NUUNIQ – PORCUPINE / QUILL QIKERTAQ NUUNIITUQ. – THERE ARE NO PORCUPINE ON KODIAK ISLAND. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is a large rodent found in Alaska’s forests and shrubby environments. These stout, slow-moving creatures have short legs, a muscular tail, and a thick layer of body fat. They can weigh up to about […]
PUPIK – PIMPLES PUPIKA PUKSUWAQA. – I PINCHED MY PIMPLE. From pimples and boils to burns, sores, and rashes, skin irritations are a common problem. The Alutiiq word pupik can be used to describe all of these conditions. Early accounts of Alutiiq communities report that skin ulcers were widespread, often caused by insect bites. Alutiiq healers lanced boils […]
KIA’IWIK – KIAVAK BAY KIA’IWIK YAQSIN’ITUQ NUNIAMEK. – KIAVAK BAY IS NOT FAR FROM OLD HARBOR. Kiavak Bay lies on the southeast coast of Kodiak Island. This long, narrow waterway stretches about 8 km west into the Kodiak Mountains. A spit divides the bay in two, creating distinct inner and outer environments. The outer bay […]
KODIAK, Alaska —The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returned to homeport on Tuesday before last, following a 52-day Bering Sea patrol. While deployed, the crew of the Alex Haley provided search and rescue capability to the fisheries in the Bering Sea. Their embarked MH-65 helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak conducted a search […]