Time Travelling in the Yukon
Living in the Yukon, it’s hard not to feel distinctly aware of time, of its passing and of our relationship to it.
Fort Selkirk Historic Site
Back to the land
On an evening in early November, Teri-Lee Isaac and her family butchered a caribou that was given to them by family in Fort McPherson. While the practice gives the family a freezer full of wild meat for the upcoming winter, it also connects them to the land, and to Northern Tutchone cultural practices that have been passed down through the generations.
Carmacks agate
Quartz is everywhere; it is the second most common mineral making up the Earth’s crust, just behind feldspar. Quartz is composed of the two elements silicon and oxygen. It has many different forms.
Visiting Fort Selkirk
As someone who has always been very interested in Yukon history the Fort Selkirk Historic Site was definitely on the list of places we wanted the visit during the year we lived in the Yukon. But how to get there since there is no road access? Located near the confluence of the Yukon and the …
Extraneous Bananas
When your friend blows into town, you hang onto your hat and lay on the groceries, especially the Stolichnaya Vodka, or “Stoli”, as he calls it. Your friend is a Martini drinker, and particular about his cocktail of choice. He likes a dry Martini, so the vermouth must be dispensed via a tiny spray bottle. …
Doing the Squirrel-paddle
I couldn’t sleep the night before. Was it the roughly 10 night-shifts in a row I had pulled just prior to leaving, or was it the excitement to get on that river? I’m not a river paddler. I grew up in Ontario (which I realize has rivers) and am at home on lakes and nasty …
Song Crafting at Historic Fort Selkirk
“It will be a special week in a very special place. Lots of one-on-one time with mentors and lots of cowriting,” says singer-songwriter Kim Beggs. That special place is Fort Selkirk, on the Yukon River, about half way between Whitehorse and Dawson City. Kim Beggs’ first trip to Fort Selkirk was in the summer of …
Connecting to the past, to guide the future
On March 8, 2015, a team of 18 Northern Tutchone elders and heritage staff from the Nacho Nyak Dun, Selkirk, and Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nations embarked on a trip across the country in search of their heritage. For some, like Elder Gertie Tom, this was one of many visits to Ottawa throughout her career. For …
Discovering a Rich Cultural Heritage
Colleen Potter has an infectious smile that can put even the most-guarded person at ease. It’s a smile that doesn’t fade when she begins to talk about her ancestry. Potter is Métis. We often think such a fact should be pushed to the side, that ethnicity should not be discussed in polite company. Because of …
Celebrating parks
“This is a celebration of all kinds of parks,” says Hillarie Zimmermann, external relations manager with Parks Canada. “Territorial parks, city parks, community parks … anywhere people enjoy the outside.” After 125 years of enjoying these parks, the 20th annual Parks Day will see celebrations across Canada on Saturday, July 17. With the help of …