Narluni – Smell (verb)Caqit asiiyutaakameng, narlurtaapet. – When something spoils, we always smell it. The human sense of smell pales by comparison to that of many animals, yet nature equipped people to recognize thousands of odors strong and faint. Biology isn’t the only determinant of the way we smell, however. Our cultural heritage influences everything […]
Neneq – BoneIqsak una nenermek pilimauq. – This fishhook is made of bone. Like stone, wood, and hide, bone was a primary manufacturing material for prehistoric Alutiiq people, and the skeletal remains of animals were carefully butchered to preserve bone for raw material. Bone was processed into pieces much like wood. People split large elements, […]
Uksullaq – ChickadeeUksullaq aturtaartuq ugnerkami. – The Chickadee always sings in the spring. Alaska is home to five species of chickadees, each with a different range. The most common and widely distributed variety is the black-capped or Yukon chickadee (Poecile atricapillus). These small birds thrive in Alaska’s meadows and forests, and can be found across […]
Maqaq – DiceKita, Maqarlinuk. – Come on! Let’s (two of us) play dice. Dice games are very common across North America. Native societies from New England to the Pacific Northwest enjoy tossing small objects in games of chance. Russian traders recorded an Alutiiq dice game they called stopka, where players tossed a small figurine carved […]