Aluuwirmiu’at; tamallkuamiu’at – Alaska Peninsula PeopleAluuwirmiu’at yaqsisinartut. – People of the Alaska Peninsula are far away. The Alaska Peninsula is a cultural crossroads, a place where the peoples of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska have long interacted. Archaeological data suggest that Alutiiq people moved west across the peninsula about 750 years […]
Iraluruaq – Jellyfish Iraluruat tang’rniitaartut! – Jellyfish don’t look very good! Jellyfish are plentiful in Alaska waters. These ancient marine creatures are not actually fish but invertebrates related to corals and sea anemones. Jellyfish have no brains, no heart, no eyes, and no ears, yet they are effective predators. To capture food, they use tentacles […]
Kasuulluni – Married Ikuk kasuutkutartuk unuaku. – Those two are going to get married tomorrow. In classical Alutiiq society, preparation for marriage began at puberty. At the onset of her menstrual period, a girl was secluded in special hut for at least ten days. Menstrual blood was considered so extremely offensive to animals that great […]
Qaataq – Fern Qaatanek pisurciqukuk. – We (two) will gather ferns. The spreading wood fern (Dryopteris dilatata) is one of at least nine varieties of ferns commonly found in the Kodiak Archipelago. This large fern, which thrives in moist forests and coastal meadows throughout the north, can often be found growing near sourdock and nettle […]