Arnaq—Woman Arnat peknartutaartut.—Women work hard. Women had important economic, social, and spiritual roles in classical Alutiiq society. In addition to collecting plant foods, they processed fish for storage, tanned hides, sewed the skin coverings for kayaks, wove baskets, and manufactured clothing. In winter villages, groups of related women lived together in large sod houses with […]
Aikuq (N), Piugta (S)—Dog April mal’ugnek piugtengq’rtuq.—April has two dogs. Archaeological sites in Alaska illustrate that dogs (Canis familiaris) have been a part of Native communities for at least two thousand years, although the presence of dogs in Siberia eleven thousand years ago suggests that it may be much longer. On Kodiak, dog bones illustrate […]
Paan’kaaq—Can Iqallut lliitaaqait paan’kaanun.—They used to put fish in cans. Kodiak relies heavily on labor to process locally caught fish for delivery to the world‘s market. Alutiiq people have been part of the cannery work force for more than a century, contributing to all stages of fishing processing from catching and cleaning fresh caught salmon […]
Manit-Eggs 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 collect those […]