Gwich’in

About the Gwich’in language

Read about the Gwich’in language.

Encouragement Phrases Poster

Gwich’in Poster
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PDF – small
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Gwich’in Alphabet

Gwich’in Alphabet
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Interactive Language Lesson with Audio

Mary Jane Kunnizzi – Ft. McPherson Dialect

Click here to listen to the Gwich’in Audio Lesson

Gwich’in Downloadable Learner Resources

About These Resources

This page provides links to digital copies of language lessons, literacy session booklets, and story books that have been prepared over the past thirty years by the Yukon Native Language Centre and Elders and community members from Gwichʼin First Nations, including Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in the Yukon. The work of all contributors to these materials is gratefully acknowledged here.

Recognizing the importance for Yukon First Nations governments, Elders, advocates, learners, and teachers of Gwichʼin to have access to language resources, the Council of Yukon First Nations‘ Yukon Native Language Centre and Yukon Education‘s First Nations Programs and Partnerships Unit have worked together to provide the language materials below with assistance from Christopher Cox.

These digital resources are available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License Creative Commons License. It is hoped that they will provide additional support for all those interested in studying, learning, and teaching the Gwich’in language. To order printed copies of any of these resources from YNLC, please consult the current catalogue of publications.

Gwich’in Language Lessons with Audio

  1. Kunnuzzi, Mary Jane and Yukon Native Language Centre. 2017. Gwichʼin Language Lessons: Peel River Dialect (Teetl’it Gwich’in). Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Download Printed Materials  | Download Audio 
  2. Lord, Annie and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1995. Gwichʼin Language Lessons: Old Crow Dialect. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Download Printed Materials | Download Audio 
  3. Montgomery, Jane and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1994. Gwichʼin Language Lessons: Old Crow Dialect. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Download Printed Materials 
  4. Netro, Lorraine and Yukon Native Language Centre. 2017. Gwichʼin Language Lessons: Van Tat Gwich’in (Old Crow) Dialect. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Download Printed Materials 
  5. Norwegian–Sawyer, Terry and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1994. Gwichʼin Language Lessons: Arctic Red River Dialect (Gwichyàh Gwichʼin). Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Download Printed Materials  | Download Audio 
  6. Welsh, Ruth and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1994. Gwichʼin Language Lessons: Peel River Dialect (Teetlʼit Gwichʼin). Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Download Printed Materials  | Download Audio 

Gwich’in Storybooks and ReadAlong Storybooks with Audio

Dinjik Eenjit Nàhaazrìi. The Moose Hunt. (PDF).
ReadAlong Storybook with audio.
Lord, Annie and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1996. 

Dinjik Eenjit Nàhaazrìi. The Moose Hunt. (PDF)

Montgomery, Jane and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1997. 

Łuk Trʼahgàii. Drying Fish. (PDF)
ReadAlong Storybook with audio

Montgomery, Jane and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1997. 

Dinjii Nìihàa. Camping. (PDF)
ReadAlong Storybook with audio

Montgomery, Jane and Yukon Native Language Centre. 2008. 

Shizhek’oo. At Home.
ReadAlong Storybook with audio

Montgomery, Jane and Yukon Native Language Centre.

Gwich’in Listening Exercises

Three Traditional Collects from the Takudh Book of Common Prayer: Collect for Palm Sunday, Collect for Good Friday, Collect for Easter. English, Takudh, Modern Gwichʼin. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. McDonald, Archdeacon Robert, Mary Jane Kunnizzi, and Yukon Native Language Centre. 1998. 

Gwichʼin Listening Exercises. Teetlʼit Gwichʼin Dialect. Volume I. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2003. 

Gwich’in Literacy Sessions and In-Services

Table of Contents for Literacy Sessions
Download this document to see the general topics covered for each session

  1. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1987. Loucheux Language Literacy Workshop. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, May 5, 6, 7, 1987. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  2. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1991. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Whitehorse, Yukon, April 24 – 25 – 26, 1991. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  3. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1992. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Whitehorse, Yukon, October 19 – 20 – 21, 1992. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  4. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1993. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Whitehorse, Yukon, October 18–19, 1993. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  5. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1994. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Whitehorse, Yukon, November 22–24, 1994. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  6. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1995. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Whitehorse, Yukon, November 21–23, 1995. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  7. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1996. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Workshop held at the Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 19–21, 1996. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  8. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1997. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Workshop held at the Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 18–20, 1997. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  9. Yukon Native Language Centre. 1999. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Workshop held at the Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 24–26, 1999. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  10. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2000. Athabaskan Language and Liturgy. University of Alaska Fairbanks Summer Session, August 7–18, 2000. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  11. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2001. Tukudh (Gwichʼin) Language and Liturgy. Yukon Native Language Centre – Yukon College, September 25–30, 2001. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  12. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2002. Tukudh (Gwichʼin) Language and Liturgy. Yukon Native Language Centre – Yukon College, October 1–3, 2002. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  13. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2003. Tukudh (Gwichʼin) Language and Liturgy. University of Alaska Fairbanks, August 4–15, 2003. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  14. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2004. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 24–26, 2004. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  15. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2005. Gwichʼin Literacy Sessions. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, October 3–7, 2005, November 22–24, 2005. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  16. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2006. Gwichʼin Literacy Session. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 21–23, 2006. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  17. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2009. Gwichʼin (Tukudh) Literacy Session. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 24–26, 2009. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  18. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2011. Gwichʼin (Tukudh) Literacy Session. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 22–24, 2011. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  19. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2012. Gwichʼin (Tukudh) Literacy Session. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 27–29, 2012. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  20. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2013. Tukudh (Gwichʼin) Literacy Session. Memories 2013. November 19–21. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 
  21. Yukon Native Language Centre. 2014. Gwichʼin (Tukudh) Literacy Session. Yukon Native Language Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon, November 18–20, 2014. Whitehorse, YT: Yukon Native Language Centre. 

Search all Gwich’in print resources

For detailed instructions on how to search, view, download, and print these materials, please see the language learning resources guide.

This embedded document contains all Gwich’in print resources. It allows you to search all documents at one time. Click your mouse in the document window below and then Type ‘Ctrl’ and ‘f’ keys on your keyboard. Type in a search word or phrase in the small box that pops up and then hit ‘enter’ key. You can type in english or Gwich’in but you cannot use diacritics in the search.

Download all Gwich’in print resources

Other Learning Resources

  1. YNLC Gwich’in YouTube Channel 
  2. Gwich’in Athapaskan Noun Dictionary – Fort McPherson Dialect
  3. Gwich’in Alphabet
  4. Language Map
  5. Gwich’in Topical Dictionary (please contact Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute to ask about a copy)
  6. Gwichʼin – Bird Book – Birds of the Van Tat Gwichʼin Traditional Territory (Please contact Van Tat Gwichʼin Government Heritage Branch to purchase)
  7. Gwichʼin Story books – Shitsuu Vizheh Lidii Aatsii &Shitiʼ Vah Nahałzrii (Please contact Van Tat Gwichʼin Government Heritage Branch for purchase)
  8. Gwichʼin – Animal and Fish Book – Old Crow Dialect (Compiled by Charlie Peter Charlie, May 1977 – contact YNLC for a place of purchase)
  9. Tukudh: Traditional Gwich’in Religious Literacy (2000-2014) (please contact YNLC)
  10. First Voices
  11. Alaska Native Languages
  12. Omniglot – the online encyclopedia of writing systems & languages