KAKIWIK – SEWING BAG MINGQUN KAKIWIGMI ET’UQ. – THE NEEDLE IS IN THE SEWING BAG. Alutiiq women are known for their sewing skill. In ancient times, they used delicate ivory and bird bone needles, bird bone awls, and wooden spools of animal sinew to stitch fine clothing. Their tools were stored in sewing bags with […]
IRALUQ – MOON UNUGPAK IRALUQ TATARTUQ. – TONIGHT THE MOON IS FULL. In classical Alutiiq cosmology, there are five sky worlds, layered one on top of the other. The fifth sky world, farthest from earth, is the most pure. This is the home of Llam Sua, the Alutiiq supreme being. The first sky world, […]
UNUGTUARAA – FRAZER LAKE PISURYARTAALLRIIT UNUGTUARAAMEN. – THEY USED TO GO FRAZER LAKE TO HUNT. Frazer Lake is a long, narrow body of water surrounded by the steep mountains of south central Kodiak Island. It lies between Karluk Lake and Red Lake and drains south into Olga Bay through Dog Salmon Creek. Although home […]
PUYUQ – SMOKE MECUUSQANEK KENERQAT PUYURNARTUU’UT. – WET FIREWOOD IS VERY SMOKY. In Alutiiq communities, wood smoke is best known for its ability to flavor and preserve fish. Each family has its own special recipe for creating savory smoked salmon. Some rely on cottonwood, as both the bark and the wood of this widely […]
TUNNGAT – PUFFINS TUNNGAT MANIGTUT P’HNAMI. – THE PUFFINS ARE LAYING EGGS ON THE CLIFF. Puffins, also known as sea parrots, are members of the auk family. The Kodiak Archipelago is home to two varieties of this bird, the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) and the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata). Both have large, brightly colored, […]
ANCIQ – TROUT ANCINEK PISURTAARTUKUK. – WE TWO ALWAYS FISH FOR TROUT. Kodiak streams support two races of trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), resident rainbows and anadromous steelhead. Rainbow trout live in freshwater throughout the year. In contrast, steelhead trout spend a large portion of their lives in marine waters. They enter local rivers between August […]
IGYA’AQ – THROAT, LAKE OUTLET IQALLUT IGYA’ARMI ET’UT. – THE FISH ARE AT THE OUTLET. In the Alutiiq world, a common way of naming places is by using terms that describe how they look. Some names refer to geographic feature. In Alutiiq, Seven Mile Beach is known as Qut’sinaq, or ‘large beach’. Other names […]
NEGAQ – SNARE MIKLLUMNI PAPAAMA NEGANEK PILITAAKIINGA, AMITATUGNEK PISIURLUTA. – WHEN I WAS SMALL MY DAD MADE ME SNARES SO WE COULD CATCH WEASELS. Fall and early winter are the best times to hunt Kodiak’s furbearers, when their coats grow full and plush in response to cold weather. Although trapping was introduced in the […]
ARUNAT, AUNAT, ATKUT – CLOTHING ARUNANEK PILIYUQ. – SHE IS MAKING CLOTHES. Sewing in classical Alutiiq society was often a social activity. Women enjoyed each other’s company as they produced clothing and covers for skin boats. Girls began participating at the age of six, making thread and braiding line. Some communities recognized a young […]