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Suzanne Gessner papers, 2000

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gessner, Suzanne
Title
Suzanne Gessner papers
Dates
2000 (inclusive)
Quantity
.21 cu. ft. (1 box containing 15 sound cassettes; 3 transcripts)
Collection Number
2696-121 (Accession No. 2696-121-01)
Summary
Tape-recordings and transcriptions of stories of everyday happenings, in Dakelh; final research report by a linguistic researcher of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Access restricted: For terms of access contact repository.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Suzanne Gessner has a BA in French and Linguistics from the University of Regina and an MA and PhD in Linguistics from the University of British Columbia. She first came to the University of Victoria as a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellow (2003-2006) and continued with a limited term position in Syntax and First Nations languages (2006-2007). She has taught courses in the University of Victoria’s Indigenous language revitalization programs. In addition to teaching, Gessner contributes to language revitalization in British Columbia through her work with First Peoples' Cultural Council. Her research is grounded in a community-development approach with the goal of ensuring that research and revitalization strategies result in concrete language revitalization results. Dr. Gessner’s research interests are focused on community-based Indigenous language revitalization in several areas: language policy and language rights; program evaluation and fluency assessment; and latent speakers (receptive bilingualism).

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Content Description

15 cassette recordings of Dakelh speakers from the Lheidli T'enneh band in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada: Margaret Gagnon, Mary Gouchie, Alex Paul and Josie Paul; three written records (transcriptions of tape #1, 2, and 6); 2000. Language of materials are in Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli, and Saik’uz dialects. Contents of the recordings include stories told in Dakelh and occasionally in English and sentences elicited in English with equivalence given in Dakelh. The stories are of a general nature including such things as personal life experiences, everyday happenings, and history of the Prince George area. Final research report also included.

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Historical Background

The Lheidli T’enneh (historically known as the Fort George Indian Band) is a community that is built on and around the strength of its people. T’enneh literally means “The People”. They are a sub-group of the “Dakelh” people whose traditional territory includes the city of Prince George, British Columbia. The name “Lheidli” means “The People from the Confluence of the River” in the Carrier language, referring to how the Nechako River enters the Fraser River at Prince George. The rivers spoken of are the Nee Incha Koh which means “river with strong undercurrents” and the Ltha Koh, the Big Mouth River.

Carrier is a Northern Athabaskan language named after the Dakelh people. Although speakers are few, it is the native language of several First Nations people in and around the Central Interior of British Columbia, including Lheidli T’enneh.

Many of these languages are not recorded in text like common languages like English and were often taught and shared orally through fluent speakers, typically elders. It is extremely unfortunate that when these elders pass, whole dictionaries worth of knowledge risk disappearing as well. As such, they are instrumental in the recovery and documentation of written and spoken Indigenous languages, like Carrier. Specific organizations, like ‘Utsiyan inké ‘Utsoo, Lheidli’s Elder Society, help Lheidli support these endeavors in order to keep their particular dialect of Carrier alive which remains an important part of their history and culture.

Today the Carrier language is experiencing a resurgence due to the major contributions of elders to online dictionaries, multi-media resources, and ongoing language programs at the local schools, college, and university located on the Traditional Territory of Lheidli T’enneh.

(Source: “Our Story” and “Our Language”, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Official Website. Date Accessed: 03/29/2023)

*The four spellings, Athabaskan, Athabascan, Athapaskan, and Athapascan, are in approximately equal use. Particular communities may prefer one spelling over another (Krauss 1987).

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Rights retained; contact repository for details.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Suzanne Gessner, 2000-12-01

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

  • Description: Transcriptions and Inventory of Recordings
    Container: Box/Folder 1/1
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #1
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: life story, told in English; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Sonya Bird, Suzanne Gessner; Written record: #1, pages 1-16

    Dates: June 12, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #2
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: short stories, told in Dakelh, with English conversation; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Mary Gouchie; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Sonya Bird, Suzanne Gessner; Written record: #2, pages 1-20

    Dates: June 12, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #3
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: Dakelh lexical items, with English conversation; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Mary Gouchie; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Sonya Bird, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: June 12, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #4
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: stories told in DakelhLanguage: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Saik'uz dialect; Informant: Josie Paul and Alex Paul; Location: Shelley Reserve, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Leonie Spurr, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: August 29, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #5
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: stories told in Dakelh; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Saik'uz dialect; Informant: Alex Paul; Location: Shelley Reserve, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Leonie Spurr, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: August 31, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #6
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakelh sentences; Language: Dakleh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Saik'uz dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Vera Seymour, Suzanne Gessner, and Josie Paul; Written record: #3, pages 1-10

    Dates: August 30, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #7
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakelh sentences, stories in English and Dakelh; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Vera Seymour, Suzanne Gessner, and Josie Paul

    Dates: August 30, 2000, September 8, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #8
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakelh sentences, stories in English and Dakelh; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Vera Seymour, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 8, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #9
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: stories told in Dakelh; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Saik'uz dialect; Informant: Alex Paul; Location: Shelley Reserve, British Columbia; Recorded by: Leonie Spurr, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 6, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #10
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakleh sentences; Language: Dakleh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Helen Seymour, Vera Seymour, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 12, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #11
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: stories told in Dakelh; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Saik'uz dialect; Informant: Alex Paul; Location: Shelley Reserve, British Columbia; Recorded by: Jeannette Kozak, Leonie Spurr, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 13, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #12
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakelh sentences; Language: Dakleh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Vera Seymour, Leonie Spurr, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 19, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #13
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakelh sentences; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Margaret Gagnon; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 19, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #14
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakelh sentences; Language: Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Joesphine Paul; Location: Shelley Reserve, British Columbia; Recorded by: Edith Frederick, Jeannette Kozak, Vera Seymour, Leonie Spurr, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 27, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2
  • Description: The Prosodic System of Dakelh (Carrier) Athapaskan - Tape #15
    1 audio cassette

    Contents: elicited Dakleh sentences; Language: Dakleh (Carrier) Athapaskan, Lheidli dialect; Informant: Mary Gouchie; Location: Prince George, British Columbia; Recorded by: Jeannette Kozak, Suzanne Gessner

    Dates: September 28, 2000
    Container: Box/Folder 1/2

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Gagnon, Margaret (creator)
    • Gessner, Suzanne (creator)
    • Gouchie, Mary (creator)
    • Paul, Alex (creator)
    • Paul, Josie (creator)

    Corporate Names

    • Jacobs Research Funds (creator)


2014 (Last modified: 5/12/2023)

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