Percy Henry offers a prayer for the Gathering. Photo by Glenda Bolt.

Moosehide Gathering Draws a Crowd

by Dan Davidson

Lue Maxwell isn’t certain just how many people came to Moosehide this year for the bi-annual Gathering, but the special events coordinator for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in does know that organizers fed over 1,000 people in the course of the weekend, and guesses that the total number must be substantially higher than that, probably about 1600 in all.

People came from all over the Yukon: Tagish, Mayo. Pelly, Ross River, Teslin, Old Crow, Whitehorse, various places in Alaska, Fort McPherson and other places in the NWT.

That’s not to mention folks from the USA, Germany and Wales. While most of those people spent the nights in Dawson, there was still a fair number that tented at Moosehide for the weekend.

For Maxwell, who was busy for much of the weekend, one of the highlights was a group of Navaho dancers.

“They came in full regalia, and there was a guy who did a hoop dance. A Navaho lullaby was sung and that was really well received as well.”

That was not the only cultural entertainment over the weekend. Singer Wayne Lavallee, fresh from the Dawson City Music Festival, gave a concert on Thursday night. Friday night had a Fiddle Jam led by Allen Beaver. Saturday night was for Kids Talent and Family Karaoke, led by Pat McCormick.

There were community feasts every night.

The days were loaded with special events as well: a service at St. Barnabas every afternoon; Arctic Games and kids games; workshops on drum making, carving, quill work, beading, making dreamcatchers; entertainment from Sara & Suzie, the Han Drummers and Singers, the Tagish Nation Dancers, the Sleeping Lady Drummers, the Dakawadada Dancers and the Miracle Drummers; storytelling with Shirley David-Jimerson and Lucille Hunt, daily tours of Moosehide as well as a tent display of the work being done by the TH on the Dempster Highway.

In addition to the events at Moosehide, the Dawson business community is starting to take note of the event. Trading Post owner Dave Robinson noted a high volume of visitors looking for craft supplies at his store. At the monthly meeting of the Dawson chamber of commerce, Robinson recommended that the organization should definitely be including this event in its planning and its event calendar.

Pat Brooks, at Goldrush Campgrounds, indicated that quite a few of his guests have shown an interest in this sort of an event and he is already getting requests for information about the next two summers.

Jon Magnusson, of Dawson City Bed and Breakfast, was also enthusiastic.

“We do push our guests to go down, and they come back and they’ve just loved it.”

The chamber decided to send Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in a letter of congratulations for a fine, well run event.

Moosehide, ten minutes downstream from Dawson, was the site of the weekend's bi-annual Moosehide Gathering. Photo by Dan Davidson

A Moosehide Celebration

By Faye Mollberg

In 1993 the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in hosted the first Moosehide gathering for northern people to celebrate their heritage. Since then the gathering has occurred every other year because the occasion takes too much organizing to happen every summer.

Boats were busy transporting people back and forth between Moosehide and Dawson between 10A.M. and 9P.M. People were invited to camp at Moosehide too. Some of the activities and entertainment that occurred over the weekend included: storytelling by the elders, carving and beading lessons, drum making workshops, traditional dancing and moose hair tufting. Each day’s activities were concluded by an evening potlatch. A feast of traditional foods were served such as salmon, moose and bannock. Raffles were held for traditional arts and crafts with all proceeds going towards the event.

Lue Maxwell the special events co-coordinator for the Tr’ondek Hwech’in started writing a proposal for the gathering in December, and continued with meetings all winter to arrange for the occasion. Organizing an event at Moose hide takes many volunteers as there is no water or electricity there. “Generators, fridges and freezers were delivered to Moosehide by an army of volunteers” ,says Lue.

Inclusion of all nations is one of the most important parts of the gathering. Participants are given an opportunity to share their own knowledge and history of the past and present and rekindle their connection to culture through activities and rituals. Traditional songs and dances come not only from the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in but all over the Yukon and Alaska. Moosehide gathering has become a safe haven for members of the Han nation, bringing them back to a time of no violence, crime, drugs or alcohol. The gathering is an integral part of the healing process and to regaining a connection to Moosehide.