Limpet — Sawak’iitaq, Spuungqulaq Suupaligua sawak’iitanek. – I am making soup from limpets. Limpets (Lottia spp.) are among the intertidal organisms that encrust the rocky shores of Kodiak. The archipelago is home to a variety of these small invertebrates: the keyhole limpet, the tortoiseshell limpet, and others. Limpets are grazing animals that form distinctive cone-shaped […]
Mosquito — Mengquiluq Mengquilum kegkiinga.—The mosquito bit me. Mosquitoes are small flies of the Culicidae family. There are thirty-five species of these annoying insects found in impressive numbers across Alaska. Mosquitoes breed in slow moving or still water, from swamps and ponds to sloughs, creeks, and even a bucket of water. For this reason, […]
Dog — Aikuq (N), Sapakaq (N), Piugta (S) April mal’ugnek piugtengq’rtuq. – April has two dogs. Archaeological sites in Alaska illustrate that dogs (Canis familiaris) have been a part of Native communities for at least two thousand years, although the presence of dogs in Siberia eleven thousand years ago suggests that it may be […]
Baby Song — Inquq Aturtuq inqumek carliani. – She’s singing a baby song to her baby. In the Alutiiq language, inqeluni means to amuse a young child by rocking or playing or to sing to a loved one, particularly a baby. Nouns derived from this verb include inqun, inquq, and inequteq, which refer to baby songs. These are […]