HERITAGE—Community Programs
Contact: Heritage Programs Coordinator or Receptionist
Dän K'e (Southern Tutchone) Language Lessons
The Heritage Branch holds weekly, evening language lessons in the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council administration building. The sessions are taught by Georgina Stone, a TKC citizen and Southern Tutchone language instructor at Hidden Valley school, who is also part of a mentor-apprentic language program. In the past, classes were also taught by Linda Harvey (Kuketlélma) and her mother Irene Smith. The classes are aimed at beginner to intermediate students. Our intent is to teach basic Southern Tutchone language skills with a focus on things like personal greetings, coversational phrases, and the names for feelings, weather, animals and the land. A dedicated group of about twenty people attends these classes regularly.
Ta'an Kwäch'än Dancers
Our dance group welcomes all Ta'an Kwäch'än citizens and families. The dancers perfom and practice regularly and have been quite active over the last few years, with major performances at the Canada Games 2007, the Gathering of Northern Nations 2007, the Juneau Celebration 2008, and the North American Indigenous Games in Cowichan, B.C. in August 2008. Photos from these performances are available in the photo gallery.
Culture Camp
The Heritage Branch plays a major role in planning and delivering the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council annual culture camp at Helen's Fish Camp on the western shore of Lake Laberge. A committee with representatives from the Elders Council, the Board, the Youth Council and the departments of the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council develop the programs and activites. The camp is usually held early August of each year. If you have any ideas to offer, get in touch with us. Check out some pictures from past camps in the photo gallery.
Cultural Site Maintainance & Development
Starting in 2007, the Heritage Branch has hired several Ta'an Kwäch'än youth each summer to help maintain our cultural sites. The youth are guided by a crew leader and an Elder. In 2007, we cleaned up the campsites and playground at Helen's Fish Camp and brushed out the Laberge Cemetery. In 2008 we continued this work, and began site maintenance and building stabilization at the Upper Laberge village. We're planning to do more extensive restoration work on the buildings at Upper Laberge in the near future. We're also planning to place protective signage at heritage sites throughout the Ta'an Kwäch'an Traditional Territory in order to ensure that they are respected. We're also working on interpretive signage for Upper Laberge and Winter Crossing.
© 2008 Government of the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council