Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 12
Storytelling
Lifestyle Changes
Communities
Nomadic
Various People
Hunting Areas
Trapping Areas
Skidoos
Dog Teams
Language
Culture
Technology
Wildlife
1950
Church
Gwich’in
Employment
Trapping
Hunting
Money
Wages
Boats
Scows
Ships
Hotel
Restaurant
Bar
Christmas
Sewing
Land
Oil Companies
Fish
Dewline
Houses
Schools
Welfare
Family Allowance
Government
Travel
Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC) Meetings
Persis Gruben is sharing stories of the many changes she has witnessed in her life such as living a nomadic lifestyle out on the land to community permanent living, prior to European contact such as: the fast skidoos, of languages, of the newcomer’s government systemic control and enforcing the new law and regulations, of the welfare system of employment and wage economy, of the new money obsession, of cigarettes and alcohol, of oil companies arriving and blasting and negatively affected their fish populations. She also talks about the benefits of the new technology, of her travels with her parents then later with her husband, of animals hunted, and shares some funny stories. She also shares stories of her Gwich’in heritage and Inuvialuit upbringing with the Inuvialuktun language and culture with her family. Persis shares stories of ships long ago, Christmas times, of the Dewline, of traveling to attend Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC) meetings, and more.Part 12. To be continued.
Gruben, Persis
Inuvialuktun
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 13
Marriage
Travels
Home
Sewage
Cleanliness
Governments
Animals
Traditional Knowledge
Traditional Food
Family
Fishing
Blasting
Fishnets
Modern transportation
Meetings
Persis Gruben is continuing her lifestyle stories comparing the numerous changes and coming to terms with a changing way of life that her generation encountered affecting things like: lifestyle changes, cleanliness and caring for the land, transportation, new governments with new laws, everyone in one community, increasing populations and housing, traditional knowledge and ways of doing things, negative affects on wildlife and marine species, arrival of the oil companies blasting and ruining the natural environments, outsiders going to Tuktoyaktuk to work, hunting and or fishing, traditional food to store bought food and purchases,with new restaurants and cafes, and the talk of money and banks rather than traditionally not requiring the use of money. Persis also shares some hunting stories, speaks of animals, of marriages, of becoming a grandmother, of herring and fishnet fishing, and much more. Part 13. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 14
Waste
Transportation
Homes
Relations
First Nations
Fire
Persis Gruben is sharing her opinions of and comparing past lifestyle of Inuvialuit to present modern day Inuvialuit lifestyles in regards to transportation, sewage and garbage, influence of European lifestyles, hunting and wildlife, and traditional knowledge and ways of doing things. Persis also tells stories she and her family’s travels out on the land and fondly reminisces about some humorous times with her parents long ago, and more. Part 14. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 15
Parents
Children
Various Families
Various Locations
Deaths
Births
School
Marriages
Staple Food
Hiking
Sail boats
Engine Boats
Persis Gruben is telling her life stories of when she was younger of their travels with her parents then later with her husband, of her mom’s passing, of their homes, of the flu and of deaths, of various families at the various places they lived, of her dad’s passing, of running out of staple food, of traditional food, of lean times, and more. Part 15. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 16
Death
Food Scarcity
Traditional Lifestyle
Dogs
Work Ethics
Chores
Sewing Skills
Traditional Clothing
Persis Gruben is continuing her storytelling of their travels with their families, of moving to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, of various animals harvested, of the different schooners, of the various places she lived, and of how people long ago tried to make staple foods last. She also speaks of the traditional life and traditional knowledge and of survival skills that the young are forgetting, the lack of work ethics in kids today versus when she was younger including that they were always busy doing necessary work, of the traditional food, of learning how to sew traditional clothing as a young girl, and more.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 17
Campsel Hospital
Lifestyle
Traditional Teachings
Predictions
1934
Store
1935
Staple Foods
Ice House
Persis Gruben is continuing her storytelling of the lifestyle changes, about traveling with her parents long ago and later with her children when her husband was hospitalised, of her traditional teachings, of wildlife hunted, of the oil companies negatively affecting the animals and environment, of the predictions of engine vehicles and that pingos would be demolished and moved. She also describes her experiences and descriptions of Tuktoyaktuk and the various families that were there when they arrived there. She also talks about the trading posts, the harvested food and store bought food, of less trapping versus more wage employment, of her memories of the Dewline and trapping, and the families living at the Dewline, about the traditional educational benefits of traveling like she did long ago versus living in one community.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 2
Visitors
Caribou
Seal
Whiteman
Whiteman Food
Eastern Inuk
Nomadic Lifestyles
Accident
God
Faith
Prayer
Languages
Candy
Fruit
Seal Nets
Log Houses
Tents
Sliding
Polar Bear
Persis Gruben continues to tell of her life experiences of when she was younger, of their travels, of fishing and hunting, of various families, of traditional food, of getting staple supplies for the winter, of her sister Winnie’s accident and when they prayed over her. She further spoke of their strong faith in God and witnessing everything being done prayerfully as soon as they got up and nothing was done without first praying first and more which she says is unlike today. She also spoke of people forgetting about doing things prayerfully when they started speaking English. She also spoke of the languages spoken, and of a polar bear scare when sliding, of people always traveling and of the nomadic lifestyle, of when people never took what didn’t belong to them, of Christmas treats, the homes, and snow blindness.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 3
Tent
Illness
Eggs
Schooners
Catholic Father
Frozen Feet
Herring Fishing
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Hudson Bay Company
Big Flu
Birth
Black Man
Warehouse
Houseboat
Persis Gruben continues storytelling about her younger days with her parents, of she and her family’s many travels, of fishing, hunting and gathering for food when living a traditional nomadic life,. She also speaks of fatal illness, of when the Catholic Father froze his feet, of White Trappers, of a store, of various relatives and people and the numerous people camping in tents, of the police and the Hudson Bay, the flu epidemic, deaths and births, about the summer gatherings, about polar bears, caribou, seals, and whitefox, of the new years celebration, never going without, of not knowing about modern electricity and about hearing the prediction of people being able to just press a button for stoves, for heat, and for electricity, which she says they now live nowadays compared to long ago when they’d have to use an Inuit lamp (qulliq) for light, and get wood for the stove, and heat, so what she heard has come to pass, and more. Part 3. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 4
Parental Teachings
Muskox
Bible teachings
Feasts
Christmas Clothing
Tent Homes
Whitefox
White People
Photographs
Log House
Residential School
Persis Gruben is storytelling about being taught to be respectful to their parents, about her relationship with her parents, about their travels, about Sunday bible teachings from her parents, about Christmas Gatherings and about Christmas new clothing and sewing skills, of many people including White people, about schooners lined along the shore and tents at Qikiqtarr̂uk, of hunting, of the time when there was no paper, about a lesson learned, about some people becoming different with card games and alcohol, and describes their tent home that her father made like a sod house. Part 4. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 5
Traditional Healing Methods
Whitefoxes
Polar bears
Minister
Presents
Lumber House
Eastern Inuk (Qangmaliq)
Easter
Rabbits
Water Fowl
Seals
Persis Gruben continues to tell stories of her life experiences of when she was young living and travelling with her parents and siblings, of a gunshot accident, of hunting and trapping stories, of traditional first aid and healing methods, of a close call with a polar bear, and of Christmas and Easter time. Part 5. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 6
Carved Toys
Hudson Bay
Beluga
Kublualuk (the shaman)
Flood
Drum Dances
Alaskans
African American
1931
Gospel Singing
Persis Gruben continues to tell stories of she and her family’s travels, of various families and people, of the big houses belonging to the police and Hudson’s Bay, of various the types of homes that Inuvialuit lived in, of the big flu that people died from, and of the many tents where people were beluga whaling. She also describes the layout of Tapqaq of where she and her sister went residential school and their experiences there at Tapqaq. She also speaks of all the schooners and boats lining the shores of Herschel Island, the dancing including when the Alaskan drum dancers came, and more. Part 6. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 7
Square Dances
Beluga Whale Hunting
Church Services
Ball Games
Nunataarmiut
Muktuk
Fishnet Fishing
Schooner
Persis Gruben continues storytelling about she and other’s experiences at the residential school at Tapqaq (Shingle Point) and also mentions other’s experiences at Hay River, Northwest Territories, including their English language barrier, the many tents and people arriving to Tapqaq for beluga whaling season and mentions the various people and families who went there in the summer time. Part 7. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 8
Games
Staples
Respect
1932
Supports
Gifts
Inuvialuit Values
Inuvialuit Teachings
Gatherings
1933
Persis Gruben is storytelling of her younger days, of a time when she didn’t see alcoholism amongst the people, of a fire where her family lost everything, of how people have changed and are not like how they were long ago: when people used to help each other without expecting money up front first, of when people looked after the poor, of the era when there was no welfare, of when people were always busy and had utmost respect for other’s privacy and property, and about a time of not knowing very much about money. She also speaks of returning to residential school, of marriage celebrations, of summer and or the Christmas and Easter gatherings, when only traveling with dog teams despite how far the destinations were, about her Gwich’in language barrier, and more. Part 8. To be continued.
Persis Gruben telling her Life Stories, Part 9
Orphans
Ice Water
Wood
1929
North Star
Siilivik’s Accident
Moose Drymeat
Store Keepers
Old Trappers
Persis Gruben is stortyelling about orphans, of various people and or families at various locations they lived at including the different homes they lived in. She also spoke of water and heating oil not being delivered to them but rather they would have to get ice water and then get wood for heat, of when there were only a few people living at Tuktoyaktuk, of when her mom told her that she’s not returning to residential school, of when they mistook Siilivik for dead but the joy of discovering he was still alive, of old store keepers and trappers who returned South, and of when her mother passed away, and packing everything up and traveling, and more. Part 9. To be continued.
Lennie, Sam
Information provided in 1996 during Aulavik Oral History Project.
Persis Lennie Gruben interview, 1991/06/26
Gruben, Persis Lennie
Digital images
Portrait photographs
Winter
Clothing and dress
A photo of a person from Fort Good Hope.
Hunt, David E., 1925-
Gruben, Persus
Chairs
Elanik Jr, Peter Danes
A photo of Peter Danes Elanik, Jr. sitting on a chair and holding a plate of food.
Polar bear
Esau, Peter
Peter Esau in kayak (?) hooking bear that was shot 10 miles out on the sea ice as it broke through.
This photo collection was used during the interviews of the Aulavik Oral History Project to get the names of people previously not identified.
Physical collection housed at the NWT Archives.
Oral History
Interview
Genealogy
Police Patrol
Mapping
Traditional Place Names
Murielle Nagy and Agnes White interview Peter Esau about his genealogy, his lifestyle, and his life stories
This recording is from the Aulavik Oral History Project undertaken by the Inuvialuit Social Development Program.
Nagy, Murielle
White, Agnes
English
Bones
Qulliq (Traditional Inuit Lamp)
Police
Agnes White interviews Peter Esau and Shirley Esau about identifying traditional land use areas, various families who lived there long ago, and more. They also share some memories and stories from the areas they traveled to. Audio is not always clear, sometimes fades out, and at times is hardly audible.
Esau, Shirley
Peter Esau Shirley Esau Lifestyle Interview
Midwifery
Medicare
Murielle Nagy and Agnes White interview Peter and Shirley Esau and they share and discuss personal life stories. Four people speaking all at once for some of the time. Shirley then shares stories from her younger days.
Green, Peter
A photo of Peter Green standing in front of a sign for COPE (the Committee for Original People's Entitlement).