A rock painted like an octopus by Heather Stemmerman (Photo by David Purdy/KTOO)
This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is náaḵw, or octopus. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say náaḵw.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Náaḵw.
That means octopus.
Here are some sentences:
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Daa sáwé aan yeedanáḵw? Há náaḵw áyá.
What are you baiting with? Oh, it’s octopus.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Náaḵw tsu haa atx̱áayix̱ sitee.
Octopus is also our food.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: A tlʼeiḵ káx̱ yaa kdag̱wátʼch, náaḵw.
The octopus is crawling along on its tentacles.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Náaḵw dutáax’in.
People used to bite octopus.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Náaḵw du ḵoowú tóodáx̱ daak wujiḵáḵ.
The octopus crawled out of it’s den.
You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week.
The family of Tracy Lynn Day, a Lingít woman who has been missing since 2019, at a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples vigil on March 13, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO).
Juneau community members gathered for a candlelight vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People on Thursday.
It was a space for healing after the remains of a missing Indigenous teenager were found in Arizona last month. That loss touched an emotion that crosses state boundaries — the loss that Indigenous communities everywhere feel about their relatives who were victimized by violence.
“We will never stop saying their names,” said Xeetli.éesh Lyle James, Lingít advocate and leader.
A fire crackled as dozens of people gathered under a lunar eclipse at the Kaasei Healing Kootéeyaa, a totem pole that represents healing from gender-based violence. James read the names of Indigenous women and children who have been murdered, or disappeared.
“The most recent: repeat after me, Emily Pike. Say her name,” James said.
Emily Pike was 14 years old when she went missing from her group home in Arizona in January. Her dismembered remains were found a month later.
This tragic story isn’t an uncommon one. Indigenous women and girls in the United States are three times more likely to be murdered than white women and girls. For that reason, the news touched members of the Juneau community, who gathered to honor, remember and heal.
Advocates and community members gather to mourn recent and ongoing cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples at a vigil on March 13, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO).
“We’ve always known this: that when we speak their names, they’re standing with us,” James said.
Kaelyn Schneider is Day’s daughter. She said the kootéeyaa is a space for the families of missing and murdered Indigenous people who don’t have answers.
“There are so many family members that, like my mom’s case, we don’t have a grave site,” she said. “We have nowhere to mourn our loved one, you know. So I think this is really special.”
She said hearing her mother’s name lets her know that people in Juneau haven’t forgotten about her.
James introduced a song called “I x̱’ádudlitseen” – it means “you are precious.”
“All of you standing here this evening are precious,” he said. “All our loved ones that we lost too early, they are precious.”
Attendees holding drums got ready for the song, and he taught the words before it started, so the group could sing loudly together. He invited all to dance.
“And when you dance, stomp it into the ground, because we are tired of all our relatives disappearing and no explanation, no justice for our loved ones,” James said. “We are their voices. You are their voices. You are their strength.”
The kootéeyaa was carved by Master Carver Wayne Price. It was raised in 2022 at Twin Lakes to be a symbol of healing from domestic violence and child abuse.
“It’s a totem that probably shouldn’t ever have to be built,” Price said Thursday.
Corlé LaForce puts a cedar chip in the fire at a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples vigil on March 13, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO).
Later, people burned cedar chips in a small fire. Price carved the chips out of a dugout canoe. Organizers said each one represents a victim of violence. He said the fire was meant to heal the community — and he said he thinks it will.
“You know, that’s why we’re here, because we believe it’s going to work,” Price said.
Downtown Juneau in the sleet on March 10, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is kaklahéen, meaning slush or sleet. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say kaklahéen.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Kaklahéen.
That means slush or sleet.
Here are some sentences:
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Táakw.eetí áyá kaklahéen haa ḵaa daak wusitán.
In the spring sleet falls on us.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Kaklahéen wé dleit.
The snow is slush.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Táakw eenxʼ áyá kaklahéen sitee yá dleit.
In the winter the snow is slushy.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Kaklahéen has du káa daak wusitán.
It sleeted on them all.
You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week.
Two kootéeyaa, or totem poles, on Juneau’s waterfront on Oct. 4, 2023. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is kootéeyaa, or totem pole. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say kootéeyaa.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: kootéeyaa.
That means totem pole.
Here are some sentences:
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Kootéeyaa akaaach’ák’w.
He carved a totem pole.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Yóo ḵawdudziteey i duwasáakw kootéeyaa.
Dave Hanson photographs the Juneau night sky. (Photo provided by Dave Hanson)
This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is ḵutx̱.ayanaháa, or star. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say ḵutx̱.ayanaháa.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Ḵutx̱.ayanaháa.
That means star.
Here are some sentences:
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Ḵutx̱.ayanaháa tuteen nooch kéi ḵunas.áatʼi
State biologists are tracking Haines-area mountain goats to understand their habitat and range better. (Photo courtesy Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is jánwu, or mountain goat. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say jánwu.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
