Activities Report — July 2011 Covering the Period January–June 2011

2011 Graduation Yukon College graduation on Saturday, June 4, was an inspiring and hugely-attended event recognizing students who completed courses in nearly every program area of the College. YNLC's Linda Harvey and Gwich'in Elder Ruth Welsh were on stage to present Certificates to Jocelyn Skookum and Alma Wrixon, our 2011 graduates. Both are Northern Tutchone instructors from the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation in Carmacks, Yukon. They worked hard over several years to accomplish their educational goals, Alma teaching Northern Tutchone in Tantalus School and Jocelyn teaching separate classes for adults and small children in the First Nation's community-based language program. Both ladies acknowledge the linguistic, cultural, and personal support they have received along the way from their mentors, especially Agnes Charlie, Evelyn Skookum, May Roberts, and Grace Wheeler. These fluent speakers have been outstanding

2011 Graduates Alma Wrixon and Jocelyn Skookum with YNLC staff Anne Ranigler, Jo-Anne Johnson, Linda Harvey, André Bourcier and Elder Ruth Welsh

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 1 advocates for the Northern in Carmacks for many years. YNLC is proud of this year's graduates and thanks them for their great dedication to teaching the Northern Tutchone language.

Dr. André Bourcier We are also proud to announce that our colleague André Bourcier successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Université Laval on June 21, 2011. The Quebec City event was broadcast via video-conference so that one committee member could participate from Fairbanks, , and André's family and friends could observe the proceedings Dr. André Bourcier via a feed at Yukon College. His thesis is entitled Essai d'analyse de trois langues polysynthétiques (Analytical Study of Three Polysynthetic Languages). It examines linguistic phenomena in three languages belonging to genetically unrelated families (Eskimo-Aleut, Algonquian, and Athabaskan). Two substantial chapters are devoted to Gwich'in verb morphology and based on research undertaken at YNLC with Gwich'in Specialist Mary Jane Kunnizzi and Director John Ritter. In addition to its scholarly value, André's work will continue to inform and enhance the training offered at YNLC. We congratulate him on this outstanding achievement.

Winter and Spring at YNLC While the cold and snow seemed at times unrelenting, they did not diminish the flow of activities at YNLC during the winter and spring. A series of literacy and in-service sessions kept the Centre busy from February through May, with one group after another coming together to share their languages and develop specific teaching materials and practice new teaching methods. As well, the Centre staff worked on language projects, made visits to school and First Nation language programs, made presentations at conferences, and assisted other Yukon College programs. Students and visitors arrived regularly with language requests and queries for information. It was a busy and productive period for YNLC staff and all those taking part in YNLC activities.

Tlingit trainee Gary Johnson with Elder Norman James at the Tlingit Literacy session

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 2 Visit of the Governor General In February Yukon College was honored with a visit by the Their Excellencies the Right Honorable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and his wife Mrs. Sharon Johnston. Mrs. Johnston specifically requested a visit to YNLC and expressed considerable interest in the native languages of Yukon and the work of YNLC. YNLC's Linda Harvey provided Josephine Holloway shows YNLC materials to Her Excellency a traditional Southern Tutchone Mrs. Sharon Johnston at YNLC Welcome Song for Their Excellencies during the introduction of the Governor General's address to the College community. He commended the College for fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of native cultures. Linda was accompanied in her performance by visiting Alaskan Elder Lena Charley and three of Lena's granddaughters, a fitting international welcome for the distinguished visitors to Yukon College.

Teacher Training Thirteen Certificate and Diploma trainees attended the five-day March training session at YNLC. Founding Elder Margaret Workman participated as the Southern Tutchone language model. For the Northern Tutchone language, Founding Elder Gertie Tom attended along with fluent elders Agnes Charlie and Evelyn Skookum from Carmacks and Tantalus School teacher Grace Wheeler. YNLC presented material on language structure, teaching techniques, and professionalism. Participants witnessed elementary- and secondary-level demonstration lessons, shared teaching ideas, and role-played classroom situations. Topics discussed included the roles of the Yukon Teachers Association and Yukon College, classroom organization, lesson planning, and instructors’ reports. A highlight of the training session was a visit to the McBride Museum to view the Participants at the Certificate / Diploma Training Session displays of cultural materials and wildlife. outside McBride Museum

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 3 The visit was preceded and followed by discussion of the preparations and organization needed for successful school field trips. The final day of the session was devoted, as always, to the presentation of demonstration lessons by the participants themselves, who enjoyed the opportunity to both teach and serve as students for their fellow-trainees.

Retiring Native Language Instructors Josephine Acklack, a fluent Kaska speaker who has taught at Ross River School since 1987, retired earlier this year. Also retiring more recently is Alyce Joe, who has served faithfully since 1988 at the Eliza Van Bibber School in Pelly Crossing. We thank these teachers for their long years of service and wish them health and happiness in their new lives.

Language Training and Documentation Sessions Recording Sessions YNLC hosted two recording sessions with fluent Ahtna elders Lena Charley from Chistochina, Alaska, who came to record in February, and Phillip Sabon from Copper Center, Alaska, who was with us in April. Their visits were arranged by consultant Dr. Cynthea Ainsworth and Ms. Susan Voyles of the Ahtna Heritage Ahtna Elder Lena Charley Foundation. The speakers are recording basic language lessons aimed at the preschool level, based on the YNLC Curriculum Guide, Teaching Yukon Native Languages. Their current project is one of a series of efforts to revitalize the use of Ahtna in Eastern Alaska. Ahtna is an Athabaskan language closely related to Yukon languages, and two Ahtna language teachers, Jessica Denny and Honalee Sanford, have completed the Certificate Course at YNLC. Elder Lena Charley is the author of a series of Ahtna materials posted on www.ynlc.ca and also created the beautiful beaded Debae Tse' (Ram's Head) artwork which graces a Centre wall.

Tlingit Literacy Session In February a group of sixteen people attended the Tlingit Literacy Session led by Dr. Jeff Leer of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Fluent elders Sam Johnston and Norman James provided essential linguistic and cultural support for the session. Participants reviewed and practiced all the basic sounds of Tlingit, noting especially the differences in Tlingit dialects and in Coastal and Interior Tlingit writing systems. Ahtna Elder Phillip Sabon recording at YNLC, accompanied by Susan Voyles, Amanda Maxim and Dr. Cynthea Ainsworth (standing)

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 4 Additional topics included songs (traditional and modern), greetings, emotions, possessed body parts, weather, and translations requested by participants. A visit by Tlingit elder Martha Van Heel was greatly appreciated by everyone. Martha explained the background of a traditional song, speaking entirely in the and providing the class a wonderful opportunity to hear the language in one continuous flow of narration by an expert speaker. Gunałchîsh! Tlingit teacher Louise Parker and Elder Norman James with YNLC's Linda Harvey at the Training Session Gwich'in Literacy Session During February 22-24, YNLC conducted a Gwich'in language session devoted specifically to geographical names and related topics such as riverine directionals, Gwich'in dialect variations, and ethnographic documentation by previous and current researchers. YNLC Director John Ritter's place-names work with the Gwich'in in the 1970s and 1980s provided useful background for the session. Elder Ruth Welsh provided valuable information and translations. Participants worked intensively through a subset of the vast compilation of place-names collected by the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute based in the Northwest Territories. YNLC's André Bourcier provided transcriptional and analytical assistance throughout the session. GSCI Research Director Ingrid Kritsch, GSCI Heritage Researcher Alestine André, and GSCI consultant Gwich'in Participants Peter Loovers, André Bourcier, Ruth Welsh, Peter Loovers John Ritter, Ingrid Kritsch, Alestine André presented an overview of their place-names project which aims at providing a thorough documentation of Gwich'in traditional lands, including major river drainages (the Blackstone, Hart, Wind, Bonnet Plume, and Arctic Red Rivers) with headwaters in the Yukon Territory. Those working on the project noted their hope that the research results will be incorporated into school-based curricular materials so that younger people can learn the traditional place-names and history. They also hope that many of the names will eventually achieve official designation and appear in future maps.

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 5 White River First Nation Literacy Session At the request of the White River First Nation, YNLC organized and taught a session featuring both Northern Tutchone and Upper Tanana, the two languages encompassed by the First Nation. The lively session was held February 28 - March 2 and included Upper Tanana speakers from Northway and Mentasta Lake, Alaska, joined by Yukoners from Beaver Creek, Mayo, Haines Junction and Whitehorse. Participants included a full spectrum of ages from youth to elders. Topics included songs, body parts, weather, greetings, kinship, clothing, and listening exercises. White River First Nation has long provided support to both languages of its membership. Upper Tanana is taught at the Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek by Ruth Johnny, a YNLC Certificate Graduate currently enrolled in the Diploma Program. Northern Tutchone is the focus of the First Nation language program coordinated by Angela Demit. It is inspiring to witness the membership come together to learn both languages and encourage their use by young people.

Southern Tutchone Trainee In-Service A session was held in April specifically to provide the Southern Tutchone trainees an opportunity to examine some of the fundamental structures of their language. They examined and analyzed several forms of Southern Tutchone verbs, using swimming, walking, and carrying as examples. Another grammatical topic was the use of post- positions and their placement in Southern Tutchone Southern Tutchone teachers Lena Smith-Tutin sentences. Attendees also practiced and Margaret Workman listening exercises, developed a skit, and discussed ways of encouraging use of the language outside the classroom. Founding Elder Margaret Workman provided expert assistance throughout the session. Lena Tutin-Smith from Champagne-Aishihik First Nation kindly shared her on-going journal of Southern Tutchone words and phrases, an expanding repertoire of language and culture reflecting her personal interests and used also in her FN staff language classes. Lena also brought Southern Tutchone prayers for review by the group. These prayers are offered to open meetings, official functions and meals hosted by the First Nation.

Kaska Literacy Session The Kaska session in May included work on traditional place names and creating an original listening exercise using target sounds l and ¬. Participants also adapted a story from Chickadee magazine and translated it into Kaska. The many challenges of going from 'simple English' to 'simple Kaska' were encountered and discussed, as the process

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 6 Kaska participants Josephine Acklack, Nancy Sterriah, Linda Shorty, and Angela Carlick should ultimately lead to a story that can be comfortably taught and understood by school-age students of Kaska. The Kaska teaching team from Ross River School, Nancy Sterriah and Linda Shorty, were joined at this session by visiting Elder Angela Carlick, originally from the Dease Lake area, who provided valuable language assistance and perspective. Also attending the session was Josephine Acklack, noted earlier in this report, who has joined the ranks of those retirees who continue to visit YNLC to encourage younger trainees and participate in language development. Josephine achieved her Certificate in 1990 and her Diploma in 1993. As part of her training she recorded and wrote a set of lessons which are still in use, and three stories which can be found on our website ynlc.ca. Northern Tutchone Literacy Session The Northern Tutchone Literacy Session was held in May for fifteen participants from Mayo, Carmacks, and Whitehorse, including trainees, mentors, and visitors. A special guest was retired pioneer instructor Catherine Germaine who provided assistance and support to her granddaughter Cresenthia Melancon, a trainee at J.V. Clark School in Mayo. Our esteemed May Roberts from Carmacks, now 93 and in good health, was also with us for all three days of the session. May has participated in YNLC training since the mid-1980s. The three-day session included listening exercises, personal and place names, songs (including O Canada in Northern Tutchone), and seasonal materials for use in Northern Tutchone classrooms. YNLC Founding Elders Gertie Tom and Margaret Workman provided

Northern Tutchone Elders Gertie Tom and May Roberts

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 7 tonal comparisons between Northern and Southern Tutchone, illustrating that a marked high tone in the former corresponds to a marked low in the latter, resulting in symmetrical but opposed systems. Participants wrote a story using Catherine Germaine's Oç:&et&ina Goes Hunting as a model, an valuable exercise which clearly demonstrated the salient differences between Mayo and Carmacks varieties of Northern Tutchone. Participants also noted and analyzed difference in English and Northern Tutchone word-order patterns. Trainee Cresenthia Melancon with her grandmother, Elder Catherine Germaine Yukon College Program Support As part of our ongoing liaison with Yukon College, YNLC staff give presentations and offer support to various programs as requested. Centre staff also provide information and materials to Yukon College visitors and to students in a number of programs.

Athapaskan 102 In January, students in Yukon College's Athapaskan 102 class approached Linda Harvey for extensive support and information on Southern Tutchone language and culture. Last year Linda and Mary Jane Allison co-taught this course for Yukon College and developed a revised format with an emphasis on the acquisition of communicative language skills.

Bachelor of Social Work Program In February, Anne Ranigler, Linda Harvey and Jo-Anne Johnson gave a presentation to the students in the Bachelor of Social Work Program. They talked about First Nations language and culture and the work of YNLC, and demonstrated a language lesson with the students. Linda made a second visit in May to sing and drum a welcome song to prospective new students.

Yukon College Curriculum Committee YNLC Director John Ritter, André Bourcier, Linda Harvey, and Jo-Anne Johnson met in February with the Curriculum Committee of Yukon College to present updated descriptions and documentation for classes offered in the Certificate and Diploma Courses for Native Language Instructors. This presentation was

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 8 part of an on-going process to reaffirm and formalize the academic partnership between Yukon College and YNLC. The three-year YNLC Certificate Course began in 1983 and has continuously graduated First Nation students since 1986, a total of 93 to date. The YNLC Diploma Course was added later, as was the Associate of Applied Science Degree option offered in conjunction with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Heritage and Culture Certificate Course Using the video conferencing technology available at Yukon College, Linda Harvey gave a presentation in April to students enrolled in the Language and Culture Preservation class, one component of the College's pilot Heritage and Culture Certificate Course. In typical distance-delivery fashion, the course included Yukon students from Whitehorse, Dawson, and Mayo, with an instructor based in Kelowna, . Linda demonstrated how aboriginal languages can be taught through traditional and contemporary songs. Students were able to see, hear and discuss her presentation from the College campus in their own home communities.

Students and chaperones from St. Elias Community School at YNLC

St. Elias Community School Visit Grade 4 students from St. Elias School, Haines Junction, visited Yukon College on June 7 and insisted on visiting YNLC as part of their tour. We were delighted to welcome them and explain the work of the Centre. Students were interested in the teaching sessions held at YNLC and the support that YNLC gives community language programs.

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 9 YNLC Presentations CASLT Conference The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers held its biannual conference in Montreal this spring, with the theme Languages Without Borders. YNLC Administrator Josephine Holloway hosted a display table where she showcased our website ynlc.ca and a selection of YNLC publications. Linda Harvey, Jo-Anne Johnson and Anne Ranigler participated in a variety of workshops on teaching a second language and brought Sheila Maissan presenting at ANLAMS back some interesting materials and ideas, many of which they have already shared at YNLC sessions.

ANLAMS Conference In April, Sheila Maissan and Linda Harvey made a presentation on YNLC's work, Building Language Capacity, at the Alaska Native Libraries, Archives and Museums Summit in Anchorage. Sheila talked about Yukon's languages, the process of creating language materials, and demonstrated the website. Linda offered a welcoming song, talked about YNLC's teacher training and led a demonstration Southern Tutchone lesson with volunteers from the audience as students. They both attended other presentations and returned with information and ideas on how other organizations are working to revitalize their languages and cultures.

YMHA Symposium On April 30th, YNLC Linguist Doug Hitch made a presentation at the 2011 Yukon Museums and Historical Association Symposium at the Transportation Museum in Whitehorse. Local historian Michael Gates organized a panel on mapping and invited Doug to present some of his findings concerning the cartography of Edward J. Glave. The lecture was called, “Nanchay’s Camp. How far north did Glave and Dalton go in 1891?” Until now it has not been known how far the packhorse expedition had penetrated into the interior. Using information from Glave’s Detail of a map drawn by Glave in 1891. Showing publications and archival notebooks and hand names familiar today: I-she-ik = Aishihik, Hootchy drawn maps, Doug argues that Nanchay’s Eye = Hutshi, and Dasa Dee Ash = Dezadeash.

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 10 camp was near the confluence of Little Cultus and Cultus Creeks, close to both Kluane Lake and Kloo Lake.

Travels to the Alseck Edward James Glave made two trips to the southwest Yukon, in 1890 and 1891, both times accompanied by Jack Dalton. Dalton’s name is well known to this day (as in Dalton Post and Dalton Trail, for example), but the equally important name of Glave is not. The YNLC publication, Travels to Nanchay, Tsook and Glave crossing the Dezadeash River the Alseck, describes the two journeys in 1891. Jack Dalton was the photographer. using information published by Glave E.J. Glave Collection, Alaska and Polar Regions Collections, Rasmusson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks long ago, and, most importantly, new information gleaned from Glave’s notebooks, maps, sketches and photographs now housed at the archives at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Glave recorded many First Nations place names (Shakwak, for example) and other interesting cultural and historical material. He was the first to compile a Southern Tutchone wordlist. Anthropologist Julie Cruikshank has prepared a narrative of the two trips and YNLC Linguist Doug Hitch is working on the travel routes and maps. We hope to print the book this autumn so that Glave's pioneering work will be readily available to all those interested in Yukon history during the pre-Gold Rush period.

Interactive Online Listening Exercises For many years YNLC has successfully utilized listening exercises for teaching native language sound contrasts not found in English. The exercises present pairs of related-but-different sounds, such as /kh/ and /gh/, or /ts/ and /ts'/, followed by sample sentences each with an associated picture. Students listen to the instructor pronounce the sentence several times. After repeating after the instructor, they write down the target sounds in the order they appear in the sentence. These exercises are a versatile teaching tool that may be used at many grade levels. They strengthen skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They have been compiled in booklet form for several Yukon languages. Anne Ranigler recording her listening exercises with YNLC Linguist Doug Hitch

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 11 Several years ago planning began on a project to put listening exercises, with recorded audio, on the web, thereby making this valuable learning tool available worldwide. It is designed to work on handheld devices like iPhones and Blackberrys as well as on computers. Significant progress has been made in recent months with support from Canadian Heritage. YNLC's Anne Ranigler and White River First Nation Elder Jennie Sanford have recorded beautiful samples of Northern Tutchone Test screen of the interactive listening exercises and Upper Tanana for the prototype. The programming component is close to complete and a good start has been made on producing new colour illustrations. A sample section will be posted on www.ynlc.ca in the near future.

Publications Print reports from all our spring sessions will be ready shortly. These reports include the new language documentation produced by the participants as well as the classroom materials presented at the session for training and practice. Most reports include a selection of photos taken at the session. The YNLC Publications Catalogue, listing all YNLC’s publications, is available at our website www.ynlc.ca. You can download a pdf version. An updated print version will be produced during the summer. For a free printed copy, contact us.

Upcoming Events The Yukon Native Language Centre and individual teachers are busy planning for the fall sessions. Please contact YNLC for updates on scheduling.

How To Reach Us If you would like more information on the Centre’s programs, or would like to order our publications, please consult our website, ynlc.ca, or contact us by: • local telephone (867) 668-8820 • toll-free 1-877-414-9652 • fax at (867) 668-8825 • email at [email protected] • mail at Yukon Native Language Centre, Yukon College, Box 2799, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 5K4

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 12 YNLC Training & Documentation Sessions

Ahtna Recording Session (Lena Charley) Documentation Feb 9-10 Tlingit Literacy Session Classroom Literacy Feb 15-16 Gwich&in Literacy Session Place Names Feb 22-24 Upper Tanana ¶ N. Tutchone Literacy Session Community Literacy Feb 28 - for White River F.N. Mar 2 Certificate ¶ Diploma Course Teacher Training Mar 28 - Apr 1 Ahtna Recording Session (Phillip Sabon) Documentation Apr 4-6 S. Tutchone Trainee In-Service Classroom Literacy Apr 12-14 Kaska Literacy Session Classroom Literacy May 2-3 N. Tutchone Literacy Session Classroom Literacy May 9-11

YNLC Presentations Yukon College YNTEP Athabascan 102 YNLC Support Jan 27, 31 Visit of Governor General YNLC Presentation Feb 10 Yukon College Bachelor of Social Work YNLC Presentation Feb 15 program Yukon College Curriculum Committee YNLC Presentation Feb 18 Aurora College VP Academics Meeting YNLC Presentation Mar 16 Canadian Assoc. of Second Language YNLC Participation Apr 5-8 Teachers Conference, Montreal Yukon College Language and Culture YNLC Presentation Apr 11 Preservation Course Alaska Native Libraries, Archives and YNLC Presentation Apr 27-30 Museums Summit, Anchorage Yukon Historical and Museums Association YNLC Presentation Apr 30 Yukon College Bachelor of Social Work YNLC Presentation May 25 program Yukon College Graduation YNLC Participation June 4 St. Elias Community School YNLC Presentation June 7

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 13 Program Consultations

Nelnah Bessie John School, Beaver U. Tanana Program Jan 17-18 Creek

Beaver Creek Community Language U. Tanana, N. Tutchone Jan 17-18 Program Program

Kluane Lake School, Destruction Bay S. Tutchone Program Jan 19

St Elias Community School, Haines S. Tutchone Program Jan 20 Junction

Shawkwunlee Daycare, Haines S. Tutchone Program Jan 20 Junction

Ya Dak Du Hidi Daycare, Carcross Tlingit Program Jan 25

Gu'ch Tla[ Community School, Tlingit Program Jan 25 Carcross

Tantalus School, Carmacks N. Tutchone Program Feb 1

Little Salmon Carmacks FN N. Tutchone Program Feb 2

Teslin School Tlingit Program Apr 15

Ross River School Kaska Program Apr 18-19

JV Clark School, Mayo N. Tutchone Program Apr 27

Little Salmon Carmacks FN N. Tutchone Program Apr 28

Ross River School Kaska Program May 16-18

Ya Dak Du Hidi Daycare, Carcross Tlingit Program May 20

Teslin School Tlingit Program May 25-26

YNLC Activities Report, January - June, 2011 14