Reflecting the full spectrum from the Pleistocene to the present, the Yukon Historical and Museums Association is hosting a three-community forum in hybrid form.
The conference, titled Yukon by Yukoners, got underway Oct. 4 in Tagish, Dawson and Whitehorse, as well as on dozens of computers online. It runs until the evening of Oct. 6 when it closes in Whitehorse with an evening of storytelling.
The schedule promises a different take on history and time, taking people way back to appreciate how much of 120-year Yukon history is only a recent blip, and how many perspectives have to be appreciated to provide a full accounting.
Opening speakers Michael Gates and Ron Chambers set the tone for the conference in terms of understanding Yukon identity and the importance of multiple perspectives. Other experiences to be shared will include voices for reconciliation and stories from Tagish citizens, as well as the experience of French and Jewish communities in the territory.
The conference includes sessions with researchers and professional archivists, as well as people developing successful First Nation language programs. The agenda also includes speakers who podcast and find UFOs.
The Oct. 6 story telling evening at the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre is ticketed separately from the main event, with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. Eleanor Millard, Gordon Steele, and Rhoda Merkel are amongst many others headlining the evening event.
Contact Lawrie Crawford at lawrie.crawford@yukon-news.com