Edna Deacon Xidhoy

Edna Deacon’s Stories

Sayings	LISTEN AND READ	PRINT ONLY
Ggagg Chux Xał Bear Trap	LISTEN AND READ	PRINT ONLY
Xuyh Roots	LISTEN AND READ	PRINT ONLY
Ethok Łats Potting Clay	LISTEN AND READ	PRINT ONLY
Tr’eqay Spring camp	LISTEN AND READ 1 LISTEN AND READ 2 LISTEN AND READ 3	PRINT ONLY

Biography

Edna was raised in Upper Shageluk by her parents Anna and Peter Matthews, who spoke the local Deg Xinag language in their home.  She went to school in Shageluk and learned English but continued to use the Deg Xinag language at home and with her friends. When she married Wilson Deacon and moved to his village of Holikachuk, she continued to speak her own Deg Xinag language with other women from her home village.  Edna moved with her family to Grayling when the village moved and kept in close contact with her mother who still lived in Shageluk.

In Grayling Edna continued to use the Deg Xinag language and worked with other elders, both Deg Hit’an and Holikachuk people, on stories and cultural projects in the community. She was one of the contributors to the Deg Xinag Learners’ Dictionary, and also one of the elders involved in the “Conversational Deg Xinag” telephone class. While working on the dictionary Edna recorded various events in her life, which give an important picture of the subsistence lifestyle of her family.
In 2011 Edna continues to be an important consultant for Deg Xinag language work from her home in Grayling.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 065178. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.