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ArtsCultureLiterature22TuesdayMarch112014ByMARIACHURCHCelebratedNorthernwriterandartistBernWillBrownhasanewbookcomingoutthatwillbetherstofitskindtotellthestoryoftheSahtuDene.Brown93wroteEnd-of-EarthPeopleTheArcticSahtuDeneoverthespanof60yearsworkingandlivingalongsidetheSahtuDeneinColvilleLake.TheauthorcametotheNWTasaRomanCatho-licpriestinthe1940s.Histravelsinvariouscommuni-tiesaroundGreatBearLakeeventuallyledhimtobuildColvilleLakesrstCatholicmissionin1962calledOurLadyoftheSnows.Brownleftthepriesthoodin1972withpermissionfromtheVaticantomarryhiswifeMargaretandcontinuemin-isterialworkforthechurch.Wearingmanyhatsinthecommunityasalayminis-tercarpenterpilottrapperwriterandartistBrownbe-cameanintegralmemberoftheSahtuDeneduringatimewhentheyweretransitioningfromapeopledependentonNorthernerpublishesrstbookontheSahtuDeneatraditionalon-the-landlife-styletowhattheyaretoday.SpeakingtoTheJournalfromhishomeinColvilleLakelastweekBrowncalledthetransitionoftheSahtuDeneinevitablebutnotdesirable.Theyswitchedfromdogteamstoskidoostotravelandtheyarenotdependentonthetrappingliketheywerein1950hesaid.Therearestillsomemaybe25percentgoingoutinthebushtrap-pingbuttheother75percentarenot.Itsnotagoodthingbe-causetheywerebetterabletotakecareofthemselvesandtheywerehappierandhealthierwhentheywereliv-ingonthetraplinehesaid.StoryworthtellingAftermorethan60yearsofwritingdownhisobser-vationsandcollectingsto-riesfromthecommunityBrownnallysettoworkcompletingamanuscriptinthelastthreeyearswiththehelpofIvanGaetz.GaetzaformerHayRiverlocalwhonowworksasalibrarydirectoratColoradoCollegeintheUShasbeenworkingwiththeauthortoedithisworkandllinhistor-icalcitationsandreferences.Whiletherehavebeennu-merousarticlesandchaptersofbookspublishedsharingthestoryoftheSahtuDenepeoplethisbookistherstofitskindtofullyexploretheirhistoryoverthepast60yearsGaetzsaid.ItsarecordofawayoflifethatsrapidlydecreasinganditsimportantbecauseBerngivesinsightintothattransitionperiodintomod-ernlifehesaid.ThebookcandidlyspeaksaboutsocialissuesthattheSahtuDenearestillstrug-glingwithsuchasresidentialschoolsanddependenceongovernmentassistancewhileprovidingraredetailsintothetraditionalpracticesoftheSahtupeopleGaetzsaid.Heprovidesdescrip-tionsoftheirwayoflifeandactuallytellsthereaderhowtotanamoosehideorhowtobuildacanoefromnativematerial.Youjustdontndthatstuffaroundtodayhesaid.BookavailablethismonthIn2012BrownsbookcaughttheattentionofCa-nadianpublishingcompanyDundurnPressoutofTo-ronto.Afteralengthypro-cessofpaperworkanded-itingthepublisherisreadytoreleaseEnd-of-EarthPeopleTheArcticSahtuDenecompletewithafore-wordfromSahtuMLANor-manYakeleyaattheendofMarch.ImveryhappynowtoseeitinprintBrownsaidadd-ingthatwhilehethinksitsunlikelytochangethelivesoftheSahtuDenepeoplehehopesitreachesabroaderau-diencewhocanlearnfromtheirstory.FormoreinformationaboutBrownandhisbookontheSahtuDenegoon-linetohttpivangaetz.wix.comsahtudenePhotoJohnJenningsBernWillBrownhaspublishedtherstfull-lengthbookonthepeopleoftheSahtuDene.