Cilrayuk – Dragonfly Cilrayuk alingtaakait. – They used to be afraid of the dragonfly. Did you know that Alaska has an official insect? In 1995, the state’s school children awarded the dragonfly this special honor. The four-spotted skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) took the prize. Like the other 30 species of dragonflies in Alaska, this insect can […]
A grant from the Alaska State Museum will help the Alutiiq Museum preserve a piece of recent Kodiak history, the revitalization of Alutiiq dance. Thirty years ago, members of the Kodiak Alutiiq community began researching Alutiiq dance, with the goal of creating the first traditional dancers in a century. Elders’ knowledge, ethnographic research, and assistance […]
Masiqsiraq – Port Lions Elltuwaqa Masiqsirami skuuluqutartuq.– My granddaughter is going to go to school in Port Lions. On Friday March 27, 1964, life changed dramatically for the residents of Afognak village. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake ripped open the sea floor off the coast of Kodiak, creating a series of tsunamis that devastated the […]
Naut’staat – Plants Ilait naut’staat yaatutaartut. – Some plants are poisonous. Kodiak Island is often called Alaska’s Emerald Isle, a nickname that reflects its thick carpet of green summer plants. Abundant rain, mild temperatures, and long summer days combine to make the region’s mountains and meadows exceptionally productive for plant growth. There are about […]