-taar- – Always; Habitually Englaryumataartuq. – He is always smiling. A suffix is a letter or group of letters that can be added to the end of a word to create a new word. For example, if you add the suffix -able to the word excite, you get excitable! Alutiiq speakers build words with a […]
In 2003, Alaska’s Rasmuson Foundation launched its Art Acquisition Fund, providing grants to museums to collect the current works of Alaskan artists. In its first decade, the fund distributed nearly $2 million and helped 33 museums purchase more than 1,000 works by 436 artists. A new exhibit, “Living Alaska: A Decade of Collecting Contemporary Art […]
Atkuk – Coat Atkut makut maqartut. – These coats are warm. Before the introduction of western clothing, Alutiiq men and women wore a long, hoodless robe made of fur and bird skin. Puffins, cormorants, and other sea birds provided the primary raw materials for elaborately decorated parkas. Bird hides were not formally tanned like sealskins, […]
Cauyaq – Music; Drum Cauyat pingaqtaanka, asqignasqat. – I like music that has a good beat. Music is a cultural universal. Every human society has a musical tradition. Although these traditions vary greatly, with unique styles, sounds, and ways of performing, music is an essential part of the artistic expression of all people. Despite the […]