Palat’kaaq, PaRat’kaaq—Tent Akgua’aqu palat’kaami qawarciqua.—I am going to sleep in the tent tonight. Kodiak’s archaeological sites indicate that the island’s first residents built tents. In some places, a selection of shallow post holes around a simple stone hearth suggests the use of temporary or even portable structures. In others, more permanent, circular dwelling made with […]
Yaataq—Poison Pitun’illgu una-yaatartuq!—Don’t eat this—it is poisonous! Alutiiq people have long recognized the poisonous qualities of certain local plants. Some of these plants were harvested for their medicinal value, and at least one was used in hunting. The most well-known Alutiiq poison was made from the roots of the monkshood plant, Aconitum delphinifolium. This beautiful […]
Iqsak—Fishhook Iksak ipegtuq.—The fishhook is sharp. Archaeological sites in the Kodiak Archipelago illustrate that Alutiiq ancestors have harvested marine fish for many thousands of years. Even the earliest camps hold grooved cobbles used to weight fishing rigs to the ocean floor. More recent sites preserve the wood and bone parts of these rigs. Alutiiq people […]
Angyaq—Open Skin Boat Angyakun aiwikutartukut.—We are going (away) by open boat. The Alutiiq angyaq is a large open boat much like the umiak of northern Alaska. These twenty- to thirty-five-foot vessels were used for traveling and trading and could hold up to twenty people. They had a sturdy driftwood frame covered with sea lion skins […]