Karluk — Kal’ut, Kal’uq Kal’uni sullianga. – I was born in Karluk. The Alutiiq village of Karluk lies on the southwestern shore of Kodiak Island. Tucked between treeless rolling hills, the community rests on the banks of the Karluk River. This is the longest fresh watercourse in the archipelago and once was the region’s […]
Elderberry — Tuuciik Tuuciiqutat alagnangq’rtaartut. – The elderberry bushes always have berries. Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is a large shrub with toothed leaves and soft wood that grows up to twelve feet tall. This bush occurs throughout northern North America in both wooded and open areas. Around Kodiak, it is particularly fond of the […]
Mark — Ceterluki Kapsuutait cetertaallkait. – They used to mark their spears. The Alutiiq verb ceterluni can mean either to mark or to scratch. Today, some of the Alutiiq words for pencil, pen, and even signature are related to this term. In the past, however, ceterluki probably referred to making ownership marks. Across the north, coastal peoples identified […]
Rib — Raatateq Isuwim raatatii mangirnartuk. – Seal ribs are good to gnaw on. Animal ribs were once an important source of raw material for Alutiiq craftspeople. People used these long, narrow, naturally curved pieces of bone in manufacturing tasks both large and small. Studies of ancestral villages illustrate that whale ribs were used […]