Elders & Knowledge Keepers

Gerry Attachie was born in a teepee on October 19th, 1948 in Syphon Creek, BC. He is proud to be a part of what was known as the Fort St. John Beaver Band and is Tsáá? ché ne dane. In 1977, the Band was split into the Doig River First Nation and Blueberry River First Nation. Gerry is the grandson of Chief Attachie who signed treaty in 1900 and proudly states that he is, “a part of the history here.”

In 1974, Gerry entered community leadership and played an active role for nearly 45 years. He attended post-secondary as a young man to obtain leadership training, which he found to be helpful as he navigated initiating historical agreements on behalf of his community. Gerry credits his responsibilities in leadership for helping him to maintain a sober lifestyle.

Gerry is adamant that friendship and community are the most important things in life. He takes great joy in encouraging young people and offering them support in their journey. In relation to this he says, “for a good cause, I’ll walk with him.”

He is a firm believer that education is important for the next generation. Gerry hopes to see more Indigenous professionals with an understanding of cultural values. He teaches Dane Zaa language classes and shares stories to help pass on lessons he has learned throughout his lifetime. An excellent hunter and trapper, he holds knowledge of the land and how it has changed overtime.

Gerry wants to speak about positive uplifting things and is a living timeline of Dane Zaa history in the region.

* Biography courtesy of Northern Lights College

As Elder Advisor to the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH), Darlene McIntosh provides guidance and grounding to the centre’s work by promoting understanding of Indigenous culture, values and protocols.

Darlene McIntosh is a member of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation in B.C. and a director of the Nation’s Elders’ Society. Lheidli T’enneh territory includes the city of Prince George where the main campus of the University of Northern B.C. (UNBC) houses the NCCIH’s offices.

Elder McIntosh has a long history of engagement with learning institutions. She is the Chancellor of UNBC and also the Cultural Advisor at the Aboriginal Resource Centre at the College of New Caledonia (CNC) in Prince George.

Elder McIntosh was appointed to the ceremonial role of Chancellor at UNBC in 2022. Her appointment followed years of involvement with the university, including providing traditional welcomes at events and celebrations and serving on a committee to translate campus signage into the Lheidli T’enneh dialect of the Dakelh language. She also participated in the 2016 ceremony when UNBC and the Lheidli T’enneh Nation signed their first Memorandum of Understanding.

As Cultural Advisor in the Aboriginal Resource Centre of the CNC, Elder McIntosh provides holistic support, encouragement and guidance to Indigenous students, staff and faculty. She also engages the college community to participate in cultural events and shares her teachings in the classroom.

Elder McIntosh has been a member of the Land, Health and Healing team since it was founded in 2019. The team is made up of members of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and representatives from UNBC. It designs and hosts events to profile and support Indigenous-led initiatives that connect lands, waters, health and healing. This has included a range of virtual and in-person events connecting with Indigenous initiatives from across Turtle Island and internationally.

Darlene McIntosh is also an author. She was published in Front Lines: Portraits of Caregivers in Northern BC (2011) by UNBC Associate Professor in Health Sciences, Sarah de Leeuw. She received credit for helping Dr. Vasiliki Douglas write her book Aboriginal Health and Healthcare in Canada (2015). She wrote Prayer: Honouring Our Elders & Ancestors, which is part of a collection of fiction and non-fiction writing and art work in the book In Our Own Aboriginal Voice (2016).

In 2023, she was the recipient of the Inspiring Women Among Us Community Award. The awarding organization is based out of UNBC with the goal of reducing violence against women and improving gender relations.

Elder Florence Johnston is a member of Bigstone Cree nation in Wabasca Alberta, and has lived in Dawson Creek, BC for 37 years. She is a mother of two, grandmother to 13, and great-grandmother to two. As an Elder, she offers prayers and blessings in Cree for organizations in her community.

For 20 years, Florence has worked as a drug and alcoholic worker for Indigenous treatment centers in the Peace Region. In recent year, she has chosen to work one day a week as an in-house Elder at North Wind Wellness Center. She is dedicated to supporting her community however she can.