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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The textual records include published and unpublished texts on Slavey and Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib) literacy, linguistic and translation, dating from 1959 to the 1990s.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 A large portion of the unpublished material consists of stories told by both Tłı̨chǫ and Slavey speakers on traditional knowledge, legends, and personal stories.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.

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.

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.

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 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.

The audio recordings consist of an interview with D'arcy Arden recorded February 26, 2001 (2 cassettes) and one DAT tape recorded in April 1996 of George Blondin telling stories. The Darcy Arden interview deals with the early days of ice roads and his family history. The other recording is of George Blondin telling stories: Moose hunting, Netting Fish, Fishing Chat, Otter Medicine Legend, Setting Rabbit Snares, Trapping, Trapping chat, Caribou legend. The Blondin recording appears to recorded both in English and Slavey. The textual records appears to be an English translation of the Blondin stories.

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.

The material is made up of a typed manuscript by Henry 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.

Accession consists of an Analysis of the Dene Language Information Review, as well as Dene Traditional Life Series and Inuit Traditional Life Series.

Accession consists of books published by the Department of Education called "Tendi's Canoe" and "Tendi Goes Beaver Snaring." There is also a book of Inuit Legends featuring drawings by Inuk artist Germaine Arnaktauyok. Additionally, there are curricula materials such as "Flora and Fauna of the North" which includes illustrated pictures of animals found in the north accompanied by excerpt /short stories. "A Start in Something New: Welcome to Kindergarten" is curriculum for kindergarten. The accession also includes a booklet of the Dene calendar written in both English and Slavey with illustrations by Dene artist, Don Antoine. There is also a book, "Olympiada" by Saul Landa which features the 1971 Olympiada event among students in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. Additionally, there is a summary of the Social and Housing Education Program in the Mackenzie District in 1969. The accession also consists of territorial government and election procedures of 1974 in the Government and Elections - An Educational Programme.

The textual records include an English transcript of interviews conducted with Whati elders in 2001 on the subject of the fur trade. The sound recording, entitled 'Trading Among the Dogrib People', contains the interviews, which were conducted in Tlicho (Dogrib). Speakers include Alexis Flunki, Mary Madeleine Nitsiza, Jimmy Rabesca, and Louis Simpson. Topics discussed include trading with the Hudson's Bay Company, trapping, running errands, and the role of women in the fur trade.

Records include sound recordings from the Parish Council of Rae-Edzo's Dogrib Literacy Workshop, also known as the Dogrib Writer's Project, held in late August and early September 1992. The recordings were created as part of the reporting requirements for funding received under the Language Enhancement Program. The purpose of the project was to bring together Tlicho (Dogrib) literate people from the six communities of the North Slave Region to discuss the present state of the Tlicho written language and to develop ways to strengthen culture and identity through the Tlicho written word. Another aim of the project was to bring young people, who use Roman orthography, and elders, who use syllabics, together to identify those words not in common use and to ensure that they are recorded. The original proposal also called for the development of scripted stories to be read on local radio in Tlicho. One of the cassettes identifies Joe Erasmus as the interviewee.

There are five copies (VHS and Betamax) entitled "Drum Lake-Archaeology", (original number A1176015) which was produced by the Archaeology Section of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and Radio and Television Services (Department of Culture and Communications). These records are available in Tlicho with English subtitles (2 copies), Slavey and English. In addition, there is a Beta copy of "The Last Mooseskin Boat" in Slavey and two VHS copies of the video "Where Time Began" in Inuvialuktun and Gwich'in. "Where Time Began" was produced by the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

The videocassette is entitled "How the Fur Trade Works" (South Slavey version), and runs 10 min. 15 sec.

The records were generated by an oral history project in which Slavey Elder George Boots was interviewed about traditional place names and land use. The audiocassettes contain recordings of the interviews that took place over a five day period at Willow Lake River. The interviews were conducted in Slavey. The textual material consists of two copies of English translations of the audiocassettes.
This project was coordinated by Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre archaeologist, Chris Hanks and involved Territorial Toponymist Randy Freeman and translators Elinor Bran and Margaret Thom. The project resulted in a total of 10.5 hours of taped interviews and many hours of nondirected discussions with Mr. Boots. In these recorded interviews, Mr. Boots provides 147 toponyms, several long narratives on seasonal land use, partial family histories, and camp and resource locations for a large area of the Northwest Territories.

Each of the audio cassettes features recordings on the A and B side.