"Nakhwanh Gwich’in Khehłok Iidilii - We Are Our Own People”: Teetł’it Gwich’in Practices of Indigeneity : Connection to Land, Traditional Self-Governance, and Elements of Self Determination
Date
2015-08-21
Authors
Alexie, Elaine Donna
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Abstract
This thesis examines the practices of Indigeneity, acts of Indigenous social and cultural traditions stemming from Teetł’it Gwich’in land-based culture in the Northwest Territories. By emphasizing Teetł’it Gwich’in philosophy, this project illustrates how Teetł’it Gwich’in practices of Indigeneity are rooted in their social, physical, and cultural relationship with the land, which are central to Gwich’in self-determination. This thesis demonstrates traditional Teetł’it Gwich’in self-governance practices are driven by cultural and social norms rooted in traditional knowledge, as well as contemporary Gwich’in-Canada relations. Utilizing knowledge collected from Teetł’it Gwich’in elders, these first-hand accounts show the connection between Canada and the Teetł’it Gwich’in through state policies that impede Teetł’it Gwich’in self-determination. By examining these challenges to their cultural practices, Teetł’it Gwich’in worldviews rooted in land-based practices is considered the basis for Gwich’in self-determination rooted in the physical and cultural landscape of Gwich’in lands.
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Gwich'in, Teetł’it, Political Science, Indigenous Governance, Western Arctic, Dene, Traditional Knowledge, Indigeneity, Self-Determination, Indigenous Leadership, Land Based Living