Special award in memory of Brandie Mary Mariah Rose Vittrekwa

In 2008, Our World visited Old Crow for the first time and met Mary Jane Moses, filmmaker (since 2001) and and Vuntut Gwitchin Heritage Coordinator. Mary Jane has helped facilitate workshops in Old Crow about every 2 years since then as well as creating more films herself! She is an incredible force in her community and beyond!

In 2010, Mary Jane’s Granddaughter Brandie Vittrekwa attended a workshop and made her own film: Me and My Two Bestfriends! Brandie was a strong willed young woman who liked to laugh and have fun, and she put this energy into her film.

On Dec 8, 2014 Brandie tragically lost her life.

Grandmother of Brandie - Mary Jane Moses, Old Crow, Yukon - before she retires at the end of March 2022 is announcing an award in honour of Brandie & the first award will be presented in June 2022:

Tr’iinin gijiint’aii, tr’iinin ehłi’tr’oonuu kwaa Award - The child who tries hard, the child not left behind Award

This special award is in memory of Brandie Mary Mariah Rose Vittrekwa, her middle 3 names she takes after her 3 grandmothers therefore she had a strong personality.

This award is in recognition and acknowledgement of a Grade 9 student who had had difficulty in the learning environment this past year but for her/him to keep trying and for not being left behind in the learning process. Brandie was a person to always stop and help her peers in the classroom when she went to school here. It’s important in today’s education that no child ever gets left behind and that every child be treated with respect and is supported in every way so they reach their utmost potential. Our children need to be supported where they are at. They need to be encouraged and acknowledged in a positive school classroom environment, encouraged to show leadership amongst their peers and role model good behavior so that no child gets left behind where everyone is treated equally.

This award was made possible by Megan Williams of Vuntut Gwitchin Heritage Branch, Lisa Nielsen of Our World Language & Lisa Marr & Paolo Davanzo of Echo Park Film Center North out of Vancouver, BC collaborating together. Monies were collected by the sale of The Sound We See: An Old Crow Village Symphony DVDs in Old Crow and through Our World & EPFC. This was a 24-minute film documentary that was made in Old Crow by various filmmakers in 2014, young & old alike documenting 24 hours in Old Crow in 1 minute increments. The sale of DVDs sold at $10.00 each was collected and put into a Brandie Fund. This fund is now available as an award to a student at Chief Zheh Gittl’it School beginning in June 2022 and thereafter in memory of Brandie.

Mahsi' cho to Mary Jane Moses for the wonderful legacy.