Christmas — ARausistuaq (N), Rausistuaq (N), ARusistuaq (S) Guangkuta ARusistuartaartukut January-mi. – We always celebrate Christmas in January. Many of Kodiak’s Alutiiq families celebrate Christmas twice each year: American Christmas on December 25 and Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7. Although both events commemorate the birth of Christ, they are quite different. American Christmas features […]
Snow — Qaniq (falling), Aniuq (on ground) Qaninguq. – It is snowing Although the Kodiak Archipelago does not receive large quantities of snow, snow cover is present between December and March and remains in the region’s high interior mountains throughout the year. For Alutiiq people, frozen landscapes presented both opportunities and challenges. Winter in the […]
Talisman — Nakernaq Carliarluki nakernaten. Nakciquten. – Take care of your talisman. You will be lucky. A rabbit’s foot, a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe–these are all widely recognized symbols of luck in modern American life. They are talismans, objects believed to provide good fortune or personal protection. People in all cultures use talismans, often carrying […]
Dirt — Iqaq Tan’urat waamut iqami. – The boys are playing in the dirt. The soils in the Kodiak region are relatively young, formed since the end of the last ice age less than twelve thousand years ago. Deposits of volcanic ash brought to the archipelago by the wind and the weathering of bedrock and […]