IPUK – SNAIL IPUT YAAMAT ACAATNI ETAARTUT. – SNAILS ARE ALWAYS UNDER THE ROCKS. Snails, particularly the periwinkle (Littorina sitkana), are common residents of Kodiak’s intertidal waters. These slow-creeping marine invertebrates are members of the gastropod family, a group that includes both snails and slugs. Periwinkles inhabit the rocky beaches of the North American Pacific […]
KRistaaq – Cross Suu’ut ilait KRistaartumataartut. – Some people wear a cross. Introduced to Kodiak by nineteenth-century Russian Orthodox clergy, the Christian cross is a symbol that appears widely in Alutiiq communities. Although kRistaaq sounds like the word Christ, it comes from the Russian word for cross, kRest, which may be related to the Latin […]
Giinaq – Face Giinan tang’raqa! – I see your face! The human face is the most frequently portrayed image on Alutiiq masks. Although many masks have animal elements–a beak shaped mouth or encircling feathers for example–very few actually show complete animal faces. A rare example is an owl mask collected from an archaeological site in […]
LLANGARLLUNI – TO GAIN AWARENESS CARLIAQA LLANGLLARNGAUQ. – MY CHILD IS AWARE. Why do toddlers like to say, “No!”? The answer lies in a baby’s growing brain. In the transitions from infant to toddler, children develop their sense of self-awareness, both physical and emotional. By about 18 months, children recognize themselves as unique individuals. At […]