Lessons from the land
Grave Site
Idaa Trail
Fence Narrows
Blood Rock
Grave Site
Hook Place
Komoola Portage
Sliding Hill
Village beside Nidzii
Bea Lake
Canoe
SearchHelpTrail map
Online story
FrenchDogrib
Basket
Introduction Explore Dogrib Grave Sites Foreign Diseases Learn More
back next
Welcome to Kw'ooyeeti, A Dogrib Grave Site

In the old days when people passed away while travelling they were buried where they died, and as a result there are over 190 known graves on the Idaa Trail. One of these is the grave of Madeline, who passed away several miles from this location in 1941. According to local oral tradition Madeline was a very powerful person and had the ability to foretell her own death. Knowing that she was to die in a few days she asked her family to bury her at Kw'ooyeeti . Kw'ooyeeti is located such that both the canoe and dog team trails pass over the same spot, and consequently she knew that her family could visit her at anytime of year.

She told them that if they came back to visit, stopped to fix up her grave fence, and left her a gift of tobacco, she would try to reward them with a moose.

   
Madeline's grave site (Tom Andrews/PWNHC)
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada