Qasida! Unangam Tunuu “Go Fish!” in the Eastern dialect

Translations and Editing provided by:

Lucy Kenezuroff, Mary Bourdukofsky, Iliodor Philemonof, Simeon Kuzakin,,Fr. Paul Merculief,,Moses Dirks

Developed by Millie McKeown of APIA

Instructions for Qasida!

2 to 5 players – ages 4 to 99

Speak only Unangam Tunuu (the Aleut language) when playing Qasida. To learn the vocabulary listen to the CD and practice until you have learned to pronounce all the Unangax̂ words and phrases.

Shuffle the cards. To choose which player will go first, each player may take a card from the top of the stack. The player holding the card with the largest sea animal goes first. If identical cards are drawn, choose another card from the top. To begin, shuffle the cards and deal 5 cards to each player. Player to go first will ask the player to their left:

“Name of card mataltxin ii/hii?” (Do you have a name of card ?)

If the player has the card they must hand the card over and answer:

“Aang, name of card matakuqing.” (Yes, I have a name of card .) “Waya.” (Here.) or ”Suda.” (Take it.)

Player 1 will take the card and say:

“Qaĝaasakung! or Qaĝaalakux̂!” (Thanks!)

If player to the left does not have the card he/she will answer:

“Kuuguu, name of card matalkaqing.” (No, I don’t have a name of card .) Qasida! (Go Fish!)

The Player then takes a card from the top of the pile. Play continues clockwise. Each player has one turn. The first player to be rid of all their cards says:

“Inakuqing!” or “Inakux̂!” (I’m out!)

Each player counts their pairs. The player with the most pairs wins the game! The winner yells:

“Sayuqaĝikuqing!” or “Aakultakuqing!” (I win!)

* For beginners or very young players: try playing the first several games using only the word vocabulary and introduce the sentence vocabulary later.

Word Vocabulary

Aanux̂ (red salmon)

Alax̂ (whale)

Atxidax̂ (codfish)

Chagix̂ (halibut)

Chalan (clams)

Chavichax̂ (king salmon)

Chngatux̂ (sea otter)

Ilgaaĝux̂ (octopus)

Isux̂ (seal)

Qachiikux̂ (shark)

Qax̂ (fish) [Kaartam diikaa – wild card]

Qimgiitax̂ (crab)

Qungaayux̂ (male humpy/pink salmon)

Aluĝaĝix (dog salmon )

Sentence Vocabulary

(name of card) mataltxin ii/hii? (Do you have a__________?)

Aang, (name of card) matakuqing. (Yes, I have a_________. )

Waya. (Here.) or Suda.(Take it.)

Qaĝaasakung. or Qaĝaalakux̂. (Thanks.)

Kuuguu, ___________matalkaqing. (No, I don’t have a__________?)

Qasida! (Go Fish!)

Inakuqing! or Inakux̂! (I’m out!)

Sayuqaĝikuqing! or Aakultakuqing! (I’m the winner!)

Project partially funded through a grant awarded to the

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (APIAI)

Cultural Heritage Department

by the Administration for Native Americans

Language Preservation Grant #90NL0308/01