Ciquq : Cottonwood
Ciqumek aturtaartut palkaali'akameng. :
They use cottonwood to smoke salmon.

Cottonwood trees on the shore of Karluk Lake.

The balsam cottonwood, or balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), is a common deciduous tree in coastal Alaska.  It thrives at lower elevations in moist soil and typically occurs in large stands on flood plains, riverbanks, and disturbed ground.  Cottonwood trees have oval leaves, thick, deeply furrowed gray bark, and a soft wood.  The term cottonwood refers to the many small cottony seeds released by the trees’ flowers each summer.  These fluffy seeds float through the air like snow.

Cottonwood has many uses.  Alutiiq people favor cottonwood for smoking fish, as it burns slowly and at low temperatures.  Smokers prefer to use dead wood and bark for this task, as green cottonwood imparts a stronger, less desirable flavor.  Cottonwood is not typically used to heat homes, although shavings of the wood make an excellent tinder.

The Alutiiq word for cottonwood, ciquq, can also be used to mean “dishes”, as the soft wood of this tree was once carved into kitchen utensils.  Before carving, craftsman sometimes burned their stock with hot rocks to aid in shaping the wood.  In addition to plates, ladles, and spoons, cottonwood was carved into fishing floats and toys.  Planks of green cottonwood are valuable for construction, as they resist water better than spruce, and cottonwood poles make good supports for fish drying racks.

Cottonwood also has healing properties.  Alutiiq steam bathers use its leafy branches to switch away aches and pains - particularly those associated with arthritis.  Arthritis can also eased by soaking your feet in hot water infused with cottonwood branches.

Alutiiq Word of the Week, Season 13 : Lesson 8

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