Suarnituluni – Wild Tasting / Gamey Una tuntuq suarnituu’uq. – This deer has a wild taste. Wild meats can have a gamey taste. There are people who claim to like this flavor, but most prefer to avoid eating gamey steaks and roasts. To prevent filling their larders with wild-tasting deer, elk, goat, or bear, Alutiiqs […]
Ciqiluku – Splash It Yaamat ciqiki. – Splash the rocks. It’s Saturday evening and curls of smoke drift from the small shed next to an Alutiiq home. It is banya night and a family has lit the woodstove in their bathhouse to heat rocks and water for washing. Inside, smooth, water-worn beach cobbles cover a […]
Kuingwik – Boardwalk Kuingwigmi kuingtut. – They are walking on the boardwalk (walking place). The Alutiiq word for boardwalk–kuingwik–translates as walking place. Boardwalks are a common feature in Alutiiq villages. Ouzinkie is known for its scenic boardwalks, pathways that that skirt the shore of the community, wind through large spruce trees, and provide scenic views […]
Guuta’ista – DentistGuuta’istat alikanka. – I am afraid of dentists. Before contact with the West, Alutiiq people relied on their own resourcefulness for oral health. At that time, cavities were not much of a problem. Without a major source of sugar in the diet, most northern cultures had good dental health. Instead of brushing teeth, […]