Rib — Raatateq Isuwim raatatii mangirnartuk. – Seal ribs are good to gnaw on. Animal ribs were once an important source of raw material for Alutiiq craftspeople. People used these long, narrow, naturally curved pieces of bone in manufacturing tasks both large and small. Studies of ancestral villages illustrate that whale ribs were used […]
Alder — Uqgwik Uqgwit kua’akameng cillkataartut. – When alders burn they make a crackling sound. Sitka alder (Alnus crispa) is a large shrub that grows up to twenty feet tall. Found commonly across the Kodiak Archipelago, this plant thrives in a wide range of environments, from mountain slopes to coastal meadows and the banks […]
Puffins — Tunngat Tunngat manigtut p’hnami. – The puffins are laying eggs on the cliff. Puffins, also known as sea parrots, are members of the auk family. The Kodiak Archipelago is home to two varieties of this bird, the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) and the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata). Both have large, brightly colored, […]
Vole, Mouse — Kriisaq (N), Ugna’aq (S) Kaugya’at ugna’anek nertaartut. – Foxes eat voles. The northern vole (Microtus oeconomus), also known as the tundra vole or root vole, is one of Kodiak’s original residents. This small rodent feeds primarily on the bark and roots of plants, particularly sedges and cotton grass. In search of […]