Llaatesurta – Weatherman Llaatsurtaallriit. – They used to be weathermen. Long before marine radios, the nightly, television weather report, weather apps and weather cams, Alutiiq people interpreted the weather by reading the wind, waves, clouds, and phase of the sun and moon. Shaman, men and women skilled at interacting with the unseen world, were weather […]
Umiartusqaq– Computer Umiartusqaq masiinaq stuulumi et’uq.– The computer is on the table. There is a common misconception that technological change is synonymous withcultural change, that as people adopt new items of technology they adopt the values and perspectives of other cultures. For example, many visitors to Alaska think there are no true Alaska Natives because […]
Atmak; Ekgwik; Ekguiyutaq – Hunting Bag; Backpack Atmangq’rtuq. – He has a backpack. Packing well for a hunting or fishing trip was as important in the past as it is today. Alutiiq men filled their kayaks with useful things: wooden containers filled with fresh food and water, sleeping blankets, and even inflated seal bladders for […]
Tuullek; Tuulautek– Tongs Keniyaqama tuulautek aturtaagka.– When I cook I use tongs. Tongs were common tools in ancestral Alutiiq households. Carvers fashioned these implements by lashing together two lengths of wood shaped with flat oval ends. This created an effective tool for moving hot rocks. Heating rocks was a daily task, as people used hot […]