Speaker

Born in California, Alfred Quijance grew up speaking Alutiiq and moved to Kodiak when he was eleven years old. He and his wife Helen now live in Seldovia, where he enjoys carpentry and eating traditional foods such as duck, seal, and baidarkies.

Fred Coyle learned Alutiiq from his mother and father, and has helped to establish an Alutiiq language learning group in Anchorage in collaboration with Irene Coyle and John Yakanak.

Candace Branson is an advanced Alutiiq speaker and teacher. Her Alutiiq name is Cutmen ("Moving Forward").

Julia was born in Afognak, Alaska in 1929. Her parents were Afonie and Christina Knagin Lukin.

Nick Alokli was born in 1936 at the Alitak Cannery near Akhiok, and grew up in Akhiok and at Egkuq in the Olga Bay Narrows.

Clyda Christiansen lived in Larsen Bay and Karluk. Clyda shared stories and oral histories, which are contained in the Alutiiq Museum collections.

A lifelong member of the Kodiak community, Susan Malutin is from Alutiiq families with roots in Afognak and Ukamok (Chirikof Island) villages.

April Gale Laktonen Counceller, also known as Isiik ("Owl"), is currently the Executive Director at the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository.

Also known as Agisaq ("Lookout") or Englartaq ("Laugher"), Alisha has studied Alutiiq for over 10 years and has attained advanced fluency.

Sophie Katelnikoff Shepherd was born in Karluk in 1927. Her apprentices call her Taquka’aq ("Bear").