A book produced to mark the opening of the Indigenous-owned wind farm project overlooking Whitehorse is also an example of the territory-wide push towards the revival of Indigenous languages.
Eagle Hill Energy Limited Partnership (EHELP) and Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) joined forces to celebrate the release of a children’s book set on site of the present-day wind farm on Haeckel Hill. EHELP is owned by Kwanlin Dün First Nation’s development corporation Chu Níikwän LP.
The children’s book The Winds over Whitehorse: Thay T’äw Kwändǖr (Golden Eagle Nest Story) offers an introduction to the local Southern Tutchone language, drawing inspiration from the experiences and oral teachings associated with KDFN Elder Ä́yenjìatà Louie Smith.
On Haeckel Hill, the story unfolds as a gopher family embarks on a berry-picking adventure. Along the way, they discover the history of a golden eagle that once nested on the mountain, giving origin to the mountain overlooking Whitehorse its traditional name, “Thay T’äw.”
The narrative reveals the mountain’s current use as a wind farm, explaining the project’s purpose and applications in straightforward terms aimed at three to five-year-olds.
The book presents a glossary of Southern Tutchone toward the front for readers’ reference before getting into the story.
The book joins other traditional language-learning tools like the set of flashcards and glossary style phrasal guides for the Hän language published by Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Elder Gerald Isaac. It also has the goal of passing on the language for future generations to carry on.
“When the elders die, it’s like a library burning down,” Isaac said.
The Hän and Southern Tutchone languages are currently classified as critically endangered in the “UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger” list.
The Yukon Native Language Centre was established in 1977 by the Council for Yukon Indians to provide educational services for Yukoners, according to the centre’s website.
The Yukon government played a role in administering the project until an announcement was made that total control would be handed over to the Council of Yukon First Nations in 2018, according to a news release from that year.
Guided by elders, the Yukon Native Language Centre currently serves as a hub for training Yukon First Nations language teachers, preservation and documentation, and curriculum and learning resource development.
The Winds over Whitehorse: Thay T’aw Kwandur uses similar learning techniques found on the centre’s resources web page. The news release notes that themes of KDFN cultural heritage, contemporary Indigenous values and environmental stewardship are also weaved into the story.
Rae Mombourquette, the steward of KDFN culture and heritage, collaborated with illustrator Tedd Tucker to co-author the book. Her Parks Canada biography highlights her extensive 12-year experience in the Yukon heritage sector.
Tucker has previously authored educational children’s books, Yukon Count in 2023 and The Yukon Alphabet Book in 2019. He describes his artwork through his website as blending sketches with simple shapes to craft “bold and flavourful designs.”
The book benefits from the expertise of Dän kʼè kwänje language expert Ä́yįzhìa Cory Holway and the support of elders Nakhela Hazel Bunbury and Tläkshan David Bunbury from Tàa’an Mǟnʼ (Lake Laberge).
EHELP partnered with the Yukon Reads Society to provide over 1,200 kids with a free copy of Mombourquette’s and Tucker’s book, so long as they are registered with the Yukon Imagination Library.
“Early access to books is pivotal in shaping future success,” said Wendy Tayler, chair of the Yukon Reads Society.
“We are immensely grateful to share a story that reflects local culture and language, which we know will help foster a lifelong love of reading in our children.”
The book is also available in PDF form on EHELP’s website.
Malek Tawashy, EHELP's director, explained the link between the wind farm project and the book’s release, emphasizing the company’s commitment to sustainable development and the empowerment of KDFN citizens.
“The Haeckel Hill-Thay T’äw wind energy project serves as a platform to amplify KDFN heritage, language and values while also advancing Yukon’s clean energy future. We are thrilled to contribute to the education of young readers through this book,” Tawashy said.
All renewable electricity generated through the project is set to the be sold to Yukon Energy, based on a 25-year purchase agreement. A Government of Yukon news release published in October 2023 estimated that the project has the capacity to power 650 homes.
The book states toward the end that the project will save 40 million litres of fossil fuels over the next 20 years.
