YFNCT15068=bk_WelcomeGuide_web_fnl

VUNTUT GWITCHIN
FIRST NATION
The Porcupine Caribou
Herd has the longest land
migration-route in the world.
Peter Mather
Nakhwanyàa’in geenjit shòh ìidìlii. Gwich’in
We are happy to see (all of) you.
TODAY, Old Crow is the home
community for the Vuntut Gwitchin
– People of the Lakes. We have
strong family ties connecting
all our communities, including
other Gwich’in nations in Alaska
and the Northwest Territories.
This has been so for centuries.
We love to meet and connect for
trade and celebration, and to seek
harmony with one another. This
is called Gwiyiinji’ ihłak meaning
“one mind.” Long ago people
congregated in times of plenty to
travel and work together, singing
their beautiful songs to make their
work less toilsome. They worked
together in almost telepathic unison.
We use our connection to the animals,
the environment and celestial regions
to follow game, make good decisions,
and make predictions. This is the land
The Gwich’in
and the caribou
exchanged pieces
of their hearts.
where our families operated caribou
fences until the mid 1800s, totally
reliant on the land and its bounty.
Our Gwich’in oral traditions say
that humans and the caribou were
once relatives and could easily
communicate with each other.
However, separation was inevitable
and when the split happened, the
Gwich’in and the caribou exchanged
pieces of their hearts. Many times,
when a kill occurs, the successful
hunt is attributed to the fact that
the caribou was a relative that gave
its life to provide sustenance to
the community.
If we share when possible, if we
help people in need, if we find
ways to work and coexist together,
we will increase our likelihood for
prosperity as a nation. This is the
Gwich’in way. Come see our world
as we see it and hear our stories
first hand.
vgfn.ca
40 Yukon First Nations Welcome Guide