Alutiiq Word of the Week

Alutiiq Word of the Week

Lessons in Language and Culture

Weekly lessons on all things Alutiiq! Explore Alutiiq vocabulary and a wealth of cultural information.

Featuring the wisdom of Elders Nick Alokli, Florence Pestrikoff, Sophie Shepherd, and Victor Peterson. Hosted by Dehrich Chya, April Laktonen Counceller, Marya Halvorsen, and Michael Bach.

Visit the Archive

This Week’s Lesson

Anchor
Photo: Anchor and net sinker, Karluk One village site, Koniag, Inc. collection.
Word & Sentence
Anchor — Kicaq
Kicaq agtunartuq. – The anchor is heavy.  

Before the availability of metal tools, Alutiiq people fashioned anchors from large cobbles.  Craftsmen selected a relatively flat, rectangular rock and shaped it by chipping. A stone anchor found in Karluk is 10 inches long and weighs about six pounds. The edges of the stone were ch...

View Lesson
Word of the Week Archive
Word of the week voices and advisors
From left, April Counceller, Florence Pestrikof, Sophie Shepherd, and Nick Alokli, word of the week voices and advisors, sign copies of the Alutiiq Word of the Week book, 2012.
From A to Y (accordion to yeast!), there are 679 lessons in our searchable Word of the Week archive. Learn about the Alutiiq world, practice word pronunciation, and share lessons with family and friends. Type a topic in the search box to start exploring. Developed with a grant to Koniag from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Visit the Archive    Word of the Week Book
Recording the Podcast
Dehrich Chya records a podcast at the Alutiiq Museum.
Don’t Miss a Word!

Sign up for our email broadcast and to receive a weekly language lesson with podcast link by emailing Dehrich Chya.

You can also listen to the Word of the Week on KMXT Public Radio, tune into the weekly podcast on Spotify and other platforms, read lessons in the Friday edition of the Kodiak Daily Mirror, and find a new lesson each Sunday on the Alutiiq Museum’s social media.

Sign Me Up!
Ask Us - Ap'skikut
Cultural Questions Portal
Do you need help researching a cultural question? Submit your question to our staff by completing the form linked below. We'll pass your question on to a knowledgeable staff member. We'll do our best to help you find an answer and share related resources.
Ap’skikut.—Ask Us.