Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Friday, April 30, 2007

RAE LAKES - Former subchief of Gameti and respected elder Harry Simpson passed away April 24 after complications from pneumonia at the age of 73.

As one of the four elder advisors for the Tlicho agreement, Simpson spent the better part of his life working on the deal. His dreams were realized with the ratification of the Tlicho agreement in June 2003.

John B. Zoe, a friend of Simpson's and lead negotiator for the agreement, will remember Simpson as someone whose priority was defending and keeping his culture.

"He would always be sitting up straight because he wanted to represent the centre of his world," said Zoe, remembering his friend.

Zoe said one of Simpson's great accomplishments was setting up annual canoe trips, where elders and youth would travel together to celebrate their traditional lifestyles. Simpson started the trips in 1995, and now 240 people attend the trips annually.

Simpson also promoted his culture with Gameti Ko, a society promoting Dogrib culture and traditional knowledge involving youths and elders created in 2003.

In 2005, Simpson helped build a traditional Dogrib cabin in Gameti using knowledge he got from his grandfather.

Simpson's funeral was held April 28 in Gameti.