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A new generation of Alutiiq speakers fight language loss in Kodiak

A group of preschoolers sits in a circle singing Alutiiq songs.
A group of preschoolers sings Itsy Bitsy Spider in Alutiiq at the Alutiingcut Childcare Center in Kodiak, Alaska on September 15, 2022. (Valerie Kern, Alaska Public Media).

Half of the people whose first language is Kodiak Alutiiq have died over the last few years. The Sun'aq tribe estimates that fewer than 20 remain. It is a heavy blow to the endangered language. But that’s not stopping new speakers from learning Alutiiq and passing along a distinct culture and worldview to the next generations. From Kodiak, Claire Stremple and Valerie Kern bring us this story.

Related: At the language house in Kodiak, new learners keep the Alutiiq language alive

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