Dirt — Iqaq Tan’urat waamut iqami. – The boys are playing in the dirt. The soils in the Kodiak region are relatively young, formed since the end of the last ice age less than twelve thousand years ago. Deposits of volcanic ash brought to the archipelago by the wind and the weathering of bedrock and […]
Bracelet — Tayarnerutaq Tayarnerutamek nuliqa pikisk’gka. – I gave my wife a bracelet. The Alutiiq word tayarnerutaq means “something for your wrist.” In classical Alutiiq society, several objects fell into this category. Some items worn on the wrist were jewelry, bracelets created for adornment. In the nineteenth century, Alutiiq women wore bracelets fashioned from glass beads. Worn […]
Louse — Neresta Aikut nerestangq’rtut. – The dogs have lice. Historic accounts indicate that lice were a constant plague in Native communities. These small, rapidly reproducing parasites were hard to eradicate, as people lived in tight quarters where they passed easily from one person to the next. Moreover, people wore heavy fur and bird skin […]
Backpack, Hunting Bag — Atmak, Ekgwik, Ekguiyutaq Atmangq’rtuq. – He has a backpack. Packing well for a hunting or fishing trip was as important in the past as it is today. Alutiiq men filled their kayaks with useful things: wooden containers filled with fresh food and water, sleeping blankets, and even inflated seal bladders for […]