Benny Benson-rem ernera – Benny Benson Day Unuaqu Benny Benson-rem ernera. – Tomorrow is Benny Benson’s Day. Many countries in the New World celebrate the second Monday in October as Columbus Day, honoring the European discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. For indigenous people, however, Columbus Day represents the beginning of European colonization and […]
Cikusinaq – GlacierCikusinat urugcaurtut. – The glaciers are starting to melt. In the Alutiiq language, the term for glacier varies by region. Among Kodiak area Alutiiq speakers, the word is cikusinaq. The root of this word, ciku-, means ice, piece of ice, or iceberg. Add the suffix –sinaq, meaning large or great, and you get […]
Suarnituluni – Wild Tasting / Gamey Una tuntuq suarnituu’uq. – This deer has a wild taste. Wild meats can have a gamey taste. There are people who claim to like this flavor, but most prefer to avoid eating gamey steaks and roasts. To prevent filling their larders with wild-tasting deer, elk, goat, or bear, Alutiiqs […]
Ciqiluku – Splash It Yaamat ciqiki. – Splash the rocks. It’s Saturday evening and curls of smoke drift from the small shed next to an Alutiiq home. It is banya night and a family has lit the woodstove in their bathhouse to heat rocks and water for washing. Inside, smooth, water-worn beach cobbles cover a […]