“All the languages in the Yukon are in a state of crisis. I feel like it’s my duty to carry on my language.”
An Interview with Jolenda Johnny
I had the opportunity to chat with Beaver Creek resident and Indigenous language teacher, Jolenda Johnny about remote living, the Upper Tanana language, and her role in language revitalization. Jolenda, like many Beaver Creek residents, is a member of the White River First Nation.
As a newcomer here, I am interested in better understanding the culture, language, and experiences of the White River First Nation people— a group with ties to this land that can be traced far back. Before the interview, Jolenda and I spoke about the lack of knowledge and understanding that many non-Indigenous people have of Indigenous history and culture.
I told her that I want to learn more. That I feel it’s my responsibility to gain a better understanding of the culture and experiences of my neighbours. And, I’d like to pass on this knowledge because I believe there are others eager to know more, too.
Read on for Jolenda’s comments about remote living and our discussion about the Upper Tanana language.
Hilary:
Tell me about yourself.
Jolenda:
My name is Jolenda Johnny and I grew up in a village in Alaska called Gulkana. I was actually born in Anchorage, but I lived in Gulkana until I was 9. Then, we came to Beaver Creek and I have lived here since.
Hilary:
Even though you were born in Alaska, do you identify as White River First Nation?
Jolenda:
Yes, and I also identify as Ahtna. Ahtna is a tribe in Alaska. They don’t have bands in Alaska, they have tribes.
Hilary:
How long have you lived here in Beaver Creek?
Jolenda:
I’ve lived here since I was 9 and I plan on living here for at least 10 more years. I am going to be 29 this month, and in August I will have lived here for 20 years. I would consider moving for my kids’ education. When my kids go to high school, I want more opportunities for them in the way of programs, like hockey, for example. I don’t want them to grow up how I grew up and their dad does not want them to grow up how he grew up. He did have a lot of opportunities and so did I, but it’s not like that nowadays. There are barely any kids here anymore and there are not as many volunteers.
Hilary:
What’s kept you living in a remote community?
Jolenda:
For a long time, I could have left but I chose not to because I dealt with social anxiety. Now I have positive coping mechanisms to deal with it. I am older and I have a job here. It’s just how I live my life. I feel like even some of my family plan to move back here when they’re going to start a family. Now that I am starting a family, I want my son to go to school here and grow up in this town. It’s home. This is much more of a home than Gulkana ever was because I have been here longer and down there, there is more trauma. Here, I feel safe. It’s home.
To me, remote living is normal. I mean, this is how we grew up. Even when I was in Gulkana, Anchorage was like 4 hours away. Ever since I’ve been here, it’s normal to go into Whitehorse for groceries. When I was younger, the roads were different too, and then it took 6 hours to get to Whitehorse. Now, they’ve cut off one section of the road, so it only takes 5 hours. I don’t know, it’s just so normal to me to go back and forth, and to have to stock up on your groceries. It’s normal to me to spend at least $500-$600 on groceries every time I go there.
I mean, experience remote living for yourself. It’s not easy, but I mean, I like this kind of living. But I feel like not everyone is made to live like this. The worst thing I think is maybe not being close to a grocery store. The best thing is that I grew up traditionally. Here, we can go get berries. We can hunt for our food. We can gather.
Hilary:
Can you tell me about the White River First Nation and their presence in this part of the Yukon?
Jolenda:
The White River First Nation is not a self-governing band. There are only two bands in the Yukon that are not self-governing. The reason is because we feel like we don’t want to give up a lot of our land. The government wants a bunch of our land and they’re going to give us money for some land, but then we are not going to get as much land as we have now. This is our land, and of course we are going to fight for it. Even though we are so small, we don’t care. We are going to fight because it’s our land.
Beaver Creek was basically a lot of “nòodlèe”. “Nòodlèe” means white people. My family who are Upper Tanana were originally from Scottie Creek, which is by the border. The Northern Tutchone people were from Snag. They had a village there a long time ago. Next thing you know, a lot people moved here and now no one lives in Scottie Creek and no one lives in Snag anymore. Beaver Creek became our home and we became integrated. In 1990, the White River became a band. We used to be with Kluane First Nation, but my Auntie Bessie, said that we needed to have our own band which is true because in Kluane, they’re Southern Tutchone and they speak a different language and have different traditions. It’s the same with Northern Tutchone, we have different a language and different traditions, but we are still from the same area and we are related. So, we came together here.
Hilary:
What led to your interest in the Upper Tanana language?
Jolenda:
I was wondering why my Dad and my Auntie Jenny would go to Whitehorse for these literacy sessions. I thought, “I want to go”, and so I was 15 when I went to my first one. All of a sudden, I was learning the language. I had only known how to say, “tsin’įį” which means “thank you”, and, “ingii” which means “that’s taboo, don’t do that”. That’s where it all started. They had me writing up there and I just thought it was so cool. I thought, “I’m learning how to write in my language!” Of course, I knew how to write in English, but not in my language.
Then many years later, when I was 24, which was in 2014, Ruth (Jolenda’s aunt) kept on bothering me, saying “Come on. Come teach with me.” I wasn’t in the right place yet, so I said, “No”. Then, finally, I just said, “Ok, I am ready.” And then I actually got into it. It was something new for me to do and try and then, next thing you know, I was really into it.
Hilary:
You were essentially self-taught. Can you explain that process?
Jolenda:
When I learned how to read, I learned from the dictionaries we have that my Auntie Bessie made. She’s who the school is named after (Nelnah Bessie John School). There is also the Tetlin dictionary which is another Upper Tanana village in Alaska. They have a different dialect but still, I can translate it into the Scottie Creek dialect. The Yukon Native Language Centre (YNLC) created lesson books and recording for the teachers, so I learned from them and from Ruth. She taught me how to do the classroom expressions, “sit down”, “be quiet”, “listen”, and so on because I didn’t know them. It was all brand new for me and I didn’t know if I was saying things right, but Ruth would tell me and now, with four years of experience, I feel much more comfortable.
Hilary:
How does the Upper Tanana language compare to other Indigenous languages in the region?
Jolenda:
We are a very small language group. This is the only community that has Upper Tanana in Canada. There are some large language groups out there, but ours is very small. I need to keep it going. Just because it’s a small language and there aren’t many speakers left, doesn’t mean it should go extinct. All the languages in the Yukon are in a state of crisis. I feel like it’s my duty to carry on my language.
Hilary:
What role do you have in ensuring the language is preserved and carried on by future generations of White River people?
Jolenda:
Over the last few years I have been doing language revitalization work. I feel like I am the only one interested in learning the language and in writing the language. People look to me for guidance in what they should do to learn the language. What I say to them is that it is a big commitment. They can’t expect to see an elder a few times or have a couple classes, and then say, “Boom. I am fluent.” I am still learning even though I started a while ago. I am still learning. There is lots to be learned and sometimes I am overwhelmed by it all.
Hilary:
Do you see any barriers in the preservation of the Upper Tanana language and how might these barriers be overcome?
Jolenda:
The main barrier is from residential schools. Residential school survivors had their language stripped from them and they suffered trauma. Many didn’t teach their language to their children, and now their children do not have the motivation to learn what they were never taught. This generation does not have any motivation. Some people are making an effort—we have language revitalization meetings but what happens after?
Hilary:
Is there anything that non-Indigenous people, can do to help break down those barriers?
Jolenda:
I would suggest going to the Yukon First Nations 101 Course at the Yukon College. It’s a one day program. We did this last year and all the teachers had to take it. We talk about governance and residential schools, colonization, our history, and how we are now. A lot of non-Indigenous people go. I was so happy that educators had to do the course.
Hilary:
What are ten Upper Tanana words that a newcomer to Beaver Creek should know?
Jolenda:
Tsin’įį – Thank you
Nts’ã’dįįt’eh? – How are you (typical salutation used instead of ‘Hello’)
Ihsōō – I’m fine
Diichãã – Respect
K’ahmän’ suu’ – Good morning
Dziin suu’ – Good afternoon
Tät suu’ – Good night
Dinîik – Moose
Tsa’ – Beaver
Dzänh - Muskrat
