This fonds consists of records documenting the activities of the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute from its establishment in 1993 until its transition into the Gwich’in Tribal Council’s Department of Cultural Heritage in 2016. The fonds includes some records of the Department of Cultural Heritage from 2016 until 2018. The material has been arranged into 38 series based on seven functional categories:

• Administration includes nine series documenting the governance and administration of the GSCI. The series included in this category are Gwich’in Tribal Council (426-S01); Governance (426-S02); Executive Director (426-S03); Research Director and General Administrative Materials (426-S04); Finance (426-S05); Correspondence (426-S06); Gwich’in Organizations, Communities and Events (426-S07); Other Organizations, Institutions and Associations (426-S08); and Website (426-S09). These series include meeting packages and minutes; strategic planning materials including GSCI’s five-year plans; annual reports; GSCI Executive Director files from 2004-2016; office, staff, project and other general administrative materials; financial statements and reporting materials; funding proposals, applications, reports, contribution agreements and service contracts; correspondence files; meeting materials, minutes, reports, proposals, presentation materials and informational materials related to Gwich’in and non-Gwich’in organizations, institutions and associations; website planning materials including funding applications, contribution agreements, financial statements and content planning materials; and general correspondence within each series.
• Consultation with Government includes three series documenting GSCI’s consultation and interaction with the federal and territorial governments. The series included in this category are Government of Canada (426-S10), Government of the Northwest Territories (426-S11) and Government of Yukon (426-S12). These series include correspondence; proposals; reports; funding proposals and reporting materials; workshop and presentation materials; informational materials; and curriculum planning and development materials.
• Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Policy and Regulation includes three series documenting the GSCI’s work in traditional knowledge policy development, land use planning and management and permitting and licensing. The series included in this category are Traditional Knowledge Policy (426-S13); Land Use Planning and Management (426-S14); and Researchers, Permits, Licences and Use Agreements (426-S15). These series include correspondence; proposals; funding and financial materials; workshop and presentation materials; discussion papers; reference materials; reports; policy copies; permit and licence applications and reports; research and data-sharing agreements; researcher files; and project materials provided to GSCI by researchers including planning materials, interview materials, photographs, videos and films, theses, reports and articles.
• Repatriation includes two series documenting the GSCI’s work in repatriating Gwich’in heritage materials and knowledge through a number of projects. The series included in this category are Gwich’in Traditional Caribou Skin Clothing Project (426-S16) and Repatriation Projects (426-S17). These series consist of project, planning and produced records including correspondence; funding proposals, contribution agreements and terms of reference; reports; copies of publications; audio and video recordings; and photographs, slides and negatives.
• Recognition of Historic and Cultural Sites includes three series documenting the GSCI’s work for the recognition, protection and management of Gwich’in historic and cultural sites. The series included in this category are Gwich’in Territorial Park (426-S18); Burial Sites (426-S19); and Historic Sites and Heritage Rivers (426-S20). The series include correspondence; materials related to the GSCI’s work in developing a vision and management plan for the Gwich’in Territorial Park including terms of reference, meeting materials, planning materials and copies of the management plan; funding materials, reports, maps and audio recordings from projects GSCI conducting in the Gwich’in Territorial Park; GTC Burial Site Guidelines; notes and information from the Tsiigehtchic Graveyard Mapping Project; and materials related to the nomination and management of national and territorial historic sites and heritage rivers including nomination applications, funding materials and service contracts; interview recordings and transcripts; photographs; unveiling ceremony materials; and draft management plans.
• Research and Programs includes 17 series documenting the GSCI’s research projects, programming and activities. These series include project, planning and produced materials, place name database and online mapping materials, conference materials and reference materials. The series included in the category are Oral History and Place Names Projects and Activities (426-S21); Archaeology (426-S22); Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board Traditional Knowledge Work (426-S23); Gwich’in Traditional Knowledge of the Mackenzie Gas Project Area (426-S24); Arctic Red River Headwaters Projects (426-S25); Elder’s Biography Project (426-S26); Gwichya Gwich’in Googwandak (426-S27); Tsiigehtchic Genealogy Workshop (426-S28); Gwich’in Ethnobotany (426-S29); Committee for Original Peoples’ Entitlement (COPE) Recordings (426-S30); Other GSCI Projects (426-S31); Partner Projects (426-S32); Archival Projects (426-S33); Science and Culture Camps (426-S34); Non-Project Publications and Posters (426-S35); Conferences, Workshops and Meetings (426-S36); and Reference Collection (426-S37). These series include correspondence; funding, financial and budget materials; project proposals interview materials; field notes; workshop and presentation materials; reports; GSCI publications including books, articles, brochures and posters; photographs, slides and negatives; audio and video recordings; transcripts; programming materials for science and culture camps; materials related to the documentation, preservation and update of the GSCI’s archival material; conference materials, notes and presentations; and reference materials including books, reports, journals, articles, research manuals, non-GSCI language materials and Gwich’in historical materials.
• Language includes one series documenting the GSCI’s language work and activities outside of research projects. This series is titled Language Work (426-S38) and documents GSCI’s work and relationship with the Gwich’in Language Centre, the development of the Gwich’in Language Plan, GSCI language workshops and projects, and language materials produced by the GSCI. This series includes correspondence; funding and budget materials; workshop materials; immersion camp materials; and dictionary copies, language class materials and other language materials.

Records are primarily the records of the Western Constitutional Forum and the Constitutional Alliance. These records document the organizations' administration, finances, community liaison and public relations activities, research activities and publications, and interactions with member organizations including the Dene Nation, Métis Association, Legislative Assembly, Tungavik Federation of Nunavut (TFN), Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC), Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), Committee for Original Peoples' Entitlement (COPE).

The records include incorporation records, terms of reference, bylaws, action plans and activity reports, correspondence, audio recordings and minutes of meetings, workshops and conferences, budgets and financial statements, funding agreements, job descriptions, press releases, newspaper articles, newsletters, research papers and reference materials, publications, including audio versions of the pamphlet series in North Slavey (Dene Kǝdǝ́), South Slavey (Dene Zhatıé), Chipewyan, Tłı̨chǫ, Gwich’in, Inuvialuktun, and Inuinnaqtun, speaking notes, presentation slides (textual and photographic), photographs of the signing of the Iqaluit Agreement, and maps showing tentative boundaries, and information relevant to division.

The accession also includes related records from the NCF and member groups of the Forums and Constitutional Alliance (Dene Nation, Metis Association, Legislative Assembly, Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, COPE, and Dene/Métis Claims Secretariat) such as bylaws, meeting minutes, action plans and activity reports, annual reports, resolutions, financial statements, newsletters, discussion papers, correspondence, and press releases.

Records relate to Dene languages, including materials from the Fort Good Hope Research project undertaken by the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Education from 1981-1983. It also includes several grammars, dictionaries and reports of Dene language studies.

The textual records include published and unpublished texts on Slavey and Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib) literacy, linguistic and translation, dating from 1959 to the 1990s. The published material is partially religious, and partially linguistic in nature. A large portion of the unpublished material consists of stories told by both Tłı̨chǫ and Slavey speakers on traditional knowledge, legends, and personal stories. The sound recordings are in Tłı̨chǫ. The cassette tapes feature Vital Thomas from 1979 to 1983 providing Tłı̨chǫ field linguistic data, and the CDs were produced between 1999 and 2001 by the Dogrib Translation Committee and feature Marie Louise Bouvier-White reading passages from the Bible in Tłı̨chǫ.

SIL linguists whose work is within this accession include: Steve Barber, Betsy Barber, Gillian Story, Victor Monus, Anita Monus, Constance Naish, William Davidson, June Davidson, Jaap Feenstra, Morina Feenstra and Herbert A. Zimmerman. Dene language consultants include: Sarah Sibbeston, Old Loman, Louis Norwegian, Gabe Sanguez, Jim Sanguez, Jimmie Cholo, Sarah Hardisty, H. Kelly, Jim Lamalice, Laura Sibbeston, Modeste Mackay, Johnny Teetso, Ted Trindell, Fred Andrew, Jimmie Bread, Sarah Lamalice, Fred Tambour, Willie Martel, William Bugghins, Johnny Mackay, Chal Yohin[?], Vital Thomas, J. Konisenta and George Matou.

Records include one photocopy of Frank Russell's journal dated from April 26, 1893 to August 18, 1894. The journal documents Russell's trip from Edmonton to Lake Athabasca, and along the Mackenzie River to Fort Good Hope. In addition, it covers a trip between Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake, and along the Coppermine River. The journal also contains a limited vocabulary list for the Dogrib (Tlicho), Loucheux (Gwich'in) and Yellowknives Dene. Requests for copies should be directed to the Smithsonian Institute.

Records are comprised of Volume I, Numbers 1-5 and Number 7 of the Eskimo Bulletin. The Northern Administration and Lands Branch, Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources produced the Eskimo Bulletin in order to teach Inuit the English language. The bulletins, date from 1953-1958, and cover various topics such as production of handicrafts and instructions on maintaining engines, as well as provide Inuktitut words and syllabics and the corresponding English words for such topics as animals, tools and equipment, household items, clothing, modes of transportation, body parts, people and colours.

This material was generated by field work conducted by Beryl Gillespie, an anthropologist who visited the communities of Detah, Rae, Yellowknife, Fort Norman (Tulita) and Fort Franklin (Deline) between 1968 and 1972. The photographs, slides and negatives depict the people she interviewed and the communities that she visited. The textual material consists of field notes containing information and stories collected from the following families: Clement, Lennie, Andrew, Norwegian, Wright, Naedzo, Gladue, Karkagie, Gully, Sangris, Thomas, Abel, Potfighter, Crapeau, Drygeese, Fishbone, Blondin, Bruno, Martin, Mackenzie, Liske, Tobie, Betsina, Charlo, Baillargeon, Hetchile, Vital, Pochat, Yakeleya, Bernard, Mendo, Yukon and Etchinele. The two audio cassettes appear to be taped stories told by Gabriel Etchinele and Fred Andrew. Both stories are in Slavey. The first story was told by Gabriel Etchinele on October 18, 1972 and is the story about Dendejule. The English translation by Stella Mendo is available in the field notes. The second audio cassette contains a story told by Fred Andrew on October 25, 1972 about the Ehbaotine and Mountain Indian Conflict. The English translation by Laura Yakelaya is available in the field notes.

Records consist of nine stories from Pangnirtung written in syllabics; and one file containing results of a questionnaire on the value of the magazine 'Inuttituut.' The sound recordings contain an interview with Markoosie and traditional Inuit songs and games.

Records consist of photocopied documents from the Oblate Archives at St. Albert, Alberta. The material relates to Inuit stories from Coppermine. The stories were collected by Father Maurice Metayer. The text is in Inuktitut (roman orthography) and French.

The textual records consist of 3 files. The first file is of correspondence of the Eldorado Mining and Refining Company, Eldorado Gold Mines Ltd. and El Bonanza Mining Corp. Ltd. related to administrative matters (1934-1944). Includes some correspondence of Gilbert and Charles Labine. The second file contains the ballot of 12 candidates for the Aklavik Advisory Council (1969). The third file has part of a diary in Inuktitut (1955), 2 permits to enter the Reindeer Reserve, and 7 photographs in very bad condition which may have come from the collection of the National Archives of Canada.

This accession consists of 0.9 cm of textual records and 29 audio cassettes created by Alestine Andre during her Arctic Red River (Tsiigehtchic) Oral History Project in Tsiigehtchic in 1989-1990. The goal of the project was to collect information on the traditional lifestyle and cultural beliefs of the Gwichya Gwich'in in Tsiigehtchic. The textual records document the project's administration, and include a final report and a transcript. The audio cassettes include interviews conducted on various dates with five Elders who agreed to participate in the project: Hyacinthe Andre, Andre Jerome, Joan Nazon, Annie Norbert, and Nap Norbert.

This accession consists of photocopies of the English translations of the French/Loucheux (Gwich'in) entries in Emile Petitot's "Dictionnaire De La Langue DSnS - Dindji,", (Paris, 1876). The translations were prepared jointly by the Yukon Native Languages Project and the Alaska Native Languages Center.

The recordings, often referred to as the Dene Music Project, were made at four different Dene communities and each performance consisted of numerous songs. For identification purposes, each performance or recording session has been given a unique item number regardless of the number of physical tapes or songs it may incorporate. Included among the recordings are the master reels (:0009) compiled from a selection from original recordings. These reels were to be used in the production of the published record. Reference cassettes for most of the recordings are available. The textual records consists of documentation on each of the recording sessions. The black and white photographic negatives and corresponding contact sheets were taken during the recording sessions. Final appraisal and selection of the photographic negatives (items :0010-:0088) was completed in March 2013. Items :0004, :0006 and :0008 - original masters are cassettes. All other items have reel to reels as original masters.

Records include sound recordings of interviews conducted as part of the Great Bear Lake Oral History Project in 1992. Topics discussed include settlement patterns around Great Bear Lake before Deline (Fort Franklin) was established, traditional place names in the Great Bear Lake area, the settlement of Deline (Fort Franklin), Slavey social life and customs, fishing, hunting and Slavey games. People interviewed included Jean Baptiste, Julie Baptiste, Madeline Baton, Paul Baton, Peter Baton, Madeline Bayha, Christine Cleary, Melanie Elemie, Margaret Kenny, Marie Therese (Sr.) Kenny, Bella Modeste, Camilla Takazo, Louie Taniton, Rosa Taniton, Francis Tatti, Cecile Tetso, Adeline Vital, Dora Vital and Johnny Vital. The interviews are in North Slavey; most recordings include introductions and summaries in English.

Records consist of 9 issues of Dene Yati dating from September 1985 to September 1989. Dene Yati was a newsletter published by the Dene Language Terminology Committee, Language Bureau, Department of Culture and Communications. The newsletter included articles about various topics such as Aboriginal languages, health issues, the legal system and career planning. Each issue also included a list of 40 terms or words about a particular topic, as well as the English, Chipewyan, Dogrib, Loucheux, North Slavey and South Slavey translations.

This fonds consists of 45 DAT audio cassettes, 125 audio cassettes, approximately 7.7 meters of textual material and approximately 1000 photographs.

These records, in the form of textual material, sound recordings and photographs have been divided into eight series: 1) Oral History Interview Transcripts; 2) Audio Recordings which consist of 45 DAT audio cassettes (archival masters) and 124 audio cassettes (original masters) of oral histories, and 1 audio cassette (original master) of Michif language excerpts from the 1994 Michif Language Conference; 3) Archives Photocopies; 4) Subject Files; 5) Family Files; 6) Administrative Files; 7) Photographs; 8) Miscellaneous.

The archives photocopies from Series 3) consist of copies of archival documents such as petitions, treaties, government reports, significant government correspondence, and copies of extracts from books and articles. Photocopies of some of these were placed in subject files (Series 4) and family files (Series 5). These files contain information relevant to certain subjects (i.e. education, communities, Hudson's Bay Company) or families.

The administrative files in series 6 concern the administration of the Metis History Project from 1972 to 1979. As well, eight boxes of primarily administrative textual materials were donated when the Metis Nation ceased operations in 2001.

The materials in series 8 (Miscellaneous) consist of drafts of the Metis History book, index material for this collection and information on how to use this collection. Other textual material includes transcripts of interviews conducted by representatives of the Metis Heritage Association in 1992. Elders interviewed include Beatrice Daniels, Sam Norn, Albert Lafferty, Rene Mercredi, Joseph Masuzumi, Frank Laviolette, Dora Tourangeau, Len Heron, Helena Mandeville and Mable Heron. Also included within this series is the transcript of the Michif Language Conference, held on February 19-20, 1994.

The photograph depicts Nancy Lurie and Johnny Base listening to tapes of Tłı̨chǫ singing during Treaty Time in Rae (Behchokǫ̀). The photograph is dated July 1962 and was taken by June Helm.

The collection consists of sound recordings of interviews conducted by Marc Stevenson, transcripts of interviews, and copies of historic photographs depicting Inuit and the Baffin region collected from the Public Archives of Canada. The sound recordings include: an interview in August 1983 with Etoangat at Kekerten whaling station; interviews conducted by Marc Stevenson at Kekerten and Pangnirtung in August 1984; and one apparently unrelated recording of an interview with an Inuk elder. The transcripts appear to be copies of twelve interviews conducted by Jaypeetee Akpalialuk in March 1984. The people of these interviews include: Kunugsiq Nuvaqiq, Shaimaiyuk Simon, Annie Alivatuk, Koagak Akulukjuk, Towkie Maniapik, Malaiya Akulukjuk, Martha Kakee, Sowdloo Shukulak, Etoangat Aksayook, Katchoo Evik, Koodloo Pitsulak, and Nowyook Nickutimusie.

Photographs include images of Inuit constructing igloos, a confirmation ceremony at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Yellowknife, a plaquing ceremony in Fort McPherson, the visit of Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir (John Buchan) to Aklavik in 1937, the communities of Aklavik, Fort Simpson, Coppermine (Kugluktuk) and Hay River, and images of Chief Johnny Kay [Kyikavichik], Chief Johnny Charlie, Andrew Kunnizzi, Terry Buckle, Robert Simpson, R. P. Malis, Bishop Archibald Fleming, and Bishop Stringer.

The textual material includes a typed manuscript by Henry G. Cook of the prayers, creeds and blessings translated into the Slavey language, dated 1938 and a handwritten dictionary of the Slavey translations of English words, compiled by Bishop J.R. Lucas in 1914, and an 11-page typescript manuscript written by Mr. Cook entitled "Early Education in the North". Also included are ephemera collected by Rev. Cook including a program of a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaquing ceremony held in Fort McPherson on July 7, 1977; programs, booklets, and correspondence related to Anglican clergy in the NWT; and booklets related to the history of the North, as well as copies of the Captain Al Cohol comic books produced by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

This accession consists of a large extent of unprocessed audio-visual material, depicting primarily Federal health services across the Northwest Territories from the 1960s to the 1980s. These include slide presentations about a 50th anniversary celebration of the St. Theresa’s Hospital in Chesterfield Inlet, a presentation on nursing in the north and a presentation on the services provided by the Department of Health, which is also accompanied by audio presentations in four indigenous languages. As well, there is a large extent of photographs, audio recordings, and video.