Mosquito — Mengquiluq Mengquilum kegkiinga.—The mosquito bit me. Mosquitoes are small flies of the Culicidae family. There are thirty-five species of these annoying insects found in impressive numbers across Alaska. Mosquitoes breed in slow moving or still water, from swamps and ponds to sloughs, creeks, and even a bucket of water. For this reason, […]
Current — Carwaq Carwaq tukniuq. – The current is strong. Perched on the edge of the continental shelf, the Kodiak Archipelago lies in the path of the Alaska current. Driven by wind and freshwater, this warm oceanic flow courses out of the central Pacific and circulates counterclockwise along the Gulf of Alaska’s coast. This current, […]
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 […]
Christmas — ARausistuaq (N), Rausistuaq (N), ARusistuaq (S) Guangkuta ARusistuartaartukut January-mi. – We always celebrate Christmas in January. Many of Kodiak’s Alutiiq families celebrate Christmas twice each year: American Christmas on December 25 and Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7. Although both events commemorate the birth of Christ, they are quite different. American Christmas features […]