vuntut gwitchin Flashcards
(14 cards)
what is vuntut gwitchin and where is it based?
this is an indigenous tribe surviving the cold climate located in Old crow flats in Yukon Canada
why does the land mean so much to them?
it is generational and is passed down. it is their source to life the park, their grocery, church and banks
why do the elders speak to ravens?
to talk to them and ask them to read the land and water, wait for them to come back and give a response so they know it’s ready
what are they taught of at a young age?
they are taught how to skin animals
dry rats
dry meat
hour ancestors through feeding fire
what do this tribe believe in about the land?
by caring for the land, the land will care for them saying thanks to the animals that walk past, as well as taking what you only need and nothing more, give back to the land and always respect or else will take something from you
what and when did they start noticing change?
may 21st: it had been 4 days without spotting any caribou expecting to see them. this is important as most of their life revolves around the porcupine caribou
what did they realise when they managed to find some porcupine caribou?
they hunted it down and saw that the inside weren’t healthy
what were the main signs of climate change they saw?
melting permafrost
water systems are very low or dry
hunters are struggling to find fish when salmon is the basic staple
> decline in salmon makes it hard to sustain their life
what happened in june 7 2007?
the zelma lake disappeared in one day showing climate change is happening
it left nothing but cracked mud.
all the fish gone, beavers and water
this changed their life as it was a main resource for them
why did they start protesting?
protested in front of the Yukon legislature to let the people know climate change is happening and is hard for the indigenous people to live
what did their ancestors say?
they warned them that hard times are coming
teach new generations what they did to survive (traditional skills)
what is stopping them from buying normal food?
grocery is too far of a distance form them and it’s very expensive to them to eat outside food
what else did they do to teach people about their experience?
they held an imposium in 2009 including elders, youth, government, scientists to teach and talk about them
how did they adapt to this change?
they started farming greenery as a new source of food
changed the meat to birds like chickens and turkey
and had a very successful gathering for food
