Seed #6: Uphold Culture
By Carissa Waugh - Ékè Éwe
“Language is the spirit of our people said out loud. An art form spoken with intent to call us back to our ways when we stumble off trail. Our language calls us back to who we are - as people.”
- Ryan Kyikavichik
Who am I?
Woah, that's a loaded question so I am going to keep it “simple”. I am Carissa Waugh, my Northern Tutchone name is Ékè Éwe meaning “Caribou Hoof Noise”.
My parents are Charlene and Charles Waugh, my grandparents are the late Linda and Allan Waugh. I was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon but I belong to the Yukon River and Atlin Lake. I am Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation and Taku River Tlingit First Nation.
When I was 16 years old, I was getting ready to attend my Great-Grandparents’ headstone potlatch. I remember being in my bedroom, I was twirling in my skirt in front of the mirror when my mom walked in. She was so excited that I was ‘practicing’ my dancing for when I get my name later that day. I had no idea what she was talking about.
Well, it turns out that myself and a few of my cousins were about to inherit our traditional names!
The name that I was given belonged to my Great-Grandma Emma Shorty, from My Dad’s side of the family.
She was my Great-Grandpa John McGundy’s sister, so I grew up calling her Grandma. We are both Crow Clan, my other cousins were Wolf Clan so they got their names from our Wolf Clan relatives.
I don’t really remember the ceremony too well, I mean it was 16 years ago! I wish I had known just how important this moment was - I was inheriting an important name from a very important woman with a very important meaning. Over time I had misplaced the sheet of names and information so I didn’t really embrace my name.
It wasn’t until the beginning of the Yukon First Nations Climate Action Fellowship that I started introducing myself with my traditional name — I still did not know the meaning of my name, but I did realize it was so important to acknowledge.
A few years ago, I was asked to bead a logo for the Reconnection Vision. The main shape is caribou hoof tracks, and I wanted to honour that we are also Caribou-people.
After I put that together, a bunch of us Fellows traveled to Dawson City to host a gathering out at Land of Plenty. We spent an evening in a local hotel to prepare our gifts and schedule, and that’s where most of us got our stick and poke tattoos of caribou hoof tracks! Crazy right? But so fun and now it’ll always keep us connected.
Little did I know just how connected everything is.
One of our fellows was learning their language (Northern Tutchone) at the Yukon Native Language Center at the Yukon University, so they had access to a lot of information. Some of that information included the translation of my Great-Grandma Emma’s traditional name!
What does this mean to me?
I remember the moment it came to me. We were in Dawson City (different year) and we heard there were caribou up the highway, so we all packed into our vehicles and we headed that way. Everyone was listening for them, and while unfortunately we missed them, it was then that I realized that in order to live up to my name... I need to speak up, use my voice for the voiceless because people are listening!
I think it is so important to respect the names we inherit. My Great-Grandma had this name, I have this name right now and one day I will pass it onto a younger family member.
As long as I am living it, I am Ékè Éwe.
I am upholding my culture every time I introduce my traditional name.
My friends are upholding my culture when they call me by my traditional name.
I want to acknowledge that not everyone has a traditional name (YET), and that’s okay! We all still have the responsibility to be good people who do good things for their communities. I don’t use this saying very much, but everything really does happen for a reason. Be patient, be kind, lead with courage and eventually you will figure out who you are.
