Our next stop was Whitehorse, where we met an amazing 91 year old lady, Annie Smith (Kwanlin Dün) who made these moccasins …….
Whitehorse, lying on the mighty Yukon river, is a city that evolved after the discovery of gold in the Klondike in August, 1896. Yet, for generations previously, First Nations people, had their stories and traditions embedded in this location, known to them as Kwanlin, which means “water running through narrow place.” It was here, that we were to meet an amazing 
91-year-old lady, Annie Smith, (Kwanlin Dün Nation) who was raised in this area, and was taught by her parents to fish, hunt, trap, and to dry fish and meat. She also learnt beadwork from her mother and aunts and has supported herself through sewing most of her life. Not only is she renowned in her craft making (having won awards) but she also pioneered a church (in 1973). Over a couple of nights, we gathered to encourage her community whose beginnings started in Annie’s basement (sadly at a time when First Nations expression was not accepted by the mainstream church). Over time they grew in number, and so she decided to throw everything out of her garage to allow more room! They still meet there today.
We visited the Kwanlin Dün cultural center to learn a little more about the story of this land.
