Heritage Yukon

Spring/Summer 2019 Newsletter

JJ, Dustyn, and Joshua Van Bibber present at the 2018 Annual Yukon Heritage Awards ceremony. Credit: Tony Gonda

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As we embark on a new fiscal year, it is rewarding to look back at what we have accomplished over the last year (or more specifically in the case of this newsletter, the last six months), and also an inspiration for the new year. It can be difficult sometimes to step back from dealing with the details to see the full scope of all that we do, both as an organization and as a

community. This newsletter is great opportunity to do so. In September, YHMA once again sat on the Culture Days steering committee, and planned and organized special Culture Days activities. In this case, the inspiration provided for 2019-20 is by design: we debuted a new activity, our Heritage Highlights Scavenger Hunt, and

From the Desk of the Executive Director | Lianne Maitland

YHMA NEWS & EVENTS

held a special event on northern mapping in anticipation of upcoming 150th anniversary of the Kohklux Map—both of which will feed into programming for 2019-20. See page 3 for more details. In October, we once again held the Yukon Heritage Symposium, while in February we held the Yukon Heritage Awards ceremony. Both events highlighted some of the amazing and inspiring work that Yukoners are doing in heritage. You can learn more about them on pages 2 and 4 respectively. In the final pages of this newsletter, you can find contributions from community members that demonstrate that one can engage with Yukon heritage, both cultural and natural, in a variety of ways. Inspiration again! I hope that by reading this newsletter you will also find some inspiration.

Credit: Emma Cumming

With topics ranging from theories of lifelong learning to creative uses of museum dioramas, as well as a workshop in which participants learned how to draw fireweed, the 2018 Yukon Heritage Symposium, “Heritage and lifelong learning,” made for a thought-provoking day. Approximately 25 Yukon heritage professionals came together at the Yukon Transportation Museum on October 24 to learn, connect, and share.

Alex Somerville of the Dawson City Museum opened the day with a brief look at Soviet philosopher Lev Vygotsky’s

theories of lifelong learning and how they can be applied in heritage. It provided an interesting lens through which to consider the rest of the day’s presentations.

Kaitlin Normandin, then of the Old Log Church Museum (OLCM), shared the OLCM’s experience of creating lesson plans for the new Yukon curriculum, while Janna Swales of the Yukon Transportation Museum (YTM) discussed YTM’s new initiative to incorporate “miniature exhibits” that tell stories

Yukon Heritage Symposium

from Yukon history into the museum’s existing dioramas, maximising their potential as vehicles for engagement, storytelling, and learning.

Two representatives from Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) discussed recent initiatives from the organization. Audrey Percheron presented on the Stitches in Time project, which you can learn more about on page 5. Édith Belanger, meanwhile, shared AFY’s experience creating six free, self-guided tours of several Yukon communities using the BaladoDécouverte/BaladoDiscovery app.

The two final presenters, Heather Steinhagen and Murray Lundberg, provided perspectives on the independent creation of resources on heritage. Heather discussed the Indigenize Wikipedia project, an ongoing initiative to expand Yukon First Nations content on this peer-sourced, online encyclopedia. Murray gave an overview of his two decades of experimenting with different ways to engage people in Yukon history, many of which you can find described on page 4.

The day finished with a workshop by Rhoda Merkel that focused on how to create fun, educational programs with a focus on First Nation ways of doing and knowing. A highlight was Rhoda’s discussion of the poster she created as Yukon Education’s communication tool to engage with Yukon’s new curriculum—a useful tool for heritage professionals as well.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Symposium and made it a richer experience for all!

Titanic survivor Paul Meyers enters King’s Café to apply for a job in one of YTM’s miniature exhibits. Credit: Yukon Transportation Museum

included geographical features, relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, toponomy, linguistics, and others. Speakers included Ta’an Kwäch’än elder Frances Woolsey, Teslin Tlinglit elder Bessie Cooley, historian Linda Johnson, linguist Doug Hitch, archaeologist Anastasia Wiley of Klukwan, Tlingit linguist Marsha Hotch of Klukwan, and Sheila Greer, Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Heritage Manager. In addition, René Rivard gave an impromptu presentation about his efforts to map the Dead Horse Gulch area of the White Pass Trail. Two displays, one in the reading room and one in the meeting room, rounded out the event. The Yukon Archives laid out a variety of maps as well as a detailed genealogical chart created by Bessie Cooley and her husband. The genealogical chart shows many connections between the First Nation communities that used the trading route recorded on the Kohklux Map. Linda Johnson provided reproductions of additional maps for a display, including two versions of the Kohklux Map, the Kandik Map, George Davidson maps (based on the Kohklux Map), and Russian maps of Alaska/Yukon.

All in all, this event exceeded our expectations. We are carrying the energy it generated forward into 2019 as we work with a number of partners in Yukon and Alaska to plan a conference around the

Kohklux Map, its legacy, and related topics for October 25-27 at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. The conference will be part of a larger celebration around the 150th anniversary of the map. We are currently accepting presentation proposals until April 30. For details, visit http://tinyurl.com/y3t2dnkn.

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If you were in downtown Whitehorse over the Culture Days weekend (September 28-30), you may have seen some folks pouring over interpretive signs, scrutinizing sculptures, and seeking out key locations as part of our Heritage Highlights Scavenger Hunt. This free activity encouraged participants to explore downtown Whitehorse as they sought out the answers to various trivia questions about Yukon heritage.

The idea for the scavenger hunt came from the desire to create an activity that would be available throughout the weekend and would be accessible to both individuals and groups. The creation of the scavenger hunt

fell to our 2018 summer student, Emma Cumming, with the assistance of board member Corin Noble. Emma and Corin did a fantastic job of coming up with questions that would prompt people to think about the things they see all the time a different way. We were thrilled when many participants reported that they had teamed up with family or friends to complete the scavenger hunt, and many also commented that they were pleased to have learned something new. We look forward to reprising our scavenger hunt for 2019, and hopefully beyond! Special thanks go to the Historic Sites Unit, Government of Yukon; Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre; Office of the Commissioner of Yukon; Old Log Church Museum; Parks Canada; Riverside Grocery; and Yukon Arts Centre for supporting the scavenger hunt. In addition to the scavenger hunt, we also hosted a special event, funded by Culture Quest, in anticipation of the 150

th anniversary of the Kohklux Map in August 2019.

Exploring Early Mapping in the North took place on September 29 at the Yukon Archives. This event brought together Indigenous speakers, heritage professionals, linguists, and about 40 members of the public for a discussion on early Indigenous and non-Indigenous mapping in the north: how and why maps were created, what they represent, how they were used, and why and how they are important today, to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The Kohklux, Kandik, and derivative maps were the starting point for the conversation. Because of the wide-reaching significance of these maps, topics covered

Culture Days 2018

YHMA NEWS & EVENTS

A scavenger hunt participant searches for an answer. Credit: Anonymous

Pouring over the genealogical chart. Credit: Linda Johnson

It was a tight squeeze during the presentations! Credit: Linda Johnson

made his photographs available through several donations to the Yukon Archives. His work continues to preserve and promote Yukon heritage for the enjoyment of all. Gordon Mervin Toole (Posthumous History Maker Award): Gordon Mervin Toole was a long-time Yukoner who helped make the Yukon what it is today through his outstanding contributions to meteorology, aviation, wilderness tourism, big game outfitting, trapping, and farming. Gordon became a weather observation specialist with the Canadian Department of Transport and was posted to Snag, Yukon in 1943. There, he was responsible for delivering coded weather information to pilots, and after WWII became world-famous for recording the lowest official temperature ever measured in North America, -81.4˚F (-63˚C), on February 3, 1947. Later, Gordon became a founding partner and pilot for the Watson Lake Flying Service; the owner and operator of Thunderbird Fishing camp, then the only registered fly-fishing camp in the Yukon; a big game outfitter for Yukon Hunting Unlimited; the owner/operator of White River and Ridge Lake Traplines near Watson Lake; and Justice of the Peace and Coroner for Watson Lake. He also started a farm just outside Watson Lake in 1965, which produced vegetables and eggs for nearby communities for nearly three decades. While he passed away on November 9, 2018, Gordon’s legacy as a History Maker remains. Bruce Barrett (Helen Couch Volunteer of the Year Award): Bruce Barrett has dedicated many years of his life to the heritage community in Yukon, both throughout his career, including three decades as Historic Sites Project Officer with the Government of Yukon, and by graciously and generously giving of his time in a volunteer capacity, whether as a photographer, advocate, or even actor. He has acted as the unofficially official photographer for YHMA, chronicling many of the organization’s special events over the years, in particular the Yukon/Stikine Regional Heritage Fair, for which he has also acted as a judge and Head Judge. In addition, Bruce spent time volunteering with ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) Canada, sharing northern perspectives with the national heritage community. Bruce has also been an avid participant in the Yukon music and theatrical scenes, and in 2017 loaned his acting talents to an interactive performance fundraiser for the Old Log Church Museum. He is a constant presence at many events around the territory, donating his time as a photographer to document Yukon arts, culture, and recreation, creating valuable records for the future. He continues to volunteer for a variety of organizations. Association franco-yukonnaise (Innovation, Education, and Community Engagement Award): With its innovative project De fil en histoires: les personnages d’un

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Over 30 guests joined us on February 18, 2019 at the Yukon Archives to celebrate the recipients of the 2018 Yukon Heritage Awards and the beginning of national Heritage Week. In honour of the Heritage Week theme, Heritage: The Tie That Binds, JJ, Dustyn, and Joshua Van Bibber gave a special presentation on their great grandfather, JJ Van Bibber. They used stories and photos to show how JJ’s legacy has created a sense of belonging and understanding for his family, and how he exemplified the Heritage Week theme.

JJ Van Bibber (1920-2012) was a prominent First Nations hunter, trapper, photographer, and storyteller. JJ’s many photographs and stories inspired his family to complete three projects that honour his legacy and that of his family: the book I was born under a spruce tree (2012), the film Pictures Don’t Lie (2016) by Lulu Keating of Red Snapper Films, and the photograph

exhibit Growing Up with the Van Bibbers (2018) at the Hougen Heritage Gallery in Arts Underground. It was a pleasure to hear these three young men speak and continue their great grandfather’s legacy. Congratulations to all the award winners! Murray Lundberg (Annual Heritage Award): Murray Lundberg has traveled far and wide throughout the territory, always with camera in hand, visiting the sites of many historical features, taking pictures, and documenting them, then sharing the information with the public through a variety of resources. Murray is the author of three books featuring Yukon history; creator of the ExploreNorth website, launched in 1997 and now consisting of almost 7,000 pages of information and more than 40,000 files on Yukon and Alaska History that are regularly used by countless researchers and interested people; and founder of the immensely popular Yukon History and Abandoned Places Facebook group. A dynamic forum for people interested in Yukon history to exchange information and share experiences, this Facebook group saw dramatic growth in 2018, closing the year with over 10,000 members. Murray has also

2018 Yukon Heritage Awards

YHMA NEWS & EVENTS

JJ, Dustyn, and Joshua Van Bibber. Credit: Tony Gonda

museum in 1962. In 2014, the Old Log Church and Rectory were designated a Yukon Historic Site and municipal historic site. YCHS was formed in 1982 to restore and preserve the buildings and to operate the Old Log Church Museum. They have shown great stewardship of the buildings through respectful use, care, and maintenance, and through various conservation projects. In 2018, work focused on the Rectory; upgrading the heating system and replacing the roofs cedar shingles. The YCHS undertook a similar re-roofing project in 2006 for the Old Log Church. Work completed by the YCHS has followed the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and will ensure that the historic value and architectural integrity of the Old Log Church and Rectory are preserved. This award is sponsored by the Department of Tourism and Culture, Government of Yukon.

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territoire/Stitches in Time: Yukon History Makers, Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) has paid tribute to the Francophones who helped shape the Yukon, reconnecting participants and the public with both the territory’s Francophone history and the traditional craft of dollmaking. Led by local artist Cécile Girard, 19 community members, many of whom were first-time dollmakers, created a total of 21 handcrafted

dolls representing real French-speaking Yukoners, past and present. The dolls, the stories of those they represent, and the stories of their creation were then highlighted through three bilingual exhibitions in Dawson City, Haines Junction, and Whitehorse, each of which was accompanied by a different cultural experience. A bilingual website, video, and printed catalogue continue to share these stories with the public. AFY is currently working to adapt the project for use in schools. De fil en histoires highlights the diversity of Yukon’s history and culture, and demonstrates AFY’s commitment to raising awareness about Yukon’s Francophone heritage. Yukon Church Heritage Society (Heritage Conservation Project of the Year Award): This award was presented to the YCHS for the conservation of the Old Log Church and Rectory in Whitehorse. Constructed in 1900 and 1901 respectively, these buildings are among the oldest in Whitehorse and are landmarks in the community. The Old Log Church served as a place of worship in Whitehorse for 60 years before being repurposed as a

Heritage Awards cont’d

YHMA NEWS & EVENTS | COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

Freeze Up On the Yukon River | David Neufeld

White's enthusiastic engagement of the world he found around him. His work is one if the gems of the early 18th century Enlightenment. You can find the article on the Network in Canadian History & Environment (NICHE) website at http://tinyurl.com/y4zruthk.

David Neufeld is an environmental historian in the Yukon. He studies the intersection of knowledge and practice in both Western settler approaches to Canada's North and Yukon First Nations' ways of life in their sub-arctic boreal homelands.

The 2018 Yukon Heritage Award recipients (L-R): Murra Lundberg, Jeanne Beaudoin for AFY, Bruce Barrett, Jaime Toole for Gordon Toole, and Len Beecroft and Marjorie Copp for Yukon Church Heritage Society. Credit: Tony Gonda

Jeanne Beaudoin (AFY) poses with her doll counterpart. Credit: Tony Gonda

A couple of years ago—when it used to be cold in winter—I monitored the freezing up of the Takhini River. Three or four times a week, I hiked both sides of the Takhini-Yukon River confluence noting how it froze. I was inspired by Gilbert White, a Church Parson in the County of Southampton in southern England in the mid-18th century. White spent a great deal of time studying the natural world of his parish. He was among the first European naturalists, corresponding with other like-minded enthusiasts seeking to define the order of nature. The short illustrated article I wrote attempts to replicate

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Sam Steele: A Biography By Rod Macleod University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, 2018

The book Sam Steele: A Biography has recently arrived on my desk from the University of Alberta Press. Written by Rod Macleod, Professor Emeritus of History and Classics at the University of Alberta, it is an account of one of Canada’s most iconic figures, and certainly one of the key figures during the Klondike gold rush.

Sam Steele was on the scene during the height of the gold rush from 1898 to 1899. He has written his autobiography, and others have written about him, but here we have a more rounded and complete picture of the man known as “The Lion of the North.” Sam Steele’s career spans a crucial period of the nation in its infancy. In 1870, he was a member of the Red River Expedition to quell the Red River Rebellion. He was one of the first to join the newly formed North West Mounted Police in 1873. Three years later, he arranged the negotiations for Treaties number six and seven. When the railroad was being constructed, he was there to maintain law and order. In 1885, Steele commanded a scouting contingent during the Riel Rebellion. Two years after that, he was dispatched to southeast British Columbia to defuse an explosive situation that had developed there. Subsequently, he commanded Fort Macleod, the largest Mounted Police Post outside of headquarters, for ten years. In 1898, he was assigned to the Yukon in charge of the Mounted Police force overseeing the Klondike gold rush and patrolling the trails and waterways to Dawson City and the goldfields. Following his meritorious service in northern Canada, he was sent to South Africa as second in command of the 1

st Canadian Mounted Rifles, to fight

in the Boer War. When Canada entered the First World War in 1914, Steele served overseas as a major–general, and was given a knighthood in January, 1918. In all – a very distinguished career in the service of the young country of Canada. Yet despite his accomplishments, Steele

Sam Steele: A Biography | Book Review by Michael Gates

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

seemed disappointed by missed opportunities and frustrated ambitions throughout his career. Of interest to Yukon readers would be the section of the book that details his time in the Yukon, which amounts to only 28 pages of text. Steele was at first dispatched to take control of the passes into the Yukon, Bennett, Tagish Post, and the rapids at Whitehorse. Later he was redeployed to Dawson City where he maintained a brutal work schedule while the gold rush was at its peak. Many times, Steele made up the rules as he went along, rules that were pragmatic and undoubtedly saved many lives. When he left the Yukon in the late summer of 1899, he was given a hero’s send-off by the citizens of Dawson. What makes this account unique is that author Macleod fills his narrative with passages from Steele’s letters to his wife, Elizabeth, who remained outside during this period. These letters and papers, which have only recently become accessible to the public, provide greater insight to Steele’s innermost thoughts. Having seen the contents of the extensive correspondence between Sam and Elizabeth, I would say that the importance of the Steele Papers to understanding the man and his time in the Klondike have yet to be fully revealed. The Sam Steele papers were held by his descendants, until they came up for sale a few years ago. Antiquarian book dealer Cameron Treleaven of Calgary brought them to the attention of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, who, in a very short time raised the $1.8 million necessary to purchase the collection and bring it back to Canada in 2008. In addition to uniforms, medals and other military paraphernalia belonging to Sam Steele, the collection contains “thousands of pages of his letters, manuscript memoirs, pocket-diaries, journals, notebooks staff diaries, standing order books, official reports, scrapbooks, printed papers and photographs that document his career as a militiaman, Mounted Policeman and soldier.” Readers can, if they are interested, check the collection out online, where a sampling of documents have been posted at https://steele.library.ualberta.ca/explore. One document that piqued my interest is a handwritten undercover report, detailing the shifty criminal element in Dawson, and their professions, often identifying them as former members of Soapy Smith’s gang as well. I had the privilege, on two occasions, of visiting the Peel Library at U of A and examining the papers that relate specifically to the time that Steele spent in the Yukon. Steele’s handwriting is a challenge to read. I spent the better part of a day, with the help of two library staff, deciphering his scrawl to transcribe the content of a

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single letter that Steele had written to his wife, Marie Elizabeth. But it was worth it. These letters provide remarkable new insights into the man. Steele was obviously devoted to his wife during his long sojourn in the Yukon, embellishing his letters with such overstated salutations as “My sweet pet, my dearest, my darling true tender and faithful wife…” Steele revealed many of his innermost thoughts to his wife, comments which have appeared nowhere else. For example, September 12, 1898: “I am disappointed at the latter (Commissioner Walsh). Her Majesty’s representative and staff in a dance hall box or theatre with common prostitutes…” This book is a detailed treatment of the entire life of Sam Steele, informed and enhanced by new information held within the Steele collection. The breadth of his accomplishments encompass the opening of the west and north as Canada grew into nationhood after confederation. There is much to explore, and much more to be written about this remarkable man and his

From the Desk of the Executive Director | Lianne Maitland

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

So you’re off to the Yukon my noble friend. Do you seek the elusive gold,

or are you after adventure and fame like those stalwart men of old?

Many have sought to tame this land

and many have died in vain. Others have wasted their lives in muck, yet some have found riches and fame.

It’s a land that will grip you forever

that will hound you like an old curse. Like a mistress you want and desire

that you’re craving for better or worse.

But it’s not just the land that will hold you. Please listen to what I will say.

It’s the many that came here before you that will tempt you forever to stay.

Brave souls that abandoned their comforts

left all their possessions behind, deserted their families and loved ones

to seek what they hoped they would find.

It wasn’t just gold that would bring them. For certain the gold played a role.

For some it was more the adventure that whetted a need in their soul.

The Yukon | Terry Hynes

The merchant, the banker, the gamblin’ man, and surely the dance-hall queen,

pursued these men as they all headed north, for each had their fortunes to glean.

And fortunes were found by the pan full

by those who were lucky at first. While others were lost in the hardships,

just wasting away with their thirst.

The courage they brought still remains here, their grit, and their dreams, and their fight.

It’s part of the long summer days here, it’s part of the deep winters night.

It seeps in your blood with the water,

envelops your soul with the air, it alters your mind with it’s passion,

it changes how you really care.

This Yukon is more than a place name, it’s somewhat a state of your mind. With endless long rivers and valleys

and freedoms and peace you can find.

So come to the Yukon my valiant friend there’s gold still here in the creek. And if you just listen so closely,

you may hear the old-timers speak.

contribution to the origins of the Yukon Territory, and more broadly to Canada as a whole. There is certainly enough material here to write a book about Steele’s time in the Klondike gold rush. Sam Steele: A Biography is 407 pages in length, with nearly 40 pages of endnotes (for those who want to pursue his history further), as well as a lengthy bibliography and a detailed index. Included are 25 photos, mostly of Steele in uniform at various stages of his career. Five maps help to place Steele in context during his various exploits. The map of the Yukon has an insert showing Dawson City. It places the courthouse in the wrong location for the period when Steele was in Dawson City, but that is a minor oversight in the larger story. Michael Gates is a Yukon historian and sometimes adventurer based in Whitehorse. His book, From the Klondike to Berlin, was shortlisted for a national book award. You can contact him at msgates@northwestel.net.

Yukon Historical & Museums Association

3126 Third Avenue, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 1E7 p: 867-667-4704 | f: 867-667-4506

info@heritageyukon.ca | heritageyukon.ca | @Yukonheritage

Established in 1977, YHMA works to strengthen heritage in the Yukon through leadership, advocacy, and education. Our membership reflects the scope and diversity of the Yukon heritage

community.

Our newsletter is published twice annually. Copies of previous issues are available at heritageyukon.ca.

Want to stay up-to-date between issues? Subscribe to our weekly e-bulletin by visiting our website

or by sending us an email.

Are you a heritage sector worker looking to improve your skills?

The Yukon Heritage Training Fund provides support for training and professional development

opportunities for the Yukon heritage sector. Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Intake deadlines are October 15, January 15, April 15, and July 15.

Visit heritageyukon.ca, email info@heritageyukon.ca, or call 667-4704 for more information.

Have you received funding from HTF? We’d love to share your experiences in this newsletter. Contact us if you’d like to contribute!

Support provided by the Yukon Government’s Department of Advanced Education

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