Fonds 79 - James Jerome fonds

James Jerome was born on July 31, 1949 in Aklavik. He grew up on the east channel of the Mackenzie River at a camp known as Big Rock. His father, Joe Bernard, was a Special Constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as a trapper and chief of the Gwichya Gwich'in of Arctic Red River (Tsiigehtchic). His mother was Celina (Coyen) Jerome. James was the youngest of four brothers and two half-sisters. After spending a number of years on the land with his parents, he attended Grollier Hall residential school in Inuvik. Both of his parents died before he completed high school. After graduating from high school, he trained to be a welder and after receiving his certificate, traveled across Canada. Later he returned to the north and began pursuing artistic endeavours. He had received his first camera from his mother when he was twelve years old. Upon his return to the Mackenzie Delta he began traveling on the land and photographing families at fishing camps. During this time he became concerned that Gwich'in culture would disappear as the elders died. He worked for the Native Press newspaper as a photographer for eight months beginning in 1977, and later as a freelance photographer including remote area work, studio, and aerial photography. He used darkrooms at the Science Institute in Inuvik as well as the Native Press offices in Yellowknife for his work. At the time of his death, he was working on a book about Dene elders of the Mackenzie Valley entitled 'Portraits and History of the Dene Elders', which was to include his photographs and stories recounted to him by the elders. James Jerome died in a house fire in Inuvik on November 17, 1979.