Fort McPherson keeps tradition alive with all-night New Year's celebration

Games, a Ski-doo rally, fireworks, feasting and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. This is how people in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., rang in 2019.

"We're trying to keep everything alive. Our traditional culture, that's part of it," said Chief Wanda Pascal of the Tetlit Gwich'in Council.

Celebrations began at the hamlet complex with coffee and breakfast as volunteers prepared the evening's feast. Pascal said Junior Rangers had collected donations for the meal which included turkey, moose, caribou and bannock.

At 9 p.m. the dance began. People square danced and jigged to music from a live band and they didn't pack it in until 5 a.m.

Pascal said she lost count of the crowd at 32 couples.

"It was good, it was crazy … It was just packed at the complex and everybody was just having a really good time," she said. "I just so much enjoyed it because a lot of people showed up and just joined in and had fun."

The New Year's celebration also included a fireworks display, although they didn't go off at midnight as usual. Pascal said the fireworks didn't arrive in Fort McPherson on time due to a closure on the Dempster Highway but a crew travelled to Eagle Plains to pick them up. 

The next day, keeping in Gwich'in tradition, a procession of community members including Pascal, Mackenzie Delta MLA Frederick Blake Jr., and MP Michael McLeod, walked door to door wishing people a happy new year. Pascal said people also shot guns to ring in the new year.

"We did that for years, for generations. I could remember as a little kid people used to just shoot around," said Pascal. "They don't do that anymore. But they do that door to door when we do our traditional walk."

The walk began with a Gwich'in prayer and as people made their way house to house they stopped for snacks and tea.

"They even had a big bowl of dry meat. So that made it even better for me," giggled Pascal.

They also paid their respects to community members who have passed. At the home of the late William George 'Happy' Robert, who died in June at the age of 90, Pascal said they shot three times and elders said a prayer. They also sang happy birthday as Robert was born on New Year's Day.

Pascal said in times past, women would start the walk at one end of the community while men would start at the other but now women, children and youth do the walk together.

"It was really nice. We as we were going people were joining us and the line was getting longer," she said.

"Now to gear toward berry season."