People of the Lakes Stories of Our Van Tat Gwich'in Elders/Googwandak Nakhwach'anjoo Van Tat Gwich'in

The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and Shirleen Smith share fifty years of Elders’ oral histories, recounting 150 years of Gwich'in life.

Front Flap: The Van Tat Gwich'in Oral History Collection is a treasure. The stories it contains are from four or more generations of Van Tat Gwich'in who were born in the century from the 1880s to the 1980s. The fascinating histories they relate are from their own experiences or those of their elders and span the 19th and 20th centuries. The stories they describe as "long-ago stories" take the history back centuries and even millennia. -Shirleen Smith, from the Introduction Back Cover: Among the Van Tat Gwich'in, the living history of the community is still passed on from Elders to the youth. People of the Lakes consists of oral accounts recorded by the Elders from the northern Yukon over the past half-century, and represents more than 150 years of their history meticulously translated from Gwich'in. Yet this book is more than a gathering of history-it is a tribute to this community and its rich heritage. Collaborator Shirleen Smith provides context for the stories, whether they are focused on an individual or international politics. Anthropologists, folklorists, ethnohistorians, political scientists, economists, members of First Nations, and readers interested in Canada's northernmost regions will find much to fascinate them. Back Flap: 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.

Many people have a mental picture of the Canadian north that juxtaposes beauty with harshness. For the Van Tat Gwich'in, the northern Yukon is home, with a living history passed on from Elders to youth. This book consists of oral accounts that the Elders have been recording for 50 years, representing more than 150 years of their history, all meticulously translated from Gwich'in. Yet this is more than a gathering of history; collaborator Shirleen Smith provides context for the stories, whether they are focused on an individual or international politics. Anthropologists, folklorists, ethnohistorians, political scientists, economists, Indigenous Peoples, and readers interested in Canada's northernmost regions will find much to fascinate them.