Wangkuta Qanriarait Nanvarparmiut Yugestun

Kepnerciq 2017

Waqaa Igyararmiut! Kepnerciq – the month/time of cutting, began with a Master-Apprentice lesson at school on cutting a caribou leg. Our list of “survival phrases” was handed out to the students so they have an idea of how to stay in immersion when interacting with elders. Then elders Dallia and Alice showed how to cut meat and what you could use different parts for. Here is an example of Master-Apprentice immersion dialogue:
(pointing to knife): “tauna cauga”? – what is that? Elder “una nussik”. Repeat x 5, ask others what it is to practice perfecting pronunciation.
(pointing to a different knife): “tauna cauga”? Elder: “una uluaq”. Piyugtuten-qaa uluaq wall’ nussik? Do you want a knife or an uluaq?
(touching caribou leg): “una cauga”? – what is this? Elder “tauna tuntum iruq” – that is a leg belonging to a caribou.
I also brought along dry meat to compare with the raw meat. Without using any English, we ask what each is called: Kenirtalleq (dried thing) wall’ Qass’aq (raw). Dallia builds on this simple vocabulary by telling us all in Yugestun the different things that can be eaten raw like caribou, moose, whitefish…but “takuqaq qassaryaqunaku” – you don’t ever eat brown bear meat raw.

As Dallia is cutting, I ask her “Caliyet?” which is in the survival phrase list meaning, “What are you doing”. “Kep’urua” – “I am cutting it.” She converses back, “Kep’luku”, “you cut it.” In this simple manner we can retain and repeat a few simple concepts. An audio/video recorder is brought along to capture the whole session. The short term goal is to pick up new vocabulary around a certain activity, in this case, butchering meat. In the long-term fluency goal, we will keep revisiting our audio/video tape to continue learning all that was said during the session.

Yup’ik community class also focused on learning suffixes: -(s)ta, -vik, .ssun/+cuun and solving equations such as: (see graphic)

We also introduced postbases ngqerr/ngite (to have and to have not) and reinforced that learning with “Manaq” or “Go Fish”. Kanvviitangqertuten-qaa? (Do you have candy?) Qang’a Kanvviitaitua, manaq (No, I do not have candy, go fish).

With Apprentices we have done initial lesson-planning for the remainder of the school year. Elementary and community classes will continue until April 27th. The next theme to be introduced will be Up’nerkami, Springtime. Our Yuraq Group performed at the 52nd Annual Kokhanok Carnival and it was well-received. We are now practicing to learn: Tarvarnauramken, or the Blessing Song. Community classes are still Monday – Thursday 12:40 – 1:10 and yuraq is every Friday at the same time so come join! Quyana for your continued participation in our program!