Qiawik – Crying Place Qikertaq qiawik. – The island is a crying place. In classical Alutiiq society, the relationships between communities sometimes soured. Although people from neighboring villages visited, traded, assisted each other, married, and celebrated together—they also clashed. Insults and stealing were a common source of feuds. To seek revenge, a party of warriors […]
Uqtuk – Olga Bay Uqtuk ang’sinartuq. – Olga Bay is very big. Most Kodiak bays taper from a wide mouth to a narrow head. Olga Bay, at the southern end of Kodiak Island, is the opposite. Here, a narrow channel connects this large body of water with the ocean. To enter Olga Bay, boats must […]
Nanwarnaq – Lagoon Cuumi suuget nayuryartaallriit nanwarnarmen. – People used to go hunt ducks at the lagoon. The Alutiiq word for lagoon comes from the word nanwaq meaning lake. This is an apt description. Like lakes, lagoons are protected bodies of water. Most are separated from the ocean by some type of barrier—a sand bar, a reef, […]
Negtaq – Nest Mal’uk manik tang’ranka negtami. – I see the two eggs in the nest. Along the cost of Kodiak, sea birds nest in a variety of habitats. From the beach to rocky cliff faces, each species has a preferred habitat. Gulls like flat ground. Murres perch on ledges. Puffins burrow or rest in […]