KILUTAQ – KILIUDA BAY SUUGET KILUTAMEN IQALLUGSURTAARTUT. – PEOPLE ALWAYS GO TO KILIUDA BAY TO FISH. Kiliuda is a large bay on the eastern shore of Kodiak Island with a dramatic coastline. Kiliuda stretches about 25 km into the mountainous spine of Kodiak Island and the lands around its shore are steep. The head of […]
MEQCILUKU – PLUCK SAQUL’AAQ MEQCIRAA. – SHE IS PLUCKING THE DUCK. The Alutiiq verb meqciluku is commonly used to describe plucking the feathers from a bird. However, it can also mean to pull out hair or fur. This is the verb you would use to describe pulling caribou hair from a hide to use in […]
Naken – Where (from) Naken taimaluten? – Where do you come from? The ways people introduce themselves varies across cultures. The traditions in which people are raised influence how they greet each other and express their identities. For example, if you are in Beijing or Boston, shaking hands is a friendly, polite way to meet. […]
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 […]