The Vuntut Gwitchin

Question 1

Where do the Vuntut Gwitchin live and where is it located?

Answer 1

They live in Old Crow Flats, 73km north of the artic circle and 110km south of the Beaufort sea

Question 2

What is the average daily temperature on the Old Crow Flats in the summer and winter, and what is the mean precipitation?

Answer 2

Summer average temp- 15 degrees
Winter average temp- -35 degrees
Average annual precipitation 200mm

Question 3

How big and at what elevation is the Old Crow Flats?

Answer 3

It is 5000km^2 and at an elevation of 300m

Question 4

How could the Old Crow Flats be described?

Answer 4

As a pristine wilderness

Question 5

In 2008 what was the population of Old Crow?

Answer 5

267

Question 6

Where is Old Crow situated?

Answer 6

On the porcupine river, in the north of the Yukon

Question 7

The Yukon cannot be reached by car, what can it be reached by?

Answer 7

Old Crow Airport

Question 8

What is the northernmost portion of the Crow Flats located in?

Answer 8

The Vuntut National Park

Question 9

What does each Gwitchin family refer to their patch of land as?

Answer 9

‘Their’ or ‘my country’

Question 10

What do the Gwitchin hunt in ‘their country’?

Answer 10

Muskrat

Question 11

What animal are the Gwitchin dependent on?

Answer 11

The Porcupine Caribou

Question 12

Where does the Porcupine Caribou herd migrate to?

Answer 12

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Question 13

What do the Gwitchin use Porcupine Caribou for?

Answer 13

Food and clothing

Question 14

How long has the Porcupine Caribou herd been an important part of the Yukon’s natural environment?

Answer 14

Thousands of years

Question 15

What are the Gwitchin dependent on the Porcupine Caribou for?

Answer 15

The survival of their culture

Question 16

What times of year do the Porcupine Caribou herd move through Old Crow?

Answer 16

Spring and Autumn

Question 17

Why have Caribou numbers fallen in recent years?

Answer 17

1. Higher snow falls making it harder for the Caribou to reach mosses and lichens
2. Warmer summer temperatures mean the herd is harassed by mosquitoes, disrupting feeding

Question 18

Name 3 big changes in the lives of the Vuntut Gwitchin

Answer 18

1. They’re no longer nomadic
2. They now use snowmobiles rather than dog sleighs
3. They now use hunting rifles instead of spears and arrows

Question 19

What are there jobs available in, in Old Crow?

Answer 19

Administration, policing, social services, water and fuel delivery, health and education

Question 20

A government run quarry opened in 2003, what is the gravel used for?

Answer 20

Local construction

Question 21

How is Old crow’s population disproportionate?

Answer 21

There’s many more old people than young people as those of working age migrate away to look for paid employment

Question 22

What do the Gwitchin believe is threatening the Porcupine Caribou?

Answer 22

Oil Drilling in the ANWR, they’ve been lobbying hard to prevent it