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.