ITERWIK / AWATII – RIM ASUM AWATII GAGTUQ. – THE RIM OF THE POT IS COARSE. The Alutiiq word iterwik literally means ‘it’s entrance.’ This term can describe many things, from a wind that blows into the mouth of a bay to the rim of a basket. Openings have symbolic importance in Alutiiq culture and […]
CAIK – COMMON WORMWOOD OR SILVERLEAF CAAYULILUA CAIGMEK. – I AM MAKING SILVERLEAF TEA. Common wormwood (Artemisia tilesii Ledeb.), known around Kodiak as silverleaf, is a member of the sunflower family. This perennial herb grows across northern North American in open environments. Silverleaf is a tall herb, with stems up to three feet long and […]
SAKURSUUTEQ (S) / IWALRAYAGSUUN (N) – CRAB POT ALLRANI SAKURSUUT’MEK IKUGTAARTUKUT QUTMEK. – SOMETIMES WE FIND CRAB POTS AT THE BEACH. The Alutiiq words for crab pot translate as “tool for getting crab”. Today, these large steel and wire devices are a common sight on boat decks, in people’s yards, and stacked along the shore. […]
NUUWIKUUTARLUNI – NEW YEAR’S PLAY NUUWIKUUTARTUKUT. – WE ARE GOING TO DO THE NEW YEAR’S PLAY. For over a century, the Alutiiq New Year’s play was a Kodiak holiday tradition. Today, the residents of Nanwalek and Port Graham continue to stage this comical show, but it has not been performed on Kodiak for years. Introduced […]