Angela Sidney
Encyclopedia
Angela Sidney, was a Tagish
storyteller
. She co-authored two narratives of traditional Tagish legends, and a historical document of Tagish place names for southern Yukon
. For her linguistics
and ethnography
contributions, Sidney received the Order of Canada
, becoming the first Native
woman from the Yukon to be so honoured.
Sidney was born near Carcross
in 1902. She was given two names at birth, Ch'óonehte' Ma (in Tagish), Stóow (in Tlingit
), and a third, Angela, by her godfather
, when she was two weeks old.
Her mother, Maria John (or Maria Tagish) (born ca. 1871), was of Tlingit Deiheetaan (Crow) clan ancestry. Her father, Tagish John (born ca. 1856), was Tagish Dakhl'awedi. Maria was left weak after epidemic
s killed the family's first four children. A brother, Johnny, and a sister, Alice Dora, were Sidney's siblings from the couple's second family. Because her mother was not well, Sidney, eldest daughter, spent much of her time assisting her mother and listening to her stories. However, Sidney did receive some schooling in Carcross at the Anglican mission school prior to age ten.
Her father's cousins, Skookum Jim
, Kate Carmack
and Dawson Charlie
, were credited with making the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
in 1896.
Adulthood
At age 14, Sidney married George Sidney (ca. 1888 - 1971). They had seven children, four of whom died young. George worked seasonally for White Pass and Yukon Route
railroad, he later became chief at Carcross.
Sidney loved to listen to her parents' stories, and those of her relatives. To ensure that the dances, language, stories, and traditions of her people were recorded for future generations, Sidney started teaching Tagish traditions to schoolchildren. She assisted linguists Victor Golla, Jeff Leer and John Ritter and anthropologists Catherine McClellan and Julie Cruikshank with their research on Tagish language and traditions to ensure the Tagish language would not be lost. In teaching the craft of storytelling to her niece, Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, Sidney emphasized the need to be cognizant of the needs of the audience, preface the telling with a prayer, and seek forgiveness before offense is taken.
Sidney died in 1991. She was survived by a daughter, Ida Calmegane.
Tagish
The Tagish or Tagish Khwáan are a group of Athabaskan First Nation people that lived around Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Tagish people intermarried heavily with Tlingit people from the coast and the Tagish language is almost extinct...
storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
. She co-authored two narratives of traditional Tagish legends, and a historical document of Tagish place names for southern Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. For her linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
contributions, Sidney received the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, becoming the first Native
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
woman from the Yukon to be so honoured.
"Well, I have no money to leave for my grandchildren. My stories are my wealth!"
Biography
ChildhoodSidney was born near Carcross
Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of 431 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation....
in 1902. She was given two names at birth, Ch'óonehte' Ma (in Tagish), Stóow (in Tlingit
Tlingit language
The Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
), and a third, Angela, by her godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
, when she was two weeks old.
Her mother, Maria John (or Maria Tagish) (born ca. 1871), was of Tlingit Deiheetaan (Crow) clan ancestry. Her father, Tagish John (born ca. 1856), was Tagish Dakhl'awedi. Maria was left weak after epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s killed the family's first four children. A brother, Johnny, and a sister, Alice Dora, were Sidney's siblings from the couple's second family. Because her mother was not well, Sidney, eldest daughter, spent much of her time assisting her mother and listening to her stories. However, Sidney did receive some schooling in Carcross at the Anglican mission school prior to age ten.
Her father's cousins, Skookum Jim
Keish
Keish , better known by his English name Skookum Jim Mason, was a Canadian native part of the Tagish First Nation in what became the Yukon Territory of Canada...
, Kate Carmack
Kate Carmack
Shaaw Tláa, also known as Kate Carmack was a Tagish First Nation woman born near Bennett Lake. She lived with her parents, and seven sisters and brothers, near Carcross, Yukon. Her father, Kaachgaawáa, was the head of the Tlingit crow clan, while her mother, Gus’dutéen, was a member of the Tagish...
and Dawson Charlie
Dawson Charlie
Dawson Charlie or K̲áa Goox̱ [qʰáː kuːχ] was a Canadian Tagish/Tlingit First Nation person and one of the co-discoverers of gold that led to the Klondike Gold Rush located in the Yukon territory of Northwest Canada. He was the nephew of Skookum Jim Mason and accompanied him on his search for his...
, were credited with making the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
in 1896.
Adulthood
At age 14, Sidney married George Sidney (ca. 1888 - 1971). They had seven children, four of whom died young. George worked seasonally for White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
railroad, he later became chief at Carcross.
Sidney loved to listen to her parents' stories, and those of her relatives. To ensure that the dances, language, stories, and traditions of her people were recorded for future generations, Sidney started teaching Tagish traditions to schoolchildren. She assisted linguists Victor Golla, Jeff Leer and John Ritter and anthropologists Catherine McClellan and Julie Cruikshank with their research on Tagish language and traditions to ensure the Tagish language would not be lost. In teaching the craft of storytelling to her niece, Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, Sidney emphasized the need to be cognizant of the needs of the audience, preface the telling with a prayer, and seek forgiveness before offense is taken.
Sidney died in 1991. She was survived by a daughter, Ida Calmegane.
Awards and honors
- 1986, Member of the Order of Canada
- Sidney was the inspiration for the development of the Yukon International Storytelling FestivalYukon International Storytelling FestivalThe Yukon International Storytelling Festival is held every Summer in Whitehorse, Yukon, generally in an outdoor setting. The storytelling festival was conceived in the mid 1980s when one the Yukon's last Tagish speakers found herself going to the to disseminate her peoples' stories to a world...
, created in 1988, when fellow storytellers learned that Sidney had to travel to TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1984 to be part of a storytelling festival.
Selected stories
- Getting married
- The stolen woman
- How people got flint
- The old woman under the world
- Moldy head
- Fox helper
- Wolf story
- Potlatch story