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.
Posset, HenriRecords 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.
Constitutional Alliance of the Northwest Territories. Western Constitutional ForumThis fonds consists of 14 audio cassettes and 2 VHS videocassettes containing interviews with elders that resulted from the Snare Lake Education Committee's efforts to gather information for a handbook on cultural programming for use in the school. The elders interviewed during February 1992 were: Harry Kodzin, Margaret Lafferty, Marie Simpson, Jimmy Kodzin, Rosa Fish, Celine Wanazah, Rosa Pea'a, Alexis Arrowmaker, Madeline Judas, Louis Whane, Joe Pea'a, Roger Arrowmaker, Leonard Fish, Charlie Eyakfwo and Joe Dryneck. Activities and topics discussed include: Easter in the past, survival in the bush, making camp, Tlicho (Dogrib) food preparation, Tlicho (Dogrib) social life and customs, hunting and butchering caribou, traditional tools and constructing a drum. Some interviews with John Pea'a on cultural inclusion and religious instruction were conducted in 1989 and collected for this project.
Snare Lake Band CouncilThis fonds consists of material collected and created by the Metis Heritage Association and heritage material collected and created by the Metis Association/Metis Nation. The records are arranged in five series: Governance, Administration, Projects, Constituencies, and Related Organizations. The records include a certificate of incorporation, constitution and bylaws, meeting materials, correspondence, agreements and contracts, financial records, reports, oral histories and transcripts, gathered historical information and photographs, project proposals and photographs, books, and questionnaire and survey results.
Metis Heritage AssociationThis fonds consists of materials related to a project undertaken by the Lac La Martre Senior Room for the 1978 Explore Our Northern Heritage competition. Under the guidance of elders from the Lac La Martre Community Education Council, the students made a bush canoe and a caribou skin jacket and documented the process for the competition. The material in this fonds consists of 1 cm of textual material, 31 photographs, 1 DAT audiocassette, two original master audio cassettes, two 8mm films and 1 Betacam videocassette. The textual material and the photographs (:0005 - :0035) are part of a book created by the students entitled "Picture Book on Making a Bush Canoe." The DAT audiocassette contains a recording of Francis Moosenose interviewing Joe Zoe Fish on "How to make a Bush Canoe (:0001) and a recording of Eva Nitsiza's interview with her mother Dora on "How to Make a Fancy Caribou Jacket" (:0002). The original two audiocassettes were reformatted to DAT in 1993. The DAT audiocassette is now the archival master. There are two 8mm films and one Betacam copy of the films, which is the archival master. The films document "Making a Bush Canoe" (:0003); "Making a Fancy Caribou Jacket" (:0004).
Lac La Martre Community Education CommitteeThis fonds consists of about 200,000 photographic negatives (mostly black and white with some colour) produced by the Native Press and its successors between 1971 and 1993 and contact sheets produced from the negatives.
The fonds also includes six C-60 audiocassette recordings containing samples of the Native Communications Society's (NCS) Indigenous language programming. In 1992-1993 and 1993-1994, NCS successfully applied to Community Programs for financial assistance to develop Indigenous language radio programming. Dene language lessons and elders telling stories and legends over CKNM radio were part of the radio programming.
Also included are 11 posters produced by NCS circa 1981-1982. One series of five posters is titled 'Our Elders Speak' and depicts traditional lifeways (hunting, fishing and attending a Dene feast), while a second series of posters features text and images that describe the history, objectives and functions of six Indigenous organizations in the NWT: NCS, NWT Metis Association, Dene Nation, NWT Native Women's Association, NWT Native Court Worker's Association, and the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre.
Native Communications SocietyThis fonds consists of 296 reel to reels (original masters) and 678 audio cassettes (original masters) copied to 661 sound CDs (RedBook Audio format - Archival Masters), which contain approximately 1013 oral history recordings and 1.2 meters of transcriptions from the Committee for Original People's Entitlement (COPE). The sound CDs constitute the archival masters. These recordings are in Inuvialuktun, Gwich'in and North Slavey and contain life stories of elders as well as traditional legends. Many of the recordings are part of CBC broadcast programming.
Committee for Original Peoples' Entitlement. Oral History ProjectThis fonds consists of 5 audio cassettes containing interviews with elders that lived in the Salt River area in the 1920s and 1930s, including Francois King Beaulieu, Maria Brown, Vincent Beaulieu, Liza Schaefer, Francois Laviolette and Fred Dawson. The topics of the interviews include a history of the Beaulieu family, housing construction, animal husbandry, farming and the effect of the flood that took place at the Salt River Settlement in the 1930s. The fonds also contains 3 cm of textual material which includes Chipewyan transcripts and English translations of the sound recordings.
Salt River Settlement Oral History ProjectPhotographs 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.
Cook, Henry G.This fonds consists of 35 audiocassettes and 5 cm of textual material generated by the Task Force on Aboriginal Languages. The sound recordings are of community language workshops and public hearings held in a variety of communities including Yellowknife, Rae Lakes, Fort Rae, Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e (Snowdrift), Inuvik, Fort Smith, Deline (Fort Franklin) and Cambridge Bay. The textual material consists of approximately 5 cm of text in the form of transcripts from the workshop and community hearings.
Northwest Territories. Task Force on Aboriginal Languages (1985-1986)The fonds consist of 48 Betacam videocassettes, 6 audiocassettes and 6 cm of textual material. The videocassettes contain stock footage documenting the construction of a birchbark canoe for the Dogrib Birchbark Canoe Project, which took place in May-June, 1996. In addition, there are 2 professionally produced Tlicho (Dogrib) language (English subtitles) broadcast versions of the project; one version is 0:29 in length, the other 0:40. The broadcast versions were completed in early-1997. The 6 audiocassettes contain Tlicho (Dogrib) language interviews conducted at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, as well as corresponding typed transcriptions. The textual material also includes proposals, project reports, logs for the videocassettes and letters of support.
Dogrib Birchbark Canoe ProjectThis fonds consists of textual material from the Office of the Language Commissioner. The material includes five copies of the brochure "The Languages of Our Land" which contains basic information about the purpose and content of the NWT Official Languages Act. The brochures are in the languages of English, French, Cree, Tlicho (Dogrib), Chipewyan, Gwich'in, North Slavey, South Slavey, Inuinnaqtun and Inuvialuktun. In addition there is a copy of the report "The Richness that Language and Culture Brings" which is an Impact Study of Canada-NWT Languages Agreements (1984-1996) and the Aboriginal Languages Directory (2012) and its accompanying References and Citations Companion.
Northwest Territories. Office of the Languages CommissionerThis fonds consists of audio reels, audiocassettes, microfilm and textual records that were created by linguist Dr. Robert Howren beginning in the late 1960s to 1982. The textual material is comprised of 28 notebooks containing his field notes, primarily relating to his work with Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib) speakers. They are in several series: 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, and 1982. The sound recordings, recorded mainly in Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib) but also in Dëne Sųłıné (Chipewyan), Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik (Gwich'in), Dene Kǝdǝ́ (North Slavey), Dene Zhatıé (South Slavey), Tse'khene (Sekani), Denaakk'e (Koyukon), Tutchone, Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Dane-zaa (Beaver), Dakelh (Carrier), include 111 audiocassettes and 178 audio reels. The audio reels range in date from 1957 to the late 1970s; the audiocassettes date mostly from 1982. Howren's collection also includes recordings gathered from other linguists and researchers.
There are 6 reels of microfilm, five of which relate to Slave language grammars and lexicons that likely date from the 1950s or 1960s. The other reel, dated 1971, is marked only with the title Golla, V. Hupa. The photographic material consists of 35 mm negatives and appears to be a copy of Father Edouard Guoy's French -Slavey Dictionary (Dictionairre francais - esclase) from 1930.
Howren, RobertThis 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.
This fonds consists of two DAT audio cassettes and 12 audio reels that constitute an incomplete collection of oral history interviews recorded in Gwich'in. Included among the people interviewed are: John Francis; Peter Thompson; John Vaneltsi; Andrew Koe; Charles Koe; Remmy Tsell; Otto Natse; Amos Nidichie; Abraham Francis; John Charlie; William Nerysoo; Johnny Kay (Kikavichick); Abraham Alexis; George Vittrekwa; Joe Natsi; Andrew Kunnizzie (Kunizzi); Peter Vittrekwa; Ronnie Pascal; Lazarus Sittitchinli; Ben Kunnizzie (Kunizzi); and Edward Snowshoe.
Indian-Eskimo Association of CanadaThis fonds consists of 10 cm of textual material, 1 microfilm reel, 2 film reels, and 1 Umatic video. The textual material includes dictionaries and grammars compiled by Father LeMeur and Father Metayer. In addition, there are two reels of the film "Arctic Missions of the Mackenzie," and a copy of the film on one Umatic videocassette. This fonds also includes one reel of microfilm containing a volume of Dene family genealogies.
Oblates of Mary ImmaculateThis accession consists of two oversize cloth public notices. One warns of the dangers of forest fires; the text is in Tlicho and written in syllabics. The second identifies a native hunting and trapping preserve. An annotation on the front indicates that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) schooner the "St. Roch" may have located this notice in 1944. On the back there is an annotation: "Robert G. Fulton and Gerald Klondike Helicopters on Board M.V. Theta [1931?] Calgary Alberta."
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.
Northwest Territories. Department of Justice and Public Services. Museums and Heritage division. Archaeology section"Koukdjuak Crossing: Caribou Tagging on Baffin Island" was produced in 1984 and is 18 minutes long. It explains the caribou-tagging program, as it existed on Baffin Island up to that date. The film shows Paul Kraft and crew ear-tagging caribou on the Koukdjuak River, and then explains how this has contributed to knowledge of caribou movements on south Baffin. This film is available in English (:0001) and Inuktitut (:0002). "To Have Forever: Hunting the Bathurst Caribou Herd" was produced in 1986 and is 26 minutes long. This film shows the importance of the Bathurst herd to three different cultures: Inuit, Dene and non-natives. Hunters are shown in summer, fall and winter, and different meat handling techniques are compared and contrasted. This film is available in English (:0003) and Innuiaqtun (:0004). The Innuiaqtun version is available on VHS videocassette only.
Northwest Territories. Department of Renewable Resources. Conservation Education and Resource Development divisionOne series of posters documents the NWT Winners for the annual National Wildlife Week Poster Contest, another series warns of the dangers of bears. A third series relates to Wildlife Regulations on hunting and the export of animals/pelts/meat outside the Northwest Territories. The Wildlife Ordinance posters are often duplicated to allow for the use of the following four languages: English, French, Syllabics and Inuktitut (Roman Orthography).
Northwest Territories. Department of Renewable Resources. Field Services division