Dä´kwändür Ghay Ghàkwädindür—Our Story in Our Words tells the story of the peoples of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, from thousands of years ago to the present day. This richly illustrated book includes traditional stories from long ago, told by Elders, about the origins of the world and the aftermath of a great flood, about “The Double Winter” and “The Girl Who Married the Bear.” Several stories appear in Tlingit, Tagish, Northern Tutchone, or Southern Tutchone, to share these original languages of Kwanlin Dün with the next generation. The lives of early inhabitants of the Southern Yukon are imagined with reference to archaelogical finds and scientific understandings. Elders also share stories about the arrival of white people, about the Gold Rush days and the building of the Alaska Highway, and all the intense challenges that Kwanlin Dün faced. KDFN citizens recall the decades-long land claims struggle that culminated in the KDFN Final Agreements in 2005. And the many nation-building accomplishments since then are celebrated—with an eye to much success ahead. Throughout the book are striking historical pictures, beautiful contemporary artwork, and vivid photographs of the land. Dä´kwändür Ghay Ghàkwädindür—Our Story in Our Words is a wide-ranging story, told in many unique voices, that celebrates the values, endurance, and accomplishments of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.

Kwanlin Dun First Nation's profile page

Kwanlin Dün First Nation includes people of Southern Tutchone, Tagish, and Tlingit descent, living in their Traditional Territory centred on the headwaters of the Chu Nínkwän (Yukon River). After decades of negotiations, KDFN became a self-governing First Nation in 2005, marking a new beginning for the nation.