Mal’ugnek segnengq’rtua, kinam tenglukiinga! – I got two black eyes, somebody hit me! There are many ways to get a black eye. Elders recall that men and boys working around swinging fishing gear were frequently bruised in the face. Others got shiners from fighting, particularly after school. Parents forbid such sparring and would punish them […]
Slave — Metqaq AMLESQANEK METQANGQ’RTUQ. – HE HAS A LOT OF SLAVES. Like their Tlingit and Aleut neighbors, Alutiiq people 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, […]
Wife-Nuliq Nulingr’tua.– I’ve got a wife. Everyone in Alutiiq society was expected to marry. Although marriages were not typically arranged, there were preferred marriage partners. According to anthropologist Birket-Smith, a young person was once particularly encouraged to marry a cousin. However, not all cousins were potential mates. Parallel cousins (your parents’ same-sex siblings’ children) were […]
Caribou, Reindeer-Tuntuq Tuntumek piturlita. – Let’s (all) eat some reindeer. Today, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are only present in substantial numbers in a part of the Alutiiq homeland—the northern Alaska Peninsula. Here communities take advantage of seasonal migrations, harvesting animals as they move south to calving grounds in the spring and north to winter range in […]