Swan — Qugyuk Qugyut qat’rtarut. – The swans are white. The tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus), a common visitor to Kodiak’s coastal wetlands, is one of three species of swans found in Alaska and the largest Alaska bird. This all-white bird is distinguished by a teardrop-shaped splash of yellow on either side of its black bill. […]
Overflow (to) — Ullq’rlluni Caskan ullq’rtuq.—Your cup is overflowing. The Alutiiq verb ullq’rlluni, to overflow, is typically used to describe something running out of a container. You could use this word to warn that your soup is bubbling out of its pot or that water is spilling over the sides of the bathtub. Ullq’rllunican also be used […]
Weatherman — Llaatesurta Llaatsurtaallriit. – They used to be weathermen. Long before marine radios, the nightly, television weather report, weather apps and weather cams, Alutiiq people interpreted the weather by reading the wind, waves, clouds, and phase of the sun and moon. Shaman, men and women skilled at interacting with the unseen world, were weather […]
KODIAK, Alaska — The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and crew recently returned to its homeport of Kodiak following a successful 30-day patrol in the Bering Sea. Nicknamed the “Bulldog of the Bering,” the Alex Haley and crew maintained a vigilant search and rescue presence throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands enforcing federal fishery laws […]