Seal — Isuwiq Isuwiq piturnirtuq. – The seal tastes good. Kodiak’s sea mammals provided a variety of resources for Alutiiq people. Seals, sea lions, porpoises, and whales produced meat for food, oil for light, hides for boat coverings, and bone and sinew for tools. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were particularly important because they were available […]
Baleen — Kagit’ruaq Inartat kag’it’ruamek pilitaallriit. – They used to make baskets out of baleen. What do hooves, horns, hair, claws, fingernails, feathers, scales, beaks, and baleen have in common? They are all made of keratin, a fibrous protein found in living organisms. In humans, keratin makes up the outer layer of our skin […]
Dragonfly — Cilrayuk Cilrayuk alingtaakait. – They used to be afraid of the dragonfly. Did you know that Alaska has an official insect? In 1995, the state’s schoolchildren awarded the dragonfly this special honor. The four-spotted skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) took the prize. Like the thirty other species of dragonflies in Alaska, this insect can eat […]
Worm, Insect — Kinguk Tawa kingugturningaitua! – No, I won’t eat worms! Earthworms are relatively rare in Alaska. Despite the abundance and notoriety of their cousin the ice worm, earthworms do not thrive in acidic forest soils or in areas with extensively frozen ground. Of the 1,800 known species of earthworms, the only naturally occurring […]