Sua’aq – FingerQulnek sua’angq’rtua. – I have ten fingers. The Alutiiq word sua’aq refers generally to a finger. Like English speakers, however, Alutiiq speakers have unique words for individual fingers. For example, Alutiiqs call the middle finger akulimaq, from the word for in-between. The second, or index finger is tekeq. Alutiiqs have a joke about […]
Aluuwirmiu’at; tamallkuamiu’at – Alaska Peninsula PeopleAluuwirmiu’at yaqsisinartut. – People of the Alaska Peninsula are far away. The Alaska Peninsula is a cultural crossroads, a place where the peoples of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska have long interacted. Archaeological data suggest that Alutiiq people moved west across the peninsula about 750 years […]
Iraluruaq – Jellyfish Iraluruat tang’rniitaartut! – Jellyfish don’t look very good! Jellyfish are plentiful in Alaska waters. These ancient marine creatures are not actually fish but invertebrates related to corals and sea anemones. Jellyfish have no brains, no heart, no eyes, and no ears, yet they are effective predators. To capture food, they use tentacles […]
Kasuulluni – Married Ikuk kasuutkutartuk unuaku. – Those two are going to get married tomorrow. In classical Alutiiq society, preparation for marriage began at puberty. At the onset of her menstrual period, a girl was secluded in special hut for at least ten days. Menstrual blood was considered so extremely offensive to animals that great […]