Indigenous American languages Native people Native ancestry

Ciqlluat (Ciqlluaq)

Ciqlluat is the name of the traditional sod houses of the Alutiiq tribe, also known by the Siberian name barabara. Ciqlluat is the plural form of this word, and ciqlluaq is the singular form. It is pronounced similar to chick-loo-ut. Ciqlluat are made by raising a wooden frame over an underground chamber and then packing it with layers of earth to insulate it. Because these buildings were partially underground, they were larger than they appeared. Each ciqlluaq had multiple rooms and was home to several families from the same clan.

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Here are links to our webpages about the Alutiiq tribe and language:

Alutiiq language
Alutiiq culture
Alutiiq Facts for Kids
Alutiiq words
Eskimo-Aleut language family
Alaska tribes
Arctic Native Americans

Here are links to more Internet resources about ciqlluat:
Sod Houses or Ciqlluat
Ciqluaq
Wikipedia: Barabara
Earth Lodges

And here are a few good books about the Alutiiq:
A Conversational Dictionary of Kodiak Alutiiq
Looking Both Ways: Heritage & Identity of the Alutiiq People
Making History: Sugpiaq Life on the Alaska Peninsula

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