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. […]
New Year’s Eve — Nuuwikuutam Maqin’ra (N), Snuuwikuutam Maqin’ra (S), Nuta’aq uksugkam Maqin’ra Ernerpak nuta’aq uksugkam Maqin’ra. – Today is New Year’s Eve. A favorite Kodiak New Year’s tradition is the annual masquerade ball. This celebration of renewal occurs on January 14, New Years Day on the Julian Calendar that tracks the Orthodox year. The […]
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 […]