New Year’s Eve — Nuuwikuutam Maqin’ra (N), Snuuwikuutam Maqin’ra (S), Nuta’aq uksugkam Maqin’ra Ernerpak nuta’aq uksugkam Maqin’ra. – Today is New Year’s Eve. A favorite Kodiak New Year’s tradition is the annual masquerade ball. This celebration of renewal occurs on January 14, New Years Day on the Julian Calendar that tracks the Orthodox year. The […]
Cradle — Urnaq Urnamen carliaq lliiluku. – Put the baby in the cradle. Finding a safe place for a baby to rest is always a concern. In classical Alutiiq society, mothers solved this problem by using cradleboards. Babies were tightly swaddled to cradleboards, which could be laid on the floor, stood in a corner, or […]
Steam Bath, Banya — Maqiwik Maqiwik uqnaarllia. – The banya was hot. Alutiiq sod houses had a small side chamber designed specifically for steam bathing. This room had a low ceiling and a narrow, covered doorway that trapped steam. People carried hot rocks into the steam bath with special wooden tongs and piled them into […]
House, Cabin — Engluq (N), Ungluq (S) Nutaamek engluliyut. – They are building a new house. When Alutiiq people travel outside Alaska or meet visitors from distant places, they are often asked about igloos. “Do you live in an igloo? Do you know anyone who does?” This tired stereotype traces its origins to twentieth-century portrayals […]