top of page
Search

About the Banner Image

Chief Louie Billy, b 1864, seated 3rd from the left with five other hereditary chiefs (keyoh holders) was Keyohoduchun or Village Chief of his keyoh. The photo was taken in 1920.

“The keyoh, while existing on a functional level as a “larder”, carries symbolic meaning in how it acts as a vessel of tradition. It is frequently referred to as “a place for survival” (Walter Joseph and Pierre John, Catherine Coldwell, Stanley Tom and Alexander Tom, 2004) but the meaning of this phrase surpasses its subsistence importance.”- Heikilla 2007

“Ownership of rights to sites by family groups, such as the Carrier Keyoh, is pronounced... Carrier families own Keyoh lands”- Ridington 2008

“On a social level, keyohs symbolize family and personal autonomy in the sense that they are places of belonging within the greater Dakelh social structure. In short, keyohs are places where it becomes possible for individuals to attach in a personal way to the land. It is in this sense as a place for self-restoration, that the word “survival”, used to describe keyohs, is fully realized.”- Heikilla 2007

bottom of page