Hummingbird-Alutiiq Word of the Week-April 3rd
Kumlurngaq – HummingbirdKumlurngam manait nakertut. – Hummingbird eggs are lucky. Rufous hummingbirds (Latin: Selasphorus rufus) are the world’s northernmost hummers.…
Little Fish-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 28th
Iqallungcuk – Little FishTaugna piugcinitaqa, iqallungcuk mikpakartuq! – I don’t want that (one), the fish is too small. In the…
Raw-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 20
Qasartuq – RawMamaayat qasartaapet. – We eat clams raw. There is a common misconception that the word Eskimo means “eaters…
Bridge-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 13
Arwiryaa’aq – Bridge Kaiwik angituq arwiryaa’akun. – The old woman is coming back via the bridge. The Alutiiq word arwiryaa’aq means…
Erode-Alutiiq Word of the Week-March 6th
Ushnerluku – ErodeNuna ushnertuq. – The land is eroding. Erosion is the gradual wearing away of the earth by natural…
Horn-Alutiiq Word of the Week-February 28th
Ciruneq – HornUna luuskaaq cirunemk canamauq. – This spoon is made from horn. In the Alutiiq language the words for…
Wick-Alutiiq Word of the Week-February 21
Kumaq – WickKumaq kuakaskameng tamleritaartuq. – The wick always gets black after it burns. Stone lamps filled with sea mammal…
Smell-Alutiiq Word of the Week-February 14th
Narluni – Smell (verb)Caqit asiiyutaakameng, narlurtaapet. – When something spoils, we always smell it. The human sense of smell pales…
Bone-Alutiiq Word of the Week-February 7
Neneq – BoneIqsak una nenermek pilimauq. – This fishhook is made of bone. Like stone, wood, and hide, bone was…
Chickadee-Alutiiq Word of the Week-January 31
Uksullaq – ChickadeeUksullaq aturtaartuq ugnerkami. – The Chickadee always sings in the spring. Alaska is home to five species of…