I posted a thread on the questions blog recently about the meaning of “Poochki,” a term applied a plant in Alaska by my grandmother, getting a much-needed refresher in simple plurals (“bunches”), courtesy of “Terr,” a native speaker.
Within that thread was a brief discussion of Ninilchik, Alaska, on the Kenai Penninsula (Southwest of Anchorage), the use of the Russian language there, and the influence of Russian culture generally on Alaska.
Now comes an interesting short article in the “Penninsula Clarion,” the local salmon wrapper (as we called Alaska newspapers when I lived there), reporting the fact that “Ninilchik Russian” is distinctive, even unique, and being studied by both American linguists and Russian researchers from Moscow University. The culture of the Natives at Ninilchik is old Russian, and they consider themselves as “Russian,” not “Native.” It’s a simple local article, but interesting. So, if this interests you, go here to read it:
http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2013-06-29
If this link doesn’t open, go to:
Penninsula Clarion; ‘Spoken With Heart and History;’ June 29, 2013; by Greg Skinner.