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Sharon Snowshoe strives to preserve Gwich'in past Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison Northern News Services Published Monday, August 15, 2011
Sharon Snowshoe's job, as its executive director, is to make sure we never forget it. "The important thing that I learned is the importance of this work, this research we do," she said of her six years so far on the job. "It's based on people's knowledge from our communities and it's very valuable because we're documenting it for the younger generation." The institute was created in 1993 as part of the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, amid concerns that its people were slowly losing their culture and language. Its mandate: to document, preserve and promote. For the past 18 years the institute has been conducting research from Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik, Tsiigehtchic and in areas of the Yukon traditionally used by the Gwich'in. They have published books, compiled dictionaries, interviewed elders, created a plant database and are even creating a traditional place name atlas, which they hope to have online by March 2012. They also review development applications to ensure traditional lands and burial sites are respected. Since 1993, more than 50 research projects have been started, and some are still ongoing. Having been born and raised in Fort McPherson, Snowshoe is a natural fit with the institute. "I remember we used to use dog teams instead of Ski-Doos," she said. "People are still trying to hang on to skills of living on the land, but live in a modern world." Prior to working with the institute, Snowshoe worked as band manager for the Tetlit Gwich'in Council for five years. Her role now varies between overseeing day-to-day operations, managing human resources, overseeing the budget and quarterly statements, and attending board meetings, Gwich'in Tribal Council management meetings and staff meetings. She also acts as boss and collaborator with all the institute's staff, which includes Alestine Andre, a researcher based out of Tsiigehtchic, William Firth, a Gwich'in language specialist in Fort McPherson and Ingrid Kritsch, their research director in Yellowknife. Snowshoe said the hardest part of her job is working within the 21st century reality that funding often dictates what kind of work you can do. "That's just the way it is for us right now, but if we didn't have to worry about money, our work would be much easier," she said. Snowshoe said her favourite part of the job is getting to draw on local knowledge and ensure that it will be used for generations and generations. "We do this for the younger generation, we preserve it for them," she said.
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