Tommy Unka, beloved N.W.T. elder, remembered for cultural pride, environmental stewardship, and storytelling

Tommy Unka, a beloved elder from Fort Resolution, N.W.T., is being remembered as a traditional knowledge keeper, storyteller, and advocate for environmental stewardship.

Unka died on Dec. 29 at the age of 74.

His daughter, Magnolia Unka-Wool, said her father had a profound impact on his family and community. She said he instilled in people a deep respect for their cultural teachings, and made them proud to be Indigenous.

"Every day, he reminded us about all of the knowledge and importance we have as Indigenous people," she said. "It led us in our lives to do really great things."

Unka-Wool said much of this teaching happened on the land, where her father spent countless hours with his children.

"It was always so exciting to see my dad," she said. "It always meant that we were going for a picnic. We were going out on the land. We were camping, we were boating, we were hunting."

She said her father's teachings shaped her own journey to becoming a lawyer. Her father's connection to the land, commitment to Indigenous traditions, and ability to blend cultural and modern knowledge shaped her own path.

"When we were out on the land, we were learning our traditions," she said. "It wasn't until later, as a lawyer specializing in Indigenous legal traditions, that I realized he had been teaching me our laws as Denesuline people my entire life."

Unka-Wool said those times were always filled with learning about harvesting, fishing, and finding medicines.

"He taught us by showing us."

Unka's influence extended far beyond his family. Unka-Wool said her father worked hard to educate himself in the Western world and was a key figure in environmental protection efforts. He guided researchers, policy-makers and corporations, showing them how to honour and protect the land through a lens of respect and sustainability.  

"He worked at the diamond mines. He's chaired environmental boards," she said. "He received an award for his work on the mining board for highlighting the importance of Indigenous knowledge and traditions."

In addition to his environmental work, Unka was a strong advocate for language preservation. He collaborated with other elders to create a Chipewyan dictionary and served as a translator in the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly.

Richard Edjericon, MLA for Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh, worked with Unka at the Legislative Assembly. He said Unka, who worked there as an interpreter, was fluent in the old dialect of Chipewyan. 

"It was an older version of the Chipewyan language that the elders could relate to," he said. "He has that knowledge, language, and culture that he brought to the Legislative Assembly. So that was really important."

Edjericon says Unka's passing is a significant loss for the North and that his influence will be hard to replace.

Arthur Beck, president of the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, said his friendship with Unka spanned decades. Beck said he was more like a brother than a friend.

"We spent a lot of time hunting and travelling together. We spent a lot of time working together," Beck said. "We went for caribou quite a few times out in the barrenlands."

Beck said they also spent a lot of time talking about the issues facing the North. He said Unka was deeply concerned about the future of the land, water, and animals. The two spent a lot of time in Unka's garden, discussing what kind of world they were leaving for their grandkids.

"He had a beautiful garden," Beck said. "We used to go out there when you get a little stressed out from meetings and whatnot. We used to work in the garden and talk about the problems and the issues that we were facing in the Northwest Territories and in Canada."

Beck said he'll remember Unka as a happy person who was good at everything he did, whether hunting, gardening, or carpentry. He was also masterful with his skills in the bush.

"He knew how to make dry fish. He knew how to tan moose hide," Beck said. "He also used a lot of plants for medicines. He was good at everything. He was a very knowledgeable man.

"I'm gonna really miss him," Beck said. "But Tom always said, 'life must go on' no matter what happens, because we have to make the best of the situation we're in."