Vuntut Gwichin First Nation

The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VG) is a First Nation in the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population center is Old Crow, Yukon. The language originally spoken by the people is Gwic...

Shirleen Smith

Shirleen Smith lives in Edmonton,Alberta, and holds a doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Alberta.

People of the Lakes: Stories of Our Van Tat Gwich
Googwandak Nakhwach'ànjòo Van Tat Gwich'in

Vuntut Gwichin First Nation

Shirleen Smith

Many people have a mental picture of the Canadian north that juxtaposes beauty with harshness. For the Van Tat Gwich'in, the northern Yukon is home,
with a living history passed on from elders to youth. This book consists of oral accounts that the Elders have been recording for 50 years, representing more than 150 years of their history, all meticulously translated from Gwich'in. Yet this is more than a gathering of history; collaborator Shirleen Smith provides context for the stories, whether they are focused on an individual or international politics. Anthropologists, folklorists, ethnohistorians, political scientists, economists, members of First Nations, and readers interested in Canada's northernmost regions will find much to fascinate them.

University of Alberta Press