C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

Notes to Pages 151-153 279epidemic of smallpox, and, according to Hannah N etro,because enforcement of the newly surveyed internationalborder constrained people's hunting patterns (Rampart 14,15).In 1912, as well, two traders opened the first store at Old Crow(Acheson 695). "The new settlement took its name from anoted chief of the old days, 'Te-Tshim-Gevtik,' meaning'Walking Crow.' He died in the 1870s, leaving his people alegacy of high standards and moral principles which havepersisted to the present time .... The word 'crow' here refers tothe northern raven, as true crows are unknown this far north .... The settlement is in the centre of the most prolific muskratbreedinggrounds in the entire northwest" (Coutts 200-01).Prices for muskrat pelts were strong in the mid - 1920s (Balikci41). Like Fort McPherson, Old Crow has been a staunchAnglican community from the time of the arrival of missionaries,although Christianity grafted on to, rather than whollydisplaced, former beliefs (Balikci 52).The people of this settlement now prefer the name Vuntutor Vantut, which means "the people of the lakes" and refers toOld Crow Flats, the wide area oflakes and marsh in theirregion (Leechman 64); hence, as well, the name ofVuntutNational Park, located north of the settlement and Old CrowFlats Special Management Area (Weihs 234). When Vyvyan andDorrien Smith reached Rampart House, the RCMP post wasstill situated there, but it was transferred to Old Crow in 1928(Balikci 36). Old Crow is all but unique among northerncommunities in never having an HBC post (Acheson 695). In1976, the community resisted the construction of an oil andgas pipeline through its region (Berger 36-8). One sign ofVyvyan's concern to make her published account reflect onlywhat she knew of the communities when she visited them in1926 is the lack of any mention in her book of the fame thatOld Crow attained in the English press in 1945, when, on thesuggestion of Chief Peter Moses, the community raised"several hundred dollars as a gift to the children of bombbatteredLondon" (McCourt 204). The gift was presented on 5March 1942 by the Right Hon. Vincent Massey, high commissionerfor Canada, and was gratefully acknowledged by themayors of Bermondsey, Lambeth, and Southwark. Untilrecently, the letter of acknowledgement, which explains thatthe funds were spent on clothing for forty-six childrenorphaned in the air raids on London, was displayed at StLuke's Anglican Church, Old Crow.Field Note for Sund'!J 18 JuJyDorrien Smith's field note for this day, by mentioning theircamp at night "between hills with rocks and steep banks; wesketched, canoe in foreground," locates the setting of one ofher watercolour sketches (see above, 196).Field Nole for Tuesd'!J 20 JuJyUnlike many of Dorrien Smith's field notes, the one for 20July is not simply more understated and less detailed (exceptrespecting flora) than Vyvyan' s but also different in its point ofview and choice of detail: "Sky cleared and it turned out alovely day. Wind rather ahead. We had some shallows andislands to negotiate leaving our camp on the beach with a lovelyglow on the mountains at 8:15, and paddled all day until 7:00,stopping for lunch at some Ramparts on high cliff, of whichthere were a good many today. Fine piece of rock with kestrelsand young eagles. Camped tonight on muskeg above stonybeach. Saw our old mountains behind and some new onesahead today."CHAPTER 24: FRIENDLY FACES (21-23 JULY)The Indian chief caIne nrstA photo taken by Douglas Leechman in 1946 shows theGwitchin chief, Peter Moses, and his wife, Myra. A pencilportrait of Moses with yachting-cap, by W. Langdon Kihn,appears as the frontispiece in Leechman's book, Indian Summer.According to Richard Slobodin, "he has a visored cap with abadge lettered 'Chief; the medal on his coat is also a sign of hisoffice" (530). However, according to Sarah Abel Chitzi, PeterMoses was chief for only thirteen years, and so probably didnot have that designation when met by Vyvyan and DorrienSmith. Indeed, Chitzi states that Joe Kyakivichik (Joe Kay)preceded Moses and was "our first chief' (Rampart 10). Thediary of Jess Rust, who visited Old Crow with the Muries in thesame year as the Englishwomen, confirms that the chief thenwas "BigJoe" (23), "Chief Joseph" (72).a youngish trader naIned FrostHarold "Jack" Frost (1901-61), who was born in Owen Sound,Ontario, appears in a photograph with one of the Jacksonbrothers and RCMP constable Charlie Young (see above, 154).