CAA Manitoba Spring 2018 | Page 36

PeoPle oF THe WATeR Yukon oR BuST explain their history and challenges, the clothing made and worn by their ancestors, and most importantly, what young people are doing now to heal and change the future of their people. A striking display of blue masks pays respect and remembrance to the nation’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. HeRn noRT oSuRe eXP for a look at european settlement and exploration, we head to the MacBride Museum of yukon History. Opened in 1952, it was the yukon’s first museum; today it focuses on the role Whitehorse has played in the evolution of the territory. More than 30,000 photos, artifacts and taxi- dermy tell stories of mining history, northern pioneers and native wildlife. Gone FiSHin’ Strolling around the city, my husband and I stum- ble upon a colourful display of plywood fish, appropriately dubbed “One fish, Two fish.” Members of the commu- nity crafted the colourful salmon in 2009 to honour the 50th anniversary of the Whitehorse rapids fishway. The facility has a fishladder and hatchery to ensure the survival of the yukon river’s Chinook salmon run. » 36 Spring 2018 CAA MAniTOBA uniquelY Yukon HArrINgTON fISH: “The Land of the Midnight Sun” wasn’t even on my travel radar until I attended On Stage Alaska, a CAA Manitoba presentation about yukon/ Alaska cruisetours with Holland America Line. But after seeing images of epic wilderness, scenic landscapes and first Nations culture, my husband and I immediately booked a 20-day Holland America land-and-sea journey through Canada’s legendary north. A few months later, we meet our tour group at the airport to catch a morning flight to Whitehorse. Our group of 40 consists of fellow Canadians, as well as global visitors, from Australia, england and the u.S. After arriving in Whitehorse, we’re greeted by our Holland America hostess, rachel, who will travel the yukon with us until we board the ms Zaandam in Seward, Alaska. As the capital of the territory, Whitehorse boasts a storied history, rich in legends, culture and artistic achievements. We begin our yukon education at the kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. Meaning “people of the water,” the kwanlin Dün first Nation has lived on this land for thousands of years. Our Indigenous guides