The Van Tat Gwich'in provided the guidance and translation for this book, and Gwich'in Elders shared their knowledge and were the impetus. Shirleen Smith lives in Edmonton, Alberta, and holds a doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Alberta.
"Straddling the border between Canada and Alaska, and extending
from the Arctic Circle north to the Beaufort Sea is the traditional
territory of the Van Tat, fed by the the rivers Europeans call
Crow, Black, Porcupine, and Peel. Near its center is Old Crow, the
community of some 300 souls where the project was initiated to
gather stories transcribed in earlier days from their scattered
archives, and to interview the elders throughout the territory for
this collection of narratives. Interspersed are drawings and
photographs dating back to the 19th century, and stupendous new
colour photographs of the land and the people. The sections are
chronological: the long-ago stories, the first generation in the
19th century, the second generation early in the 20th, and the oral
history of today. A glossary translates Gwich'in to English and
English to Gwich'in." Book News Inc. May 2010
"The adjudication committee was unanimous in its praise of this
remarkable work of community-academic collaboration. People of the
Lakes is an outstanding history that will serve as a model for
ethnohistorians working with indigenous communities for years to
come. It's a volume all Canadian historians will want on their
shelf." Keith Thor Carlson, Professor, History Department,
University of Saskatchewan
"Stories told by the Van Tat Gwich'in, 'the people who live among
the lakes,' of the northern Yukon are likely the oldest in Canada.
Living in the community of Old Crow, these Aboriginal people have
roots in the area that go back millenia. Even during the last ice
age, their land was one of the few places in the North that wasn't
encased in ice and so sustained life. Archeological evidence of
human activity dates back more than 25 000 years. Now those ancient
stories, along with more recent history, have been collected in a
book by the University of Alberta Press, called People of the
Lakes." Geoff McMaster, Express News, Jan 21, 2010
"People of the Lakes: Stories of Our Van Tat Gwich'in Elders/
Googwandak Nakhwach'anjoo Van Tat Gwich'in" is an amassing of oral
accounts of Gwich'in Elders and the Van Tat Gwich'in which contains
stories from four or more generations of Van Tat Gwich'in born in
the century span from the 1880's to the 1980's. Some stories which
are described as "long -ago" may go back as far as many centuries
more. Context for the stories is provided by collaborator Shirleen
Smith, Anthropology professor from the University of Alberta.
Studded with more than 125 color photographs and more black and
white photos, "People of the Lakes" is both a meticulous
translation of over 150 years of Gwich'in history and a hailed
tribute to the Van Tat Gwich'in community and its heritage. From
the transcribing of this shared knowledge, which is priceless, can
only come further enrichment of all inheriting cultures who occupy
the territory of the "People of the Lakes." A great contribution
also to the field of Native American Studies, "People of the Lakes"
is a trendsetter and a ground breaker for anthropologists,
ethnohistorians, and others interested in the northern regions of
Canada and North America. A helpful Glossary is provided at the end
of the book that translates from Gwich'in to English and the
reverse. The text is further enhanced by the presence of various
maps and historic photographs, each carefully documented. "People
of the Lakes" is sure to garner praise and awards as it crosses
genres and fulfills many obligations. Midwest Book Review
"[People of the Lakes] models possibilities for detailed cultural
research and the gathering of a significant oral record and does it
all in a book that is itself a beautiful thing..." BC History, Fall
2010
The authors...want to secure language, oral history, and knowledge
of the land for future Van Tat Gwich'in generations. Recurrent
themes are childhood experiences, seasonal activities (e.g.,
hunting, fishing, and trapping), and historical places (e.g.,
harvesting areas like the Old Crow Flats, trading posts like
La-Pierre House or Rampart House, and social gathering places like
Bear Cave Mountain), as well as kinship, relations with Inuit, and
the changes that began with the entry of European and Canadian fur
traders and missionaries. The vast majority of information is
obtained from the Van Tat Gwich'in Oral History Collection, which
includes interviews with the four generations recorded by local
researchers in collaboration with Canadian academics.... The
stories and quotes, shown in a different text colour, combined with
a vast number of illustrations, make for a pleasant read. In their
attempt to bring four generations together in one volume, the
authors allow enough room for Gwich'in voices.... People of the
Lakes is an inspiring book and worthwhile reading. The beauty of
this impressive volume lies in the continuity of the narratives and
the intimacy in which the different generations tell about their
personal lives and those of their ancestors.... [T]he book is a
welcoming invitation for any reader interested in Gwich'in lives,
aboriginal and Canadian history, anthropology, religion, politics,
and ethnohistory." Jan Peter Laurens Loovers, University of
Aberdeen, Arctic, March 2011
"What is immediately striking about the book is the level of
community involvement in it and the local enthusiasm for the
project. This was truly a community effort. It is the outcome of a
ten year collaboration between anthropologist Shirleen Smith and
the Vuntut Gwich'in First Nation, a rare example of a true research
partnership between academic and non-academic partners in the
North. This spirit of partnership is infused in every aspect of the
book from its methodology to its organization and presentation of
materials. This is a monumental achievement." Nicolas Brunet,
Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, The
Northern Review, Spring 2011. View entire magazine @
http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/uploads/Northern%20Review%2033%20Abstracts.pdf
"The interviews, meticulously translated from Gwich'in, are
detailed, adding new insights and perception to what is already
known about the Van Tat Gwich'in First Nation, connecting the
remote past with the immediate present, the archival documents with
newer oral history sources, and photographs (268). The stories and
histories come alive through memorable anecdotes, thus revealing
how oral history can be effectively used in knowing and
understanding indigenous people, and, in this case providing a deep
knowledge of the Van Tat Gwich'in and their lives over the last two
centuries." Jacky Moore, Canterbury Christ Church University, Oral
History Review, Summer-Fall 2011 [doi: 10.1093/ohr/ohr084]
"Interviews with Vuntut Gwitchin elders, panoramic views of Old
Crow Flats, and old photos treasured by members of the community
for many generations are beautifully woven together by Shirleen
Smith in collaboration with the Vuntut Gwitchin elders.... This
book should be used as a template for First Nations trying to
preserve the ancient oral traditions of their people.... Meeting
the needs of those of a more scholarly persuasion, twenty percent
of the book contains numerous endnotes, glossaries both from
Gwitchin to English and English to Gwitchin, and a comprehensive
bibliography." David Norton, The Canadian Journal of Native Studies
XXXI, 1(2011)
"... this book will be of interest, not just to linguists and
anthropologists interested in First Nations languages or cultures,
but also to scholars from a wide range of disciplines. The way the
book is arranged is pleasing to the eye, with narratives from the
stories interspersed with explanatory texts. The book also contains
many excellent black and white and color photographs, from both the
present and the recent past, which greatly enhance the text. At a
time when languages and stories are being lost all over the Arctic,
and around the world, as rapid change occurs, this book is an
inspiring example of what may be done to preserve such treasures
before they are gone forever." Astrid E.J. Ogilvie, Arctic,
Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol. 43, No. 4, 2011
"This is, I believe, the third time that the Turner Prize Committee
has decided to make an extraordinary award for the humanistic
achievement of a project rather than the writing per se. The
overall category of collaborative research and oral history
encapsules the goals of SHA in that the ethnography part of
ethnographic writing is the sine qua non of our disciplinary
credibility. This elegant volume of texts and photos is a
pedagogical resource for the community and for outsiders seeking to
understand the continuity of traditional ways in northern
communities despite extensive consequences of historical events."
Dr. Regna Darnell, Victor Turner Prize awards speech
"People of the Lakes is the result of ten consecutive years of work
from a community of less than 300 Gwitch'in Dene from Old Crow,
Yukon. It has won nine prizes since publication. It was designed to
be the first official transcript of Old Crow history, the last
village without road access in the Yukon. It is a 391-page
distillation of over 350 transcripts, organized into three
sections. A span of 150 years of archived transcripts, audio
recordings, photographs and film stills were also pulled together
to add to the project. It is finished with a long well
cross-referenced index as well as glossaries of Gwitch'in to
English and back." Anna de Aguayo, Anthropologica 53, 2011
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