Trails of Our Ancestors: A Clinchon Perspective on Healing and Cultural Preservation

Dorothy We Yellen is from the Clinchon region in the Northwest Territories.
The Clinchon people consist of four communities: Pecha Kong, Kamati, Wati, and Bukuti.
She was raised by her grandparents and began her healing journey at 15, retracing the trails of her ancestors.

The Clinch Annual Gathering involves traveling by canoe or boat.
It's a vision to retrace the past through the eyes of the elders.
Elders play a crucial role in teaching the Clinchon way of life, restoring identity, retracing paths, and developing skills.

Dorothy's grandfather invited her on her first journey with his friend and her 10-year-old nephew, Melvin.
They traveled to Wati by boat, a trip that took two to three days.
Melvin got sick on the first night, necessitating a search for medicine on the land.

Before taking medicine from the land, an offering and a prayer for recovery are required.
Melvin offered a prayer.
Dorothy's Grandfather and Melvin gathered spruce cones, which were prepared over an open fire.
The cones were filtered out, and Melvin drank two doses of the medicine. By the next morning, he was healed.
Importance of Respect: Elders emphasize paying respects before taking anything from the land by offering tobacco, food, and ribbon stick matches. Failure to do so renders the medicine ineffective.

New places, whether land or water, require an offering.
Dorothy was instructed to pick a branch off a tree and pay respects to the water when visiting a new area.
This involves asking for a safe journey, calm waters, no wind, and peaceful interaction with animals.

Dorothy actively practices her culture, following in the footsteps of her ancestors.
She grew up speaking her mother tongue, Clinchon, despite the loss of language and culture due to colonization and residential schools.
She teaches her children about their land, language, and culture in every season.
Practicing her culture keeps her healthy and gives her pride and speaking her language prevents emptiness.

The elders teach the importance of being strong like two people: preserving tradition and language while also speaking English and understanding Western ways.

Healing encompasses nature, language, culture, and family.
When feeling sad, stressed, or depressed, Dorothy finds solace in nature, talking to the land to release negative energy.

Community events like hangings, drum dances, and community feasts are crucial for collective healing.
Practicing the Clinchon culture brings healing to everyone.