Talking Map

Since 1992, the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute has been working with Gwich'in elders to build an inventory of heritage sites within the Gwich'in Settlement Region (GSR) through a traditional land use study using oral history and ethno-archaeological research. The oral history research has documented this knowledge and use of the land, by recording place names and associated stories, trails, traditional camp sites, graves, historic sites, harvesting locales, and sacred or legendary places.

To date, GSCI has recorded approximately 900 named places for the Gwich'in Settlement Region.  There are two ways to explore and view Gwich’in place names.  The first is an interactive cybercartographic map.  This map allows the user to zoom in and out, click on names to read more information and see associated photos, and conduct searches.   Downloadable place names maps are also available from the atlas. 

The second way to explore and view Gwich’in place names is the "talking place name map," below.  About 30 of the named places from our research are included, along three major rivers in the Gwich'in Settlement Region – Nagwichoonjik (Mackenzie River), Teetł’it Gwinjik (Peel River), and Tsiigehnjik (Arctic Red River).  Through reading about the places along these rivers, long used as travel routes, you can learn more about the history and culture of the Gwich'in.  Click on a river’s name to see the location of the places in the small map, and more information about each name below. 

Arctic Red River

This name refers to three hollows located below the hill on which the Roman Catholic Church stands in Tsiigehtchic, near the confluence of the Arctic Red River and Mackenzie River. These hollows...

Arctic Red River

There are a number of places on the land that the elders talk about as being inhabited a long time ago by large and often dangerous creatures. Nehtruh tshì’ is such a place and was considered very...

Arctic Red River

The Gwich’in name for this creek is so old, that the elders are no longer certain of it’s meaning. Up until the mid-1900s this was one of the main campsites for people travelling between the...

Arctic Red River

This place refers to a burning hillside located downstream from the Forks. There is a strong sulfuric smell from the burning. According to the elders, people returning from the mountains early in...

Arctic Red River

This is one of the most picturesque places on the Arctic Red River. There are gravel bar deposits where the two rivers meet, and high eroding black shale cliffs with splashes of red, orange, green...