Dog — Aikuq (N), Sapakaq (N), Piugta (S) April mal’ugnek piugtengq’rtuq. – April has two dogs. Archaeological sites in Alaska illustrate that dogs (Canis familiaris) have been a part of Native communities for at least two thousand years, although the presence of dogs in Siberia eleven thousand years ago suggests that it may be […]
Baby Song — Inquq Aturtuq inqumek carliani. – She’s singing a baby song to her baby. In the Alutiiq language, inqeluni means to amuse a young child by rocking or playing or to sing to a loved one, particularly a baby. Nouns derived from this verb include inqun, inquq, and inequteq, which refer to baby songs. These are […]
Current — Carwaq Carwaq tukniuq. – The current is strong. Perched on the edge of the continental shelf, the Kodiak Archipelago lies in the path of the Alaska current. Driven by wind and freshwater, this warm oceanic flow courses out of the central Pacific and circulates counterclockwise along the Gulf of Alaska’s coast. This current, […]
Eagle Harbor — Irak Amlesqat Nuniarmiut Iragmek taimaut. – There are a lot of Old Harbor people that come from Eagle Harbor. Today the grass-covered depressions of sod houses and the memories shared by Elders are all that remain of Eagle Harbor, a once sizeable Alutiiq village. This community rested on the southern shore of […]