Kulutruaq – Labret Kulutruaq gua’i. – The labret is right here. Throughout Alaska, many Native people wore labrets: decorative plugs of bone and stone inserted through holes pierced in their cheeks and below their lips. Alutiiq men and women wore labrets singly or in pairs. At birth, babies were fitted with a tiny starter labret, […]
Taqiq – Lance (medicinal) Wiika taugum taqikii. – My husband was lanced by that person. Four-wheelers are the small, open, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that provide transportation in Kodiak’s Alutiiq communities. Because it is both difficult and expensive to ship a full-sized car or truck to a remote village, many residents choose to purchase these sturdy, […]
KaaRaruangcuk; Masiinakliitarpak – Four Wheeler Village-ni kaaRaruangcut amlertaartut. – There are a lot of four wheelers in the villages. Four-wheelers are the small, open, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that provide transportation in Kodiak’s Alutiiq communities. Because it is both difficult and expensive to ship a full-sized car or truck to a remote village, many residents choose […]
Mangil’un, Qapuk – Pumice Allrani iwaiyaqa qapuk qutmi, kesiin miktaartuq. – Sometimes I find pumice on the beach, but it is always small. Pumice is a type of volcanic glass. This gritty, light-colored igneous rock forms during volcanic eruptions, as water mixes with molten lava. The water turns to steam and creates a light-weight, frothy […]