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Records include photographs documenting the construction of a mooseskin boat, the construction of a spruce bark canoe, and the tanning of a moose hide and a copy of Gloria Fedirchuk's proposal to film aboriginal adaptations and their relationship to the boreal forest environment of the Fisherman Lake Slave, including ethnographic practices, ethnobotanical information on use and taxonomy of flora, ethnozoological information on use of fauna, activities done in various seasons of the year, and the construction and creation of ethnographic items.

This fonds consists of stories and writings from George Blondin, a Sahtu Dene elder. The stories and writings relate to traditional medicine, medicine power, Yamoga, Yamoria, the Giant Wolverine, and wolverine medicine power.

This fonds consists of 154 duplicates of slides belonging to Joan Ryan. The original slides date from 1957-1960 and mainly feature Whatì [Lac La Martre], although Behchokǫ̀ [Fort Rae], Fort Smith, and Sugluk are also represented. Images include people of Whatì, and activities such as butchering moose, skin and hide preparation, and drying meat and fish.

This fonds consists of approximately 44 meters of textual records and approximately 70 photographs created and accumulated by the Northern Administration Branch and its various predecessors, from 1923 to 1971. The material was generated by the Federal government's activities in administering the Northwest Territories. Most of the records (over 34 m of textual records) are composed of files transferred from Ottawa to Yellowknife beginning in 1967, and include administrative and operational files. The majority of these files date between 1949 and 1967 and incorporate: correspondence, reports, vital statistic information, financial data, minutes, and a wide variety of reference material kept by the department. The files were classified via a numerical block system. The block system consisted of primary, secondary and tertiary levels such that a composite file number (for example 311-105-93) would represent a progression from general subject matter to a specific subject and/or location. The following primary blocks arrange the files:

100 - Administration;
200 - Economic and Industrial Development;
300 - Engineering Projects;
400 - Forests and Game;
500 - Public Service;
600 - Education;
1000 - General files on settlements, associations, companies, provinces, foreign countries, Inuit affairs, and resources;
20 - Individual case files;
3 - Personnel and organizational files.

None of the 700, 800 or 900 block files were forwarded to the NWT Archives. Moreover, at the time of transfer from Ottawa, it appears that other records from the file blocks brought to Yellowknife were culled in Ottawa. In addition, not all government functions were transferred in 1967, and some files contain records generated after 1967 from the continued administration of a function either by the federal government or from the use of the files by the new Territorial Government. A small number of photographs were located in the files during processing, however, these images have been left in their original files.

Additional accruals to this fonds make up another 10 meters of textual records and include the Northern Administration Branch records from the Fort Churchill district office dating from 1960 to 1970, and Western Arctic education records from 1964 to 1969.

Other records of this fonds consist of: four ledgers kept between 1923 and 1967 documenting fur trapping and fur trading activities, four ledgers documenting fur and game take and value on registered trap lines, various licensing, and scientific research work; budget papers including estimates, expenditure statements and capital substantiation reports for 1966 to 1969; 2 supplementary readers, "Nuna" and "The Story of Papik an Eskimo Boy" compiled by the Curriculum Section of the Education Division from the journals of young Inuit children; and a 1954 report produced by C.C. Johnson, a Resident Engineer from Fort Smith. This report, entitled "Preliminary Report, Mackenzie Highway - Mills Lake Road" includes 31 corner mounted photographic prints and 16 black and white negatives. The report discusses plans to build a road to Mills Landing. In addition, there are copies of the Eskimo Bulletin dated from 1953-1959. The Eskimo Bulletin was produced by the Northern Administration and Land Branch in order to teach Inuit the English language.

Although the majority of the images were taken by Father Gathy between 1929 and 1954, a few images of Father Gathy were borrowed from collections held by the O.M.I. Archives in Fort Smith and the Sisters of Saint Joseph Archives in Mount St. Joseph, Ontario. Although the images are mainly of Yellowknife, Fort Norman and Fort Franklin, some were taken aboard the "S.S. McKenzie River". Many of the photographs depict members of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Grey Nuns. There are also images of Dene residents and camps in and around Fort Franklin and Fort Norman. There are a few images of children wearing rabbit skin clothing and one of mooseskin boats.

This accession consists of 7.5 cm of textual records comprised of academic publications authored by Miriam Leith, as well as a large number of draft and research notes produced by Ms. Leith in her research on northern food and nutrition as well as housing programs. Files also contain correspondence and reports concerning northing housing programs. Related to Ms. Leith's work with the Adult Housing Education Program. Also included in the collection are copies of diet information and recipes distributed to the local people. Some of these materials are written in syllabics.

The videocassettes consist of "Birch Bark Baskets" (English version) 21 min.; "Making a Birch Sled" (Slavey version) 21 min.; and "The Spruce Canoe" (English version) 21 min. The canoe was built by Johnny Klondike. The videos were filmed by Francine Betthale, produced by the Fort Liard Band Council, and funded by the GNWT Department of Culture and Communications and Dene Nation.

This fonds consists of 2 DAT audiocassettes, 2 audio reels and one centimeter of textual material. The two DAT audiocassettes and 2 audio reels contain recordings done by Father Henri Posset. The first recording was made in September 1957. It consists of drumming and chanting taped in Jean Marie River and Fort Franklin, fiddle music from Fort Franklin and various Slavey legends related by Johnny Betseda of Fort Simpson and Jean Marie Punch of Fort Providence. The second recordings with John Tsetso were made on April 1, 1964 in St. Margaret's Hospital at Fort Simpson. In this recording, Tsetso narrates, in Slavey, the first three chapters of his book, "Trapping is my Life", which was published in February 1964. He also relates two other stories about summer and winter. The fonds also contains two letters written by Father Posset which provide some biographical information on Johnny Betseda, John Tsetso and Jean Marie Punch. There is also a typed transcript of an interview between Father Posset and William Nerysoo, Sr., relating to Gwich'in personal names, which was conducted on November 23, 1987.

This fonds consists of records from the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs that were created when it was a division within the Department of the Executive and from the Self Government Division, Ministry of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs. The records include policy development files and procedures related to self government cost sharing, formula financing, and grants and contributions, strategic planning documents, files related to organizational structure of Aboriginal Affairs Division and reorganization when it separated from the Department of the Executive and became its own entity, a devolution framework agreement including a Memorandum of Understanding between Aboriginal Affairs and Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND), and self-government negotiations frameworks distributed to GNWT Departments. There are also meeting minutes and work plans from Director’s Meetings, Deputy Minister Meetings, Senior Management Committee Meetings, Premiers Chronos, Premiers speeches, Ministerial and Deputy Minister Chronos, Ministerial Briefing Notes, and Briefing Notes for the Intergovernmental Core Group, which included DIAND and Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.

There are also records related to the negotiation of self government and land claims agreements including files concerning the Inuvialuit Land Administration Agreement, Inuvialuit land claim, Makivik negotiations, Dogrib self government, Beaufort/Delta self government, as well as a file related to amendments to the NWT Act and intergovernmental forum process planning meeting.

The bulk of the records were created by committees and working groups where Aboriginal Affairs was the lead agency or represented the GNWT on Federal Committees. There are committee records from the following: Devolution Working Group, Community Transfer Committee, Operational Review Committee, Traditional Knowledge Interdepartmental Working Group that addressed Traditional Knowledge within the Ministry, Federal/Territorial Core Group that dealt with constitutional reform, land claims and devolution, Constitutional Development Steering Committee, Ministerial Committee on Aboriginal Rights (CARS), Constitutional Affairs Committee Working Group, Federal/Territorial Special Joint Committee on Internal Relations, and the Services Review Committee that reviewed GNWT services to Aboriginal people. The Ministry chaired this committee that also included DIAND and Dene Nation. In addition, files related to the Dene/Metis Land Claim negotiations were kept including correspondence and committee work (Inherent Right Committee) on negotiating the Agreement in Principle between the GNWT and Dene Nation.

In addition, there are records from workshops and meetings that were funded and organized by the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs including Land Claims Implementation interjurisdictional workshop, Dene Nation and Metis Nation Annual General Assemblies, and Northern Leaders Conference that was organized by the Ministry in order for stakeholders such as Committee for Original Peoples Entitlement (COPE), and Dene Nation to discuss and have input into Bill C-48 (Canada Oil and Gas Act), as well as devolution issues. There is a memorandum of understanding on Devolution of Power and Authority to the GNWT from Canada with the involvement of the Dene and the Metis.

The remainder of the records relate to committee and working groups that Aboriginal Affairs would have monitored and provided expert advice such as submissions for the Land Claims and Self Government interface, Territorial Interest Working Group, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Self Government discussion paper, Provincial/Territorial Treaties and Self Government Working Group, Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, Nunavut Implementation Committee, and Wright Report on Devolution. There is also one file regarding the NWT Supreme Court Decision regarding the Indian Land application by Chief Francois Paulette.

Records were generated by a project undertaken by the Sahtu Heritage Places and Sites Joint Working Group and include one report entitled "Places We Take Care Of" that identified and made recommendations about the protection, preservation and promotion of heritage places and sites important to the history and culture of the Sahtu Dene and Metis. Records also consist of copies of oral history transcripts from Deline, Colville Lake and Fort Good Hope. Interviews were carried out as part of the project to identify additional culturally significant and historic sites.

The recordings contain interviews with Paul Wright and Fred Andrew, both elders of Fort Norman. The recordings are in Slavey and may deal with traditional stories. The stories were recorded over an eight day period at Drum Lake.

Records consist of songs, stories and interview transcripts collected by ethnomusicologist Nicole Beaudry in the Sahtu communities of Deline, Tulita and Fort Good Hope in 1988-1992.

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, 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 fonds consists of 580 copy negatives (35 mm) and 196 prints which are duplicates of the negatives. These are copies of photographs which belonged to Wop May. Though many of the images are not dated, however, the original photographs appear to date from circa 1928 to 1948. Many of the photographs were taken in northern Alberta, but locations within the Northwest Territories include Aklavik, Fort Norman, Rae, Arctic Red River, Hay River, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, and Fort Resolution. The images include pilots, aircraft, and various aspects of air mail delivery.

This fonds also includes one map which appears to have been published in the Edmonton Journal. The map depicts Canada Post's inaugural air mail flight on December 10, 1929 between Edmonton and Aklavik piloted by Wop May.

Ten of the photos appear in Schwarz's book "Elik: and other stories of the Mackenzie Eskimos" and are portraits of the storytellers. These include Archie (Headpoint) Erigaktuk, Kenneth Peeloolook, Sarah Raddi, Jessie Olorgrak, Susie Tiktalik, Felix Nuyaviak, William Firth, Elizabeth Blake, Alik Alubuk Stefansson, and Alex Kakianen. Other images are of Herbert Schwarz and the gravemarker for Constable R. O. H. Taylor of the "Lost Patrol."

This collection consists of copies of books, articles, maps, photographs and other materials, created by or about Father Emile Petitot. The material was accumulated by Donat Savoie in the 1970s during his employment with the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. The materials include approximately 2 meters of textual records, over 150 photographs, 13 maps and other ephemera. The textual materials consist of photocopies of writings of Petitot and articles, notes and bibliographies on Petitot's works by other authors. There are copies of letters by Father Jean Sequin, who was at Fort Good Hope with Father Petitot, and Donat Savoie's notes on the Metis taken from Petitot's works. The photographs consist primarily of images of engravings and drawings by Petitot, and a few by other artists, depicting the Dene, Metis, Inuit, and their cultures. Many of the illustrations appear in Petitot's and Savoie's books. Also included are photographs of Petitot and the Fort Good Hope church. There are additional images of a 1975 plaque ceremony honouring Emile Petitot at Mareuil-les-Meaux, France and Anglican Church photographs collected by Savoie. The maps consist of copies of maps by Emile Petitot, 5 maps produced for Annexe 2 'Inventaire toponymique: Cartes geographiques d'Emile Petitot' of "L'Occupation territoriale chez les amerindiens du nord-ouest canadien au XIXe siecle selon Emile Petitot: Land Occupancy by the Amerindians of the Canadian Northwest in the 19th Century, according to Emile Petitot" by Rachelle Castonguay and another 4 maps related to volume two of that publication. The latter represent Petitot's interpretation of native land use and occupancy in the Athabasca-Mackenzie region up to the 1880s and illustrate: Indigenous toponymy; land occupancy; native activities and native groups in various areas. Additional materials in this collection include copies of birth certificates for Emile Petitot and members of his family and copies of newspaper clippings on Petitot.

Records include photographs of the Holman region copied from the original images. The images primarily document people in the community and show traditional activities, camps and domestic life. In addition, there are images of the Roman Catholic mission, boats such as the "Mary", and priests Father Tardy and Father Metayer.

The textual records consist of a brochure describing the film. In the film, produced by Films North, Father Rene Fumoleau discusses the changes in his views and philosophy that have occurred from his working with the Dene people, and George Barnaby discusses the changes in his own life and the choices he faces.