KITAIT’SAAQ – CHINESE PERSON CUUMI KITAIT’SAAT TAITAALLRIIT KAANARIMEN PEKCATURLUTENG. – CHINESE PEOPLE USED TO COME TO WORK IN THE CANNERIES. Late 19th century political unrest in China led large numbers of people to leave the country. Booming industries—the gold rush, railroads, and canneries—attracted Chinese immigrants to the United States. On Kodiak, Chinese laborers were a critical […]
KANGIYANGCUK, KICARWIK – HARBOR PARAGUUTAQA KICAK’GKA KANGIYANGCUGMI. — I ANCHORED MY BOAT IN THE HARBOR. Alutiiq people have long located their settlements in places that provide safe access to the ocean. In Kodiak’s stormy climate, the ability to launch and land boats is essential for people who hunt, fish, and work on the water. With […]
KIA’IWIK – KIAVAK BAY KIA’IWIK YAQSIN’ITUQ NUNIAMEK. – KIAVAK BAY IS NOT FAR FROM OLD HARBOR. Kiavak Bay lies on the southeast coast of Kodiak Island. This long, narrow waterway stretches about 8 km west into the Kodiak Mountains. A spit divides the bay in two, creating distinct inner and outer environments. The outer bay […]
Imarpiaq – Shelikof Strait Imarpiamen qayanilu. – Don’t kayak in Shelikof Strait. Shelikof Strait runs along the west coast of the Kodiak Archipelago, separating the islands from the Alaska Peninsula. It stretches about 240 km from the entrance to Cook Inlet to the southwestern end of Kodiak Island. The straight is a glacial trough, deeply […]
TUMANAQ, UMNEQ – FOG TUMANAQ MARTUQ. (N); UMNEQ MARTUQ. (S) – THE FOG IS THICK. Each summer clouds of mist and sea fog envelop Kodiak’s coast. As warm summer air passes over the cool North Pacific Ocean, dense patches of fog build against the island, where they may sit for days. Because fog can seriously […]
Ceterluki – To mark (them) Kapsuutait cetertaallkait. – They used to mark their spears. The Alutiiq verb ceterluni can mean either to mark or to scratch. Today, some of the Alutiiq words for pencil, pen, and even signature are related to this term. In the past, however, ceterluki probably referred to making ownership marks. Across the north, coastal peoples identified […]
AIMQAQ – PORTAGE KANGIYAMEK PORTAGE BAY-MEN AIMQARTAALLRIIT. – THEY USED TO PORTAGE FROM KAGUYAK TO PORTAGE BAY. Traveling overland can be difficult on Kodiak. Thick brush, swampy lowlands, and steep slopes can make walking slow and frustrating. Fittingly, the Alutiiq verb for portage, aimqaq, literally means ‘vegetation broken off here and there’. However, there are […]
MANGAQ – PORPOISE AIWIAKAUT PARAGAUTAKUN MANGAT TAITAAARTUT, WAAMENGUARLUTENG. – WHEN YOU ARE GOING BY BOAT, PORPOISES COME AND KIND OF PLAY. Two varieties of porpoise frequent Kodiak’s coastal waters: the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and the Dahl porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli). These swift, muscular animals are members of the cetacean family, a group of marine mammals […]
UQGWIK – ALDER 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 of […]