The Gwich’in literally "one who dwells" or "resident of [a region]", are a First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

/Alaska Native people who live in the northwestern part of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 mostly above the Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....

. The Gwichʼin were also known by the French name of Loucheux ("squinters") in historical documents, as well as the Tukudh used by Anglican missionaries. Gwich’in often self-reference using the term "Dinjii Zhuu" instead of Gwich’in. Dinjii Zhuu literally translates as "Small People" but figuratively it refers to 'Indians', not just Gwich’in.

The Gwich’in are well known for the construction of snowshoes, birchbark

Birch bark

Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus Betula.The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since pre-historic times...

 canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

s, the two way sled

Sled

A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...

, and intricate and ornate beadwork

Beadwork

Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth, usually by the use of a needle and thread or soft, flexible wire. Most beadwork takes the form of jewelry or other personal adornment, but beads are also used in wall hangings and sculpture.Beadwork techniques are broadly...

. Traditional caribou skin clothing and porcupine quill sewing are also held in high regard among Gwich'in. Today the economy is mostly a mix of hunting, fishing, and seasonal wage paying employment.

Gwich’in language

Many Gwichʼin speak their indigenous

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....

 Gwich’in language

Gwich’in language

The Gwich’in language is the Athabaskan language of the Gwich’in indigenous people. It is also known in older or dialect-specific publications as Kutchin, Takudh, Tukudh, or Loucheux. In the Northwest Territories and Yukon of Canada, it is used principally in the towns of Inuvik, Aklavik, Fort...

, which is in the Athabaskan

Athabaskan languages

Athabaskan or Athabascan is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family...

 language family. There are 2 main dialects of Gwich’in; eastern and western, which are delineated roughly at the United States and Canadian border. Each village has unique dialectical differences, idioms, and expressions that are favored as well. The Old Crow people in the northern Yukon Territory have approximately the same dialect as those bands living in Venetie and Arctic Village, Alaska. According to the UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, Gwich’in is now a "severely endangered" language with fewer than 150 fluent speakers in Alaska and another 250 in northwest Canada.

Gwich’in tribes and clans

There are many different bands or tribes of Gwich’in including, but not limited to: Deenduu, Draanjik, Shoo Draanjik, Di'haii

Dihai-kutchin

Dihai-kutchin are a small Gwichʼin tribe of the Athabaskan linguistic stock. Descendants intermarried with the Neets'aii Gwich'in in Arctic Village, Alaska, USA...

, Gwichyaa

Gwichyaa Gwich’in

Gwichyaa Gwich’in are a Gwich’in people who live in the Yukon Flats area of Alaska, USA...

, K'iitl'it, Neetsaii, Teetl'it, Teetsii, Tanan,and Vuntut.

In addition there are three major clan variations across Gwich’in Country. There are two primary clans and one that has a lower/secondary status. The first clan are the "Nantsaii", which literally translates as "First on the land", the second clan are the "Chits'yaa" which translates as "The helpers" (second on the land). The last clan is called the "Tenjeraatsaii", which translates as "In the middle" or "independents". This last clan is reserved for people who marry within their own clan, which is considered incestual, and in a lesser degree for those who are the children of people who are outside of the clan system. In ancient times this would also refer to the children of "Naa'in", people who were expelled from the tribe due to committing a crime. It also applied to the children of mothers who simply fell outside of the clan system. In other times, prior to 1900, being a Tenjeraatsaii automatically placed a Gwich’in at the third lowest rung of the social ladder and were to some degree ostracized. The second lowest rung was reserved for war-captured slaves. The lowest social status was that of a banished Naa'in. Banishment is still practiced in current times due to the lack of enforcement of American or Canadian law in rural areas, and is enforced by the aggrieved clan and/or band. The clan system is no longer well known or utilized among the Gwich'in.

Location and Population

There are approximately 9,000 Gwich’in in 15 small communities in the Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

 and the 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....

 Territory

Provinces and territories of Canada

The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...

 of Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, and in northern Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

. Gwichʼin communities include:

• Inuvik, Northwest Territories
  Inuvik, Northwest Territories
  Inuvik is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region.The population as of the 2006 Census was 3,484, but the two previous census counts show wide fluctuations due to economic conditions: 2,894 in 2001 and 3,296 in 1996...
  
   (Nihtat Gwich’in)
• Aklavik, Northwest Territories
  Aklavik, Northwest Territories
  Aklavik is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, the community served as the regional administrative centre for the territorial government...
  
   (Ehdiitat Gwich’in)
• Telit Zheh, Northwest Territories
  Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories
  Fort McPherson is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on the east bank of the Peel River and is south of Inuvik on the Dempster Highway....
  
   (formerly Fort McPherson
  Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories
  Fort McPherson is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on the east bank of the Peel River and is south of Inuvik on the Dempster Highway....
  
  ) (Tetlit Gwich’in)
• Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories
  Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories
  Tsiigehtchic is a Gwich’in community located at the confluence of the Mackenzie and the Arctic Red River, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community was formerly known as Arctic Red River, until 1 April 1994.Population is 175 according to the 2006 Census...
  
   (formerly Arctic Red River) (aka Gwichya Gwich’in)
• Old Crow, Yukon
  Old Crow, Yukon
  -Population data:-External links:******, a National Film Board of Canada documentary...
  
   (Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
  Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
  The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is a First Nation in the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Old Crow, Yukon. As the name indicates, the language originally spoken by the people is Gwichʼin language....
  
  )
• Beaver, Alaska
  Beaver, Alaska
  Beaver is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 84.-Geography:Beaver is located at ....
  
   (Gwichyaa Gwich'in)
• Circle, Alaska
  Circle, Alaska
  Circle is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 100....
  
   (Danzhit Hanlaii Gwich'in)
• Fort Yukon, Alaska
  Fort Yukon, Alaska
  As of the census of 2000, there were 595 people, 225 households, and 137 families residing in the city. The population density was 85.0 people per square mile . There were 317 housing units at an average density of 45.3 per square mile...
  
   (Gwichyaa Gwich’in
  Gwichyaa Gwich’in
  Gwichyaa Gwich’in are a Gwich’in people who live in the Yukon Flats area of Alaska, USA...
  
  ) http://www.fortyukon.org
• Chalkyitsik, Alaska
  Chalkyitsik, Alaska
  Chalkyitsik is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 83.-Geography:Chalkyitsik is located at ....
  
   (Draanjik Gwich’in)
• Birch Creek, Alaska
  Birch Creek, Alaska
  Birch Creek is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 28 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
  
   (Deenduu Gwich’in)
• Arctic Village, Alaska
  Arctic Village, Alaska
  Arctic Village is an unincorporated Native American village and a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the CDP was 152. The village is located in the large Gwitch'in speaking region of Alaska, and the local dialect...
  
   (Di'haii and Neetsaii Gwich’in)
• Venetie, Alaska
  Venetie, Alaska
  Venetie , pronounced VEEN-ih-tye, is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States...
  
   (Di'haii and Neetsaii Gwich’in)

Oral history

The Gwich’in have a strong oral tradition of storytelling that has only recently begun to be written in the modern orthography. Gwich’in folk stories include the Vazaagiitsak cycle (literally, "His Younger Brother Became Snagged"), which focuses on the comical adventures of a Gwich’in misfit who, among other things, battles lice on a giant's head, plays the fool to the cunning fox, and eats the scab from his own anus unknowingly. Gwich’in comedies often contain bawdy humor. Other major characters from the Gwich’in oral tradition include: Googhwaii, Ool Ti', Tł'oo Thal, K'aiheenjik, K'iizhazhal, and Shaanyaati'.

There are numerous folk tales about prehistoric times that all begin with the phrase "Deenaadai'", which translates roughly as "In the ancient days". This is usually followed with the admission that this was "when all of the people could talk to the animals, and all of the animals could speak with the people". These stories are often parables, which suggest a proper protocol, or code of behavior for Gwich’in. Equality, generosity, hard work, kindness, mercy, cooperation for mutual success, and just revenge are often the themes of stories such as: Tsyaa Too Oozhrii Gwizhit (The Boy In The Moon), Zhoh Ts'à Nahtryaa (The Wolf and the Wolverine), Vadzaih Luk Hàa (The Caribou and the Fish).

Spiritual beliefs

Overview

The Gwich’in historically had a religious tradition similar to that described as animism

Animism

Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....

. The way of viewing the world was strongly steeped in a natural mysticism. Magical, and mystical, knowledge to traditional Gwich’in is considered natural and not requiring belief by anyone for its inherent truth. Communication with animals for mutual benefit among the Gwich’in is widely acknowledged. Traditionally the Gwich’in had no concept of "K'eegwaadhat", or God. Everything in the world: air, stone, water, fire, plant, or animal, possesses spirit or a life-force. Time, mortality, and space are often manipulated according to traditional Gwich’in religion. Common spiritual foes of the Gwich’in shaman in ancient times, and who were considered to be especially powerful as spiritual people, were the Inupiat of the Kobuk river valley, and the Cree Indians of Canada. This division has since been mended however, with little conflict in modern times. Great distance and isolation did not hinder their communication or mutual animosity according to Gwich’in oral tradition. A common example of low level Gwich’in power is the Gwich’in hunter who has been known to dream of an animal in a specific place; upon going to this place the animal will be there waiting for the hunter. Among the Gwich’in this is considered somewhat common. Important figures, in recent times, who represented traditional belief structures are: Johnny and Sarah Frank, Shahnyaati', and Ch'eegwalti'.

Afterlife

Traditionally the Gwich’in afterlife consisted of a country where the flora and fauna were plentiful. Even the flowers were thought to sing in the afterlife. The eternal life was reached by emptying oneself of all possessions mental, emotional, physical, historical and spiritual. Failing to behave appropriately in a system similar to karma

Karma

Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....

 was commonly considered the main hindrance to people's attainment of an afterlife. Positive deeds could empty oneself in preparation for death. When people die, they face a series of tests that they must pass in order to attain admittance into the afterlife; otherwise they are stuck on earth to possibly be reborn again. If a person has any attachment, possibly only negative attachment, to the qualities of their personal life he or she will not pass the tests. Only individuals themselves can determine if they are ready to move on. The Gwich’in did not believe in any spiritual intermediaries such as priests. Every individual is responsible for their own spiritual enlightenment, and spiritual interpretation of experiences. "Dinjii Dazhan" (magical humans or shamans) were merely considered humans that were exceptionally gifted and thereby powerful in some aspect of life. They were held in high regard and, in some cases, were greatly feared. Contemporary belief structures have changed Gwich’in society however.

Contemporary influences

The introduction of Christianity in the 1840s throughout Gwich’in territory produced spiritual changes that are still widely in effect today. Widespread conversion to Christianity, specifically Episcopalianism and Catholicism

Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....

 is widely recognized among the Gwich’in. Notable figures in the missionary movement among the Gwich’in are Archdeacon Hudson Stuck

Hudson Stuck

Hudson Stuck with Harry P. Karstens co-led the first expedition to successfully climb the South Peak of Mount McKinley.Stuck, an Episcopal Archdeacon, was born in London and graduated from King's College London...

, Archdeacon Alexander Hunter Murray

Alexander Hunter Murray

Alexander Hunter Murray was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader and artist.In 1847, he established the trading post at Fort Yukon at the juncture of the Yukon and Porcupine rivers in the land of the Gwichʼin people...

, Deacon William Loola, and Deacon Albert Tritt. The chiefs of two Gwich’in villages are also Episcopal priests: Rev. Chief David Salmon of Chalkytsik, and the Rev. Chief Trimble Gilbert of Arctic Village.

The Takudh Bible is a translation of the entire King James Bible into Gwich’in. The Takudh Bible is in a century old orthography that is not very accurate, and thus hard to read. In the 1960s Richard Mueller designed a new orthography for Gwich’in, which has now become standard.

Current politics

Caribou is traditionally a major component of their diet. Many Gwichʼin people are dependent on the Porcupine caribou

Porcupine caribou

The Porcupine caribou or Grant's caribou is a subspecies of the caribou found in Alaska and adjacent parts of Canada. It resembles the Barren-ground Caribou and is sometimes included in it....

 which herd calves on the coastal plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...

 (ANWR). Gwichʼin people have been very active in protesting and lobbying against the possibility of oil drilling in ANWR, due to fears that oil drilling will deplete the population of the Porcupine Caribou herd which they rely on for nutritional and cultural needs. Gwich’in have also actively protested the development of oil in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wetland area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It encompasses most of the Yukon Flats, a vast wetland area centered on the confluence of the Yukon River, Porcupine River, and Chandalar River...

, and a proposed land trade from the United States Wildlife Refuge system and Doyon Inc..

Influential Gwich'in

• Alestine Andre (Linguist, Language activist)
• Clarence Alexander
  Clarence Alexander
  Clarence Lee Alexander is a former Grand Chief of the Gwich'in of Alaska. He was 1st Chief of Fort Yukon from 1980-1994. He was raised at "Shoo Taii," the "Happy Hill," which is also known by the name "Alexander Village". Alexander Village is approximately 20 miles north of Fort Yukon. He...
  
   (Chief, Grand Chief)
• Robert Arthur Alexie
  Robert Arthur Alexie
  Robert Arthur Alexie is a Canadian First Nations novelist.Alexie was born in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories and now lives in Inuvik. He served as Tribal chief of the Tetlit Gwich'in of Fort McPherson and also served as the vice president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council for two terms, helping...
  
   (Author)
• Robert Alexie (Fort McPherson Elder)
• Allen Benjamin (Old Crow Fiddler)
• Rev. Ellen Bruce (Episcopal/Anglican priest)
• Charlie Peter Charlie (Chief of Old Crow- 1950's-60's)
• Johnny Charlie (Chief of Fort McPherson)
• Googhwaii (Historical War Chief)
• Johnny Frank (Chief, Storyteller, shaman, co-founder of Venetie)
• Sarah Frank (Medicine woman, Storyteller)
• Harold Frost Sr. (Old Crow Fiddler)
• John Fredson
  John Fredson
  John Fredson, also known as "Zhoh Gwatsan" , was a Neetsaii Gwich'in , and was born near Table Mountain in the Sheenjek River watershed in 1896.- Historical significance :...
  
   (Teacher, Co-founder of Venetie, Founder Venetie Reservation)
• Lillian Garnett (Language teacher, activist)
• Belle Herbert (Historian)
• Rev. Trimble Gilbert (Traditional Chief)
• Sarah James
  Sarah James
  Sarah James is a native Gwich'in from Arctic Village, Alaska, USA, and a board member of the International Indian Treaty Council. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, together with Jonathon Solomon and Norma Kassi. They received the prize for their struggles for protection of...
  
   (Environmental Activist)
• Edith Josie
  Edith Josie
  Edith Josie was a Canadian writer, best known as a longtime columnist for the Whitehorse Star. Her column, titled Here Are the News, concerned life in the small community of Old Crow, Yukon, and was syndicated to newspapers around the world...
  
   (Journalist)
• Joe Linklater (Old Crow Chief)
• Esias Loola (Fort Yukon Chief)
• Norma Kassi
  Norma Kassi
  Norma Kassi is a native Gwich'in from Yukon Territory, Canada, and a former member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly and current chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation . She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002, together with Sarah James and Jonathon Solomon...
  
   (Old Crow Chief, Environmental Activist)
• Richard Martin (Storyteller)
• Richard Nerysoo
  Richard Nerysoo
  Richard Nerysoo is a territorial level politician from Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Canada. He was a member of the Northwest Territories Legislature from 1979 to 1995 and briefly served as the third Premier and Speaker of the territories....
  
   (Chief)
• Charlie Peter (Fort Yukon Fiddler)
• Dr. Katherine Peter (Linguist, Language Activist, Teacher)
• Rev. David Salmon (Traditional Chief)
• Bill Stevens (Fort Yukon Fiddler)
• Shanyaati' (Historical Chief)
• Rev. Albert Tritt (Episcopal/Anglican Priest)
• Jonathon Solomon
  Jonathon Solomon
  Jonathon Solomon was a native Gwich'in from Fort Yukon, Alaska, USA, and a member of the U.S. delegation to the International Porcupine Caribou Agreement between Canada and U.S. He served as the Traditional Chief of the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich'in, a lifetime designation, from 2002 until his passing...
  
   (Fort Yukon Traditional Chief)
• Barry Wallis (Tribal Administrator)
• Velma Wallis
  Velma Wallis
  Velma Wallis is an Athabascan Indian and bestselling U.S. novelist. Her work has been translated into 17 languages.-Life and work:...
  
   (Author)
• Paul Williams Sr. (Beaver Traditional Chief)

External links

• Gwichʼin Council International
• Vuntut Gwitchin web site (Yukon)
• Gwichʼin Tribal Council web site (Northwest Territories)
• Gwichʼin Social and Cultural Institute
• Gwichʼin Renewable Resource Board
• Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in
• Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments
• Anthropology and the ANWR drilling controversy
• Gwich’in Steering Committee