New Beginnings

Yesterday I had the good fortune to witness an important milestone in Whitehorse and First Nations' history. At midday the much anticipated sod-turning ceremony for the new Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre took place on the banks of the Yukon river at the foot of Black Street in downtown Whitehorse.

In the Yukon, as in other parts of Canada, First Nations rely on oral histories to record and pass down their traditions from generation to generation. As such, being witness to an event intimately involves the observer in the act of cultural remembrance. For me, this ceremony was a unique opportunity to learn about First Nations traditions first hand.

Kwanlin Dün First Nation represents the indigenous peoples of Whitehorse, Chu Nínkwän (Yukon River) and the surrounding areas. Archeological evidence shows that the region has hosted seasonal hunting and fishing camps for more than 5,000 years. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the gold rush and the resulting massive influx of outsiders caused the Kwanlin Dün to be displaced from their traditional lands and way of life. In 2005, the Kwanlin Dün signed its Final Agreement with the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon and thus overcame decades of hurdles to become the Yukon's 10th self-governing First Nation.

So it was under grey skies and in the light cool rain of a fall day in Whitehorse that the Kwanlin Dün proudly marked their return to the Yukon River. After all the requisite prayers, thanks and speeches were given, students from the Sundog Carving Retreat presented a traditional dugout canoe to the Kwanlin Dün First Nation in a special gifting ceremony. Under the guidance of Master Carver Wayne Price, a Tlingit artist from Haines, Alaska, these emerging young carvers spent 10 weeks on an Egg Island turning a 14,000 lb red cedar log from B.C. into a 30 ft long, 400 lb statement of cultural vitality. According to Mr. Price it is the first dugout canoe carved in the Yukon by First Nations people in over 150 years.

Due to the unusually fast current in the Yukon River, the Healing Canoe could not be paddled downstream to the site as planned but was instead, and perhaps more impressively, portaged over 100 m to the ceremony. First Peoples Performances/Dakká Kwáan Dancers dressed in full regalia (including my colleague Heather Callaghan), responded to the gift with traditional song and dance. It was a powerful moment for everyone present and a triumphant one for the young carvers that had put their blood, sweat and tears into the project. In 2012, when the cultural centre opens, the Healing Canoe will displayed in a glass canoe house by the river, symbolically reconnecting the Kwanlin Dün to their traditional territory.

Thanks to Nicola Pritchett for the photo.