Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (July 01/02) - With the Gwich'in Gathering just one week away, organizers in every Gwich'in community are gearing up for a celebration.

In Inuvik, Aklavik, Tsiigehtchic and Fort McPherson, band councils are peddling raffle tickets and holding fundraisers to send people to Old Crow, Yukon, site of this year's gathering, July 7-13.

The biennial gathering is a giant family reunion of sorts -- started by the late Myra "Choo" Kyikavichik, an Old Crow elder. Kyikavichik felt Gwich'in from across the North need to come together to discuss issues surrounding the protection of their culture and livelihood.

Busy days

Each day of the gathering will include music, dances, games, workshops and meetings on such issues as caribou management, Gwich'in culture, education and language.

Organizer Renee Frost says she is expecting about 300 people to attend the gathering -- effectively doubling the population of Old Crow for a week. Most people will be billeted in private homes, and a few vacant houses will be used for groups.

"Everybody's house is going to be full," says Frost. "If there's an emergency, I can use three classrooms at the school, but that's a last resort."

To make it more affordable for people to attend, the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation are providing all the meals and accommodations free of charge, using about $100,000 in government grants to cover their expenses. During the week, six cooks will be preparing meals for an estimated 500 people a day. To cut down on garbage, Frost is asking everyone to bring their own cups and cutlery.

Aklavik and Inuvik are each planning to send 40 people by air charter, and Tsiigehtchic is planning for 30. Fort McPherson has 80 booked, although as of last week, there were 105 people on the list, and at least one group planning to make the trip by boat. In Alaska, Fort Yukon and Arctic Village are each expected to send 40 people by charter, while many others will be travelling by boat.

"There's people calling every day," says William Koe, community coordinator for the Tetlit Gwich'in in Fort McPherson. "We're very busy with it. We're trying to make as much money as we can to pay for both our charters, if that's possible."

Unassisted, the cost of travel from Fort McPherson is about $280 per person, but fundraising will probably cut the cost by at least half.

In Inuvik, the Nihtat Gwich'in have been organizing since April to raise money for their charter. Volunteer Greta Sittichinli says the Gwich'in Gathering committee has held three raffles, soup lunches, a garage sale and barbecue to raise money.

Aklavik elder Ruth Furlong says the Gwich'in Gatherings are always a good time for families and old friends to catch up. "I got lots of relations over there -- different people related through my mom and dad. There's quite a few Gwich'in people all over -- in the NWT, in Alaska and there's quite a few in the Old Crow side."