Kusquqvak (Kuskokwim river) photo from above.
The name likely comes from the deep root "ku-" (relating to flow, current, and/or liquid), -squq- (most likely an uncommon, nonproductive postbase meaning small), and -vak (meaning big). All of those together mean "big thing with small flow/current." The English word comes from the relative case use of the noun. Because the name uses a deep root and an archaic postbase, it is probably one of the older placenames in the Yup'ik language.
A storm in January weathered tundra vegetation from upper elevations of Nelson Island and deposited it in the lower valleys near Tununak. No one has recalled this ever happening before in their lifetime, at least 50+ years. Now, it's slowing the snow melt and is a pain to clean up around subsistence processing areas.
Akalria: "thing that rolls" contemporary bike art based on classic Yup'ik ellanguat (circle-and-dot style, lit. "fake universes")
The writing says "Akalria" in Uyaquq's syllabary. Uyaquq went from illiterate to inventing a reproducible writing system in 5 years at the turn of the 20th century.
