Anerneq - Spirit
The essence of the spiritual sphere is breathe, air or anerneq, which also translates as spirit in Alutiiq. The concept of anerneq as spirit is most similar to the concept of an energy body, not a ghost (tanraq) or a soul (surneq). The spiritual sphere exists in the fourth sphere of this wellbeing model. Two of the fourteen core Alutiiq values relate to the spiritual sphere and comprise parallel but antithetical approaches for communicating spirit:
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Agayumaukut (We are prayerful)
“Faith and spiritual life from ancestral beliefs to the diverse faiths of today” -
Englarstaisngukut (We like to laugh)
“Sense of Humor”
The underlying question that these value statements answers is:
How do the Alutiiq cope with challenges and make meaning of life?