boat covers, intestines were sewn into waterproof bags […]