Ancestors — Cuumillat, Cuuliallrat, Cuulirat Cuumillat lisngataallit. – The ancestors were very learned. Concepts of time differ between societies. Western cultures think of time as linear and progressive: species evolve, investments grow, technologies develop, and the past is often seen as outdated or quaint. To many Native people, including Alutiiqs, time is more circular and […]
Beaded Headdress Arya’aq nacartumauq. – The girl is wearing a beaded headdress. Alaska Natives in communities from interior Alaska to the southeast coast once wore beaded headdresses. Among the Alutiiq people, headdresses were an important item of ceremonial regalia, worn at festivals for dancing, feasting, and visiting. Women’s headdresses were typically made from hundreds of […]
Yeast — StRausiq (N), StRuusiq (S) StRausircunituq. – It smells like yeast. Yeast is a single-celled microorganism, a type of fungus widely present in nature. There are thousands of varieties of yeast in the air, soil, and water, and on plants and animals. Archaeologists believe that people began incorporating yeast into bread at least 5,000 […]
Eggs-Manit Manigsurciqukut. – We’re going to look for eggs. Bird eggs are a favorite spring food in Alutiiq communities. Each year many thousands of seabirds nest along the rocky shores of the Gulf of Alaska coast. Collectors begin gathering eggs in May, particularly gull eggs. To avoid eggs with developing chicks, it is important to […]