Nikiiq – Sod Engluq nikiimek patumauq. – The house is covered with sod. The lush grasses of Alaska’s coastal meadows produce more than just weaving material for Native people. The thick tangles of roots, which cling to deep underlying layers of soil, were traditionally cut into blocks and used in house construction. Piles of sod […]
Metqaq – Slave Amlesqanek metqangq’rtuq. – He has a lot of slaves. Like their Tlingit and Aleut neighbors, Alutiiqs lived in a ranked society. Individuals were born into one of three classes: elite, common, or slave. These social distinctions ordered much of daily life. From dividing subsistence foods to sharing a meal, giving gifts, or […]
Sun’aq – Kodiak City Qaku-mi angiciqsit Sun’amen? – When will you come back to Kodiak? Established by fur traders in 1793, Kodiak was the second major Russian settlement on Kodiak Island and the first capital of Russian America. It was originally called Pavlovskaia Gavan, Paul’s Harbor, or St. Paul’s Harbor. Although archaeological sites indicate that […]
Kiwiksaq – Oyster Catcher Kiwiksat maniigtaartut qutmi. – Oystercatchers always lay their eggs on the beach. With a world population of about ten thousand birds, the American black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is a large, jet-black shorebird with a long orange beak and orange-encircled eye. It inhabits the western coast of North America, ranging from the […]