The Land Still Speaks
Gwitchin Words About Life in Dempster Country
Traditional Knowledge book by Erin Sherry and Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
Excerpt from The Land Still Speaks:
"For thousands of years the tundra, forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains of the north Yukon sustained the ancestors of modern Gwitchin. These people maintained a seasonal round of activities – hunting, trapping, fishing, and gathering plants from the land. This maintained them economically, politically, spiritually, and socially. The land provided food, medicine, and materials. Millennia of experience living off the land have endowed Gwitchin with an intimate knowledge of the geography and resources in, what we now know as, the Dempster Highway landscape.
This book is the product of the work, effort, ideas, and enthusiasm of many people. In particular, the words of Gwitchin Elders tell us about the past, provide guidelines for the present, and prompt us to think about the future. Their voices are heard frequently on the following pages. As major contributors in this endeavor, Gwitchin Elders require an introduction. Here are some of their stories of life in Takudh (Dugoo) country, the area now traversed by the Yukon portion of the Dempster Highway."
Order The Land Still Speaks
All proceeds from the sale of this book will be dedicated to Old Crow youth initiatives related to culture and language. Central community goals underlying this publication include 1) reinforcement of Elders' wisdom and their role as community educators and 2) the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge, practices, and beliefs between generations and communities.
Your generous support will provide the financial resources to renew relationships between Elders and youth in Old Crow. Through culture camps, language workshops, story-telling events, and trips out onto the land, Elders will have the opportunity to pass on the wealth of knowledge necessary for Gwitchin cultural survival and the well-being of Old Crow youth. MASSI CHO!