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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.

This 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.

This fonds consists of one DAT audio cassette and 5 cm of textual material. The DAT audio cassette contains a recording of Dr. Cass in early 1980, dictating letters for her secretary. She discusses her health and her recent trip to Brazil with the International Society of Geographic Opthalmology. The textual material consists of transcripts that contain Dr. Cass' personal observations on the Gwich'in. These observations were made in 1959. Her recollections cover such topics as puberty, religious beliefs, burial customs, personal hygiene, marriage, music and dancing. She has also recorded many of the Gwich'in stories and legends that were related to her by such individuals as Paul Bonnetplume (Aklavik), Annie McPherson (Fort McPherson), Peter Lord (Old Crow, Yukon), Lazarus Sittichinli, Peter Moses and Edward Snowshoe. Although many of the legends relate to medicine men, Dr. Cass also recounts stories about the Willow Man, the Ungrateful Indian, Sakeethuck the "Trickster," the Crow Who Lost His Beak, the Lazy Boy, three stories about Bushmen [Hare and Slavey Indians] and a two hour saga about two brothers as told to her by Edward Snowshoe. The remaining textual material consists of reports written by Dr. Elizabeth Cass. The reports examine blindness and eye problems amongst children and adults in the Northwest Territories. There are charts and graphs included in the reports.

This collection consists of copies of 282 photographs in print and negative format, 107 audio recordings and one folder of textual material collected by the Gwich'in Language and Cultural Project in 1983 and 1984. The photographs were loaned to the project by Fort McPherson residents: Effie Thomas, Doris Lester, Mary Wilson, Laura Firth, Mary Jane Kunnizzi, Mary Francis, Louise Snowshoe, Tabitha Nerysoo, and the Chief Julius School. The original images appear to date from the 1940s to the 1970s and feature people and locations in the Fort McPherson area. Most of the audio recordings are from the Committee for Original Peoples' Entitlement (COPE) collection, except for 18 recordings identified as "Land Research Series." All recordings date from 1972 to 1977. The two items of textual material were collected from the Chief Julius School, and along with photographs, made up part of a booklet produced for a class history project. The items are a copy of a 1918 letter from Reverend Alfred J. Vale, and a copy of the poem "The Mackenzie River Band." A photocopy of the booklet is available

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.

This fonds consists of 94 black and white interpositives copied from the original negatives. Most of the images depict scenes in and around Tsiigehtchic (Arctic Red River) and Aklavik. There are also photographs taken in Tuktoyaktuk, Hay River, Reindeer Station, Fort McPherson and Fort Simpson. The fonds contains images of Nap Norbert's children, his brothers and sisters. In addition, there are images of community buildings in Tsiigetchic, the hospital and school at Aklavik, and the community dance hall in Fort McPherson. There are also a number of images of barges and tugs, including the "Pelican Rapids" that operated on the Mackenzie River.