The stories and legends in this book were identified by Elders from all four Tłı̨chǫ communities through a project spearheaded by the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency Education Department.
“Yamǫǫ̀zha is noted for making the land safe for the people to travel. Known as the “great Traveller’, he dedicated his life to making the laws and setting the world right for the people and animals to live in together. He transcends the time between the old and the new worlds.” from the PWNHC website.
Yamǫǫ̀zha established the Dene Laws.
There once lived an old woman and her young daughter. They had lived for so long in the same place, that they decided to move away to another location. So, one day they broke camp and prepared to leave. While they were packing, their dog died of old age. The woman and her daughter were very upset over the dog's death. However, since they were in a hurry, they left the dog in the camp and set off through the woods. When they had gone a fair distance, the daughter suddenly remembered that she had forgotten their moose-hide scraping log in the camp.
A young woman who did not have a husband, lived with her two brothers. One day a handsome stranger came to their house. The brothers said to the sister, “This handsome man has come for you so you must marry him.” So the couple were wed.
On their wedding night the young woman awoke to the sound of a dog gnawing on a bone. The woman’s husband was also no longer at her side. She jumped up, lit the fire, and searched the tent but there was no dog in the tent.
On this rocky island, there is a small child foot imprint on the rock by the shore.
