Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih Stories from the People of the Land by Leslie McCartney and The Gwich’in Tribal Council

Reviewed by: Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih Stories from the People of the Land by Leslie McCartney and The Gwich’in Tribal Council Crystal Gail Fraser (bio) Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih Stories from the People of the Land by Leslie McCartney and The Gwich’in Tribal Council University of Alberta Press, 2020 this magnificent, 848-page volume by anthropologist Leslie McCartney and the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC) includes the oral histories of Dinjii Zhuh Elders: the lived experiences of eighteen women and six men. The book is “structured to give the reader a general background to the Gwich’in people and their traditional lands” (xvi). Histories of northern Canada and Indigenous Peoples who have inhabited those Lands since Time Immemorial are few and far between; this collection makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Dinjii Zhuh histories, the methodology of oral histories, and Indigenous engagement in scholarly research. As reflected during my lifetime as a Gwichyà Gwich’in woman, the dominant voices in this collection of personal narratives are Elders. Again and again, they command our attention and demonstrate their expertise in their use of our language (Dinjii Zhuh Ginjik) and on-the-Land skills such as hunting, moosehide tanning, traveling, and parenting. With all Indigenous testimonies, the hard histories of colonialism, Indian Residential Schooling, disease, and trauma lie just below the surface, but they are countered by the radiant sense of humor among Dinjii Zhuh. Elder Sarah Ann (Firth) Gard-lund says, “Lots of times, funny things happened to me” as she recounts her delight in winning curling matches against the aggrieved white school-teacher in Aklavik (260). When our own people undertake research related to Dinjii Zhuh, it warms my heart. I can turn to very few books that document the words of my maternal grandmother, delicate information about her mother, and the history of our people—Dinjii Zhuh—more generally. This collection represents how one generation understood not only our identities but also our responsibilities. My grandmother Marka (née Andre) Bullock recorded her story for this volume when she was seventy-five years old. I often visited her during this time, and Marka had already begun thinking about her transition to the next world, which was grounded in the importance of our fish camp and the seasonal nature of our culture and lifestyle: “Sometimes I think if [End Page 142] I get lost, if I just go to Tsiigehtshik and lose myself, and continue my journey to Dachan Choo G˛éhnjik, that’s where they will find me. I would be just happy. I would go very happy” (569). Because of Marka, I continue to return to Dachan Choo G˛éhnjik where I learn the lessons of how to be a matriarch on our Land, at our fish camp, and alongside my young daughter. The crucial role that Dinjii Zhuh women played and their connection to the Land not only runs through Marka’s story but among all twenty-four life narratives, whether told by women or men. Dinjii Zhuh Elders frequently state, “Listen to what I’m saying,” which is the title of chapter 25. Here, McCartney and the GTC seek to bridge the divide between the people of a generation who grew up on the Land with Dinjii Zhuh values and the younger generation living in the Dinjii Zhuh diaspora who may not be connected to their families, Homelands, and ancestral teachings. These “Gwich’in values include respect, honour, love, kindness, dance/song, laughter/humour, teaching, our stories, spirituality, honesty and fairness, sharing, and caring. In their stories, the Elders spoke of all of these things” (621–22). Because these values were documented and now available to all Dinjii Zhuh, we can collectively learn new ways to make and sustain relationships, care for our children and families, and go forward with our lives in a good and ancestral way. As a testament to the intent of this book—a resource for Dinjii Zhuh citizens and community—related scholarly literature is not discussed until...

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