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 […]
Devil — Iraq Iraq asillpiarluni asiituq. – The Devil is very bad. In Alutiiq society, the word iraq translates as demon or devil, and once referred to the soul of an evil person. According to Alutiiq cosmology, instead of ascending to the sky world after death, like the souls of kind people, the souls of the evil […]
Thank you — Quyanaa Quyanaa tailuci. – Thank you all for coming. Quyanaa is the Alutiiq word for thank you. People offer this common expression of gratitude throughout the Alutiiq nation. “Quyanaa,” you might say to your host at the end of a visit, or to a friend who gives you some smoked salmon. To […]
Barrel — Puuc’kaaq Puuc’kaat saRayami et’ut. – The barrels are in the shed. The Alutiiq word for barrel—puuc’kaaq—comes from the Russian word bochka, also meaning barrel. This link reflects the use of barrels for bulk storage on sailing ships in the early historic era. Russian traders imported grain, beads, and many other commodities to Alaska in […]