MAQIWIK – STEAM BATH MAQIWIK UQNAARLLIA. – THE BANYA WAS HOT. Alutiiq sod houses had a small side chamber designed specifically for steam bathing. This room had a low ceiling and a narrow, covered doorway that trapped steam. People carried hot rocks into the steam bath with special wooden tongs and piled them into a […]
With a $12,925 grant from Museums Alaska, the Alutiiq Museum will purchase five works of art for its permanent collection. The pieces are the creations of five different artists with links to Alutiiq culture or to Kodiak. From Kodiak Alutiiq artist Mary Jane Longrich, the museum will purchase Nootka Rose, a contemporary doll made of […]
KELUGKAQ – THREAD KELUGKANEK ATURTAARTUKUT MINGQU’AKAMTA. – WE ALWAYS USE THREAD WHEN WE SEW. Alutiiq seamstresses manufactured thread from the tendons of whales, porpoises, and seals. Thin strands of sinew were separated with the fingernails from sea mammal tendons and the resulting thread wrapped around a wooden spool. This sturdy sewing material was used to […]
AQLLAQ – WIND YAATIINI, AKGUA’AQ, ERNERPAK CALI AQLLANGENGUARTUQ. – THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN WINDY. Wind is a persistent environmental feature of Alaska’s gulf coast. Steep mountains funnel sudden gusts down coastal valleys, and winter storms bring blustery weather that generates high seas and cold temperatures. For Kodiak residents, the wind is both a […]