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.

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This Week’s Lesson

Walrus
Photo: Ivory carving of a walrus head. Uyak site, Larsen Bay Alaska, courtesy of the Larsen Bay Tribe.
Word & Sentence
Walrus — Wiinarpak
 Wiinarpat guu'gpagtuut. – Walrus have big teeth. 

Winarpk, the Alutiiq word for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) translates as ‘big sea lion.’ This term reflects the rarity of walrus in the Alutiiq homeland. Walruses are coastal residents of western Alaska, found along the shores of the Bering and...

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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.
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Recording the Podcast
Dehrich Chya records a podcast at the Alutiiq Museum.
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