Spirit — Sua (literally, “Its person”), Anerneq (literally, “breath”) Caqiq tamarmi suangq’rtuq. – Something all around has a spirit. The Alutiiq concept of a spirit is complex. Alutiiq people traditionally believe that everything in the universe—living things, objects, places, and natural phenomena like the northern lights—has a spirit or essence. This essence is characterized by […]
Snail — Ipuk Iput yaamat acaatni etaartut. – Snails are always under the rocks. Snails, particularly the periwinkle (Littorina sitkana), are common residents of Kodiak’s intertidal waters. These slow-creeping marine invertebrates are members of the gastropod family, a group that includes both snails and slugs. Periwinkles inhabit the rocky beaches of the North American Pacific […]
Rudder — ARulaq Anguamek aRulallrianga.—I used a paddle as a rudder (to steer). There are many types of rudders found in boat designs around the world and they are all important parts of a boat’s steering system. A rudder is often a vertical blade attached to a boat’s transom, the flat end of the stern. […]
Cradle — Urnaq Urnamen carliaq lliiluku. – Put the baby in the cradle. Finding a safe place for a baby to rest is always a concern. In classical Alutiiq society, mothers solved this problem by using cradleboards. Babies were tightly swaddled to cradleboards, which could be laid on the floor, stood in a corner, or […]