Yeast — StRausiq (N), StRuusiq (S) StRausircunituq. – It smells like yeast. Yeast is a single-celled microorganism, a type of fungus widely present in nature. There are thousands of varieties of yeast in the air, soil, and water, and on plants and animals. Archaeologists believe that people began incorporating yeast into bread at least 5,000 […]
Eggs-Manit Manigsurciqukut. – We’re going to look for eggs. Bird eggs are a favorite spring food in Alutiiq communities. Each year many thousands of seabirds nest along the rocky shores of the Gulf of Alaska coast. Collectors begin gathering eggs in May, particularly gull eggs. To avoid eggs with developing chicks, it is important to […]
Wednesday, the Alutiiq Museum released Pililita!–Let’s Create, an activity book for youth. This sixty-page paperback is filled with puzzle, word games, crafts, and activities. It was developed by the museum’s staff with contributions for Alutiiq artists and support from the Munartet project and the Alaska State Council for the Arts. Many of the activities are […]
Gun-Nutek Taatillka nutengq’rtaallia. – My late father always had a gun. The Alutiiq word for gun, nutek, comes from the verb nutegluku, “to shoot it.” The first firearms Alutiiq people encountered were flintlock muskets imported by Russian traders. Stephen Glotov, who wintered in Alitak Bay in 1763, used musket fire to scare Alutiiq warriors attacking his ship. […]