It's been a year and some days....so okay!

Crows, ravens, and the Southern Tutchone

As a child I heard from my grandparents, my parents, and many Southern Tutchone elders the stories of Crow.  Although the basic premise is the same, slight variations in the telling gave clues to the where and by whom the stories were being told.  Crow brought light to the world; Crow helped establish the social order of the world; Crow is one of the two major Clans of the Southern Tutchone.  My elders called ravens, crows and called crows, crows. It may be as a result of translation but I also like to believe that we did live among the crows during the times these ancient stories were developing as stories to be passed down.  Certainly crows can be found from time to time here in the Yukon now.  In the Southern Tutchone language I have been unable to find words that distinguish the raven from the crow.  What I can say though is that the Southern Tutchone have different words for crow/raven the bird or the Clan.  How the words are used in Southern Tutchone depend on the fluency of the speaker.

Crows in Skagway, Alaska, 2011

Ravens in the Yukon, 2011.

❡

In Southern Tutchone crows and ravens, the bird, are called ts'ürk'i

the Clan is called 

Kaj`ät

I've heard the words used interchangeably when referring to the Clan.

❡

A flock of crows is called "a murder of crows",

a flock of ravens are called either

"an unkindness of ravens",

"a conspiracy of ravens",

or

"a constable of ravens".

snowshoes 101

"a"

snowshoe

The middle section is called a kè k'`änji, the foot part;

the yellow foot straps are called a kä tl'el.

The frame is called a nach`į;

the crosspiece is a įtth'āl.

Snowshoe making tools are collectively called 

a u yè ts'äsi

(snowshoe with it you make it)

The snowshoe drill is called simply ä sh`ür

or more descriptively  

a u yè nà sh`ür ts'ägèt

(snowshoe with this tool you poke it)

a carving knife is

mbür u yè kwäts'äghwò

a file is k'edā

raw moose hide

tàgèl  łät'äl

this babiche is called

a tl'ēl

(snowshoe string/rope)

a dek'an`äzhų

(pointed nose)

ä näy ä sho

(my eldest brother)

Norman Adamson is one of the instructors.

the moon is in mother mode

photo credit: NASA    

ńtl'e kwäzha k'ànam˛ò

full moon

owl tracks in the snow

Ye ké ch'i zhän?

What kind of tracks are these?

Dàzhän medhį kè ch'e.

This here, owl tracks.

Rainbow on a hook

Mbetà ka ädéch'äŕ.

Fishing for rainbow trout.

tracks

fox (ńthe) track (ke)

A beautiful autumn in the Yukon
drew itself to a close with golden sunlight slanting long
over the boreal forest.

The ground is frozen and the snow is settling in for the season.  "Yūk'è kwädèłè" is Southern Tutchone for "Winter, it's getting to be."

                                      photo: c.l. genier

I too am settling in for the season

and finally finding time 

review and share photos 

taken throughout

the summer.

                             photo: c.l. genier

This red fox kit was enjoying

strawberries by the side of 

the highway just south of the 

bridge at Marsh Lake. 

In Southern Tutchone 

a red fox is called m'the det'äl.

Strawberries are called kursi zhür.

oysters on trees, false morels, & faery rings in the Yukon

I love mushrooms; as a child I always looked forward to picking mushrooms for cooking.  Gramma would caution us to be careful so we usually picked the mushrooms of the bolete family, particularly those with the large white stems with tight orange caps.  This summer there was a number of mushrooms growing in the forest, many I couldn't identify but admired for their beauty like these growing on a standing dead aspen:

I think these may be Oyster mushrooms which are usually edible however they do have a poisonous look alike called Angel Wings.  I'm not sure which these are but they are gorgeous.

Another mushroom that is quite pretty is 

the false morel: 

Some people say the false morels are edible, others say not...I chose to err on the side of caution.

This mushroom is supposedly edible if picked at the right time and cooked correctly, I don't have that knowledge but love the pattern that emerges as the skin of its cap dries and shrinks.

 This mushroom has its stem growing through a length of decayed wood; against the backdrop of moss it makes a beautiful picture.

Trails of mushrooms could be found everywhere leading to 

faery rings throughout the forest...

European folklore say faery rings are gateways into elfin kingdoms; circles where elves gather and dance.

In many of the beliefs faery rings were to be left undisturbed as the rings were considered sacred places.

I don't know of any Southern Tutchone folklore about mushrooms or the individual names for the mushrooms in Southern Tutchone however they are referred to generically as

ġlūr gee  which translates to "squirrel food".

I found several trails and rings very late one August evening near Fox Lake.

Merlin Falcon

Merlin Falcon

...this small bird of prey was sitting on a stone

by the side of the road.

The Merlins prey on shorebirds, pigeons, mice and insects 

but prefer songbirds. 

autumn again...

Autumn sunshine gives a golden glow to the boreal forest along the Yukon River...

...transitioning....getting ready for a gorgeous winter in the Yukon playground.

...so beautiful here in the territory...this is 
approximately 11:00p.m June 24th on my way home from Łù'àn Män Keyi (Burwash Landing), this image was taken as I was leaving Dhäl T'à (Slims Valley) I stopped on the shore of Ł'ù'àn Mān (Kluane Lake) , in the distance is Tachàl Dhāl (Sheep Mountain.

grass...

tl'äw

sage ...

tansän; nàńsän

June 21st is National Aboriginal Day in Canada...

Äyinji Zhera ùúye.

Dän jenntthą'a?

Tàán Kwäch'an kwinje.

Tàán Kwäch'an kwats'an ich'e.

Äma Chu-lin yu kwĮndli;

Äta Douglas yu kwĮndli.

Ägunda ich'e.

De k'anàtá.

butterfly

Tiger swallowtail butterfly... 

ädalēla means butterfly, if it's a person's name

then it becomes Lēla.

Rainy afternoons in front of the wood-stove...

stù = stove 

stù dhēn or stù dhęl = stove pipe

kwän däk'än = fire burning

the month of June

There are several phrases that describe 

the month of June...

Dà Inzhâ;

or

K'än Inzhâ

are two such phrases...

dà inzhâ describes a time

when 

the animals are left alone as they're not 

in good shape and the subsistence harvesting is poor;

and

k'än inzhâ describes a time when the sap of the trees is running.

Summer colours in the Yukon... 

❝To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven

in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your 

hand

And Eternity in an hour.❞

William Blake

1757 ~ 1827

an eternity in an hour

heaven in a wild flower

emerald light❦

a tentative hello...

It's been weeks since I've updated this blog...but summer is now established and I'll be enjoying the Yukon, snapping pictures and being more diligent about posting.  Thanks for your patience and for your interest in "Bannock Jam".

pussywillows

k'ay dlia

willow * little dogs