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 […]
Carwaq – Current Carwaq tukniuq. – The current is strong. Perched on the edge of the continental shelf, the Kodiak Archipelago lies in the path of the Alaska current. Driven by wind and freshwater, this warm oceanic flow courses out of the central Pacific and circulates counterclockwise along the Gulf of Alaska’s coast. This current, […]
Unganuuk – Uganik Island Gui ataaqa Unganuuni suullria. – My father was born at Uganik Island. (Click sentence to hear Alutiiq words spoken.) Uganik Island is a large, mountainous landmass on the western coast of the Kodiak Archipelago. It is the eighth largest island in the Kodiak region, covering approximately fifty-seven square miles. The […]