Kristen.Olson.Audio

Kristen Olson, a member of the Kaska Dinah First Nations, shares her love for her culture and the significance of the land to her people. Despite not having land claims, the Kaska people continue to preserve and honor their culture. They value listening and respecting each other, especially the elders. Despite facing challenges, the Kaska people remain resilient and united. Hi, my name is Kristen Olson and I am from Washoeville. I am part of the Kaska Dinah First Nations. The Kaska Dinah are located here in the Yukon in northern BC. My grandmother Dorothy Smith and her family were originally from the Philippines, which is about 100 kilometers away from Washoeville. My grandmother has taught me so many ways about our culture and for me I love our culture. Whenever I get the chance to, I like to go out on the land, as going to our cabin, going camping, hunting, and fishing. Also berry picking in the fall time. As Kaska people, we try our best to keep our culture alive and growing. Still to this day, we never got land claims because our elders told us not to sell the land for the land it provides for us and we should never sell it. In our culture, we listen and respect each other, including the elders. Our Kaska people do struggle a lot, but here we are standing strong every day.