The Carcross/Tagish First Nation is bridging the past with the future for this year’s Haa Ḵusteeyí
“Summertime was the gathering time, along the big lakes, for the Peoples of southern Yukon and Northern B.C., when our food stocks were at their highest.”
“Haa Léelk’w Hás Jooníx Wutusitee.” (We are our Ancestors’ dreams!)
Tagish and Tlingit Peoples have been coming together in the place we now call Carcross, for longer than history has been recorded. Items crafted by Indigenous Peoples, almost 5,000 years ago, show that it was a fishing and hunting camp.
But this place has existed much longer and has a deeper and more spiritual significance.
“Summertime was the gathering time, along the big lakes, for the Peoples of southern Yukon and Northern B.C., when our food stocks were at their highest,” says Nicole Welin, coordinator for this year’s Haa Ḵusteeyí. “Our people would celebrate making it through the winter.”
And the drums are beating once again, summoning Wolf and Raven Clans from across their Traditional Lands. They are coming together to reconnect, challenge one another and share their unique culture with others who want to learn.
“The celebration is to promote and preserve the language and culture of the Tagish and Tlingit People.” Welin says it is an important time for her people. “We are losing a lot of our Elders and Knowledge Keepers. We need the younger generations to become involved with their language and culture.”
The Haa Ḵusteeyí runs from July 24 to 27. The name of the four-day event translates to “Our way of life” and it will showcase an array of skills, talent and knowledge.
“It is really about bringing together family and friends to celebrate our heritage,” Welin says, “but everyone is welcome.”
There will be opportunities to watch some of the territory’s most-skilled canoeists race across the water, while strength is highlighted in the tug-of-war battle held with a river in the middle. Stay dry, if you can! Other competitions feature the Tea and Bannock Competition and the flashing blades of those seeking fame for their fish-filleting finesse.
Ever had soapberry ice cream? Soapberries are pretty bitter, as a rule, although sometimes a frost brings a hint of sweetness. But when processed the right way, they create a foam that talented country chefs can whip into a dessert dish to die for.
Demonstrations will include weaving in the cedar and Chilkat styles—traditional methods for tanning hides and showing how the animal skins can also be used for making boats.
While these Cultural Traditions can be an education in themselves, those wanting to be hands-on and to learn a skill will have some interesting choices. Workshops are planned for beading projects, tufting and drum making. There will also be opportunities to learn the cedar-weaving skills on display or to learn how to keep your toes toasty this winter if you choose to learn to make your own moccasins.
And yet, the entertainment might overshadow everything else. Friday will feature the Indigenous Fashion Show, which will bring together designers and models from all over the Yukon. Saturday will feature the All Indigenous Showcase, which will include performances by different musicians, bands, hip-hop artists, singers and writers. On the main stage there will be performances by traditional-style dance groups from around the Yukon, as well as from Alaska and Northern B.C. Expect to see some dazzling tattoo artists at work.
There will be food on-site, as well as people selling Traditional Crafts—beading, jewellery, and skin and hair products made from natural ingredients.
Each of the three nights will end with a community feast that is open to everyone. There will also be entertainment and a Blanket Dance (providing an opportunity to contribute to the costs of the event).
The Haa Ḵusteeyí moves between different communities within the Traditional Lands and, as this year’s host, Carcross is preparing for Peoples coming from Teslin, Haines Junction, Atlin, Haines, Kwanlin Dün, and beyond. Many will arrive in the lagoon, paddling the dugout canoes that propelled their Ancestors through the complex river systems that stretch to the Alaska Coast.
The gathering is not only a celebration but is also a forum to reinforce the hard-won right to chart an independent path for the future. The first night will feature a Hand Warming Ceremony at which the self-governing First Nations leaders will address the membership.
The Haa Ḵusteeyí is about strengthening the bonds—linguistic, cultural, familial, political and aspirational—that will carry the First Nations into the future.
“It means we are on the right path, bringing our language and culture with us in as good a way as we can,” Welin says.The Ancestors’ dreams do live on, it seems, in the hearts and minds of the Tagish and Tlingit Peoples gathering, this month, where the two lakes meet, at the place we now call Carcross.
