Fort McPherson

The caribou is our livelihood.

Mary Effie Snowshoe is an 88-year-old elder living in Fort McPherson Northwest Territories.

From tools to clothing to meat, she says the Gwich'in people survived on Caribou for many years.

And that's how they remain strong and healthy.

Last year, the herd spent the winter in Alaska.

The year before that, Alaska and the Yukon.

But this year, board chair Joe Tetlici says the animals appear to be heading to an area near Fort McPherson to spend the winter.

We see them going directly to the Rat River, Timber Creek area, which is probably about a good day's skidoo run to that area.

busy start to the week this on the monday edition of the show we'll hear from someone who disagrees with the view several politicians have expressed that something's going badly wrong at ywca nwt the charity has repeatedly delayed its annual meeting and staff have concerns but should the board be given time we'll ask that question We'll also take a few minutes to celebrate a fundraiser in Fort McPherson that's approaching truly astronomical levels.

It's a chase the ace worth more than three quarters of a million dollars.

And first, you know who could use three quarters of a million dollars? The territorial government.

My colleague Miriam Basilevats has been speaking with organiser Jack Blake.

Hi, my name is Jack Blake.

I'm one of the lead organizers for the Chasey Ace in Fort McPherson.

This is the raise money for the Peeler River Music Festival.

Tickets are $5 a piece.

July 9th, 1931.

Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Canada.

A man arrives alone on a raft on the Peel River.

He's not on a boat or with a group or a guide, just a dude on a raft alone coming from a direction of Dawson City.

And nobody knows who he is.

He paddles right past the trading post without stopping, continues upstream against a current, eventually makes it to Fort McPherson.

That's 60 miles above the Arctic Circle.

He gives his name as Albert Johnson.