These records were created and/or accumulated by June Helm as the result of her work as an anthropologist studying the Tłı̨chǫ people in the Northwest Territories.
The textual records consist of Helm's field notes that were either typewritten on index cards or kept in binders and organized by subject or organized chronologically by field session. In addition, there are field notes from Helm's co-investigators, Beryl Gillespie, Teresa Carterette, Nancy O. Lurie, David Smith and Robert Howren. The field notes are from the communities of Lac La Martre (Whatı̀), Jean Marie River, Rae (Behchokǫ̀), Dettah, and Fort Norman (Tulita). Included in this accession are approximately 230 books which formed part of Helm's extensive library. The books are both contemporary and historical publications on northern themes, and are annotated by Helm. The bulk of the remaining textual records consist of Helm's vertical files that date from 1950-1990s. This includes annotated copies of partial and complete publications, manuscripts and draft publications that include Masters theses and PhD dissertations. These records are primarily authored by others, although there are copies of and drafts of Helm's work. The remaining textual records consist of Helm's ingoing and outgoing correspondence files that date from the 1950s until 2003.
The photographs include a set of 654 black and white negatives that were taken by June Helm during her field work in Behchokǫ̀ and Whatı̀ between 1959-1970. The images of Behchokǫ̀ depict handgames, scenes of the community, winter activities such as travel by dogteam and ice fishing, setting rabbit snares, travel by canoe on the Frank Channel, working with a caribou hide, and people including Jim Fish, John Baze, Mrs. Johnny Simpson, Chief Bruneau, Vital Thomas and Harry Bearlake. The images of Whatı̀ include winter and fall scenes of the community, people, travel by dogteam and airplane, ice fishing, and a Sunday feast. As well, there are approximately 60 copy prints from the National Museum of Canada, Provincial Archives of Alberta and the Smithsonian, as well as negatives, prints and images used in Helm's publications. The remaining photographic material is largely scenic photographs of Behchokǫ̀ from 1970-1979, and photographs of artifacts from 1977.