Akilingnaq’sqat–Corporation Akilingnaq’sqat angsinartut akilingnaqlluteng.–Some corporations are big and they are trying to make money. Forty years ago, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act returned forty-four million acres of lands and 962.5 million dollars to Alaska’s Native people. Known by its acronym ANCSA, this historic piece of federal legislation represented a turning point in the social […]
Sugpiat–Real People “Sugpianek” ap’rtaakiikut cuumi, nutaan ap’rtaaraakut Alutiit–They used to call us Sugpiaq before, but now we are called Alutiiqs. Who are Kodiak’s Native people? This a common question. Russian fur traders called them the Aleut, a word derived from a Siberian Native language that means coastal dweller. The Russian’s applied this term to all […]
Nanwam suugii–Lake Person / Mermaid Suuget ilait niu’uqurtaarait Nanwam suugi ell’uni.–Some people always talk about there being a ‘lake person.’ Stories of unusual creatures associated with water are ancient and found in many cultures. Greek myths talk of the sirens, birds with women’s faces whose sweet songs lure sailors to their death. The Scottish tell […]
Cuknaq–Hole Cuknangq’rtuq ulugken.–Your pants got a hole. The tools of classical Alutiiq society were often complex, featuring many parts. A harpoon, a cooking vessel, a suit of armor, or a mask had numerous carefully shaped, interlocking pieces. To fasten these pieces together, craftsmen drilled small holes for lashing and pegging. Alutiiq people drilled holes in […]