About the Innovation

In the 1970's Clara worked in education and became very aware and worried about the Native people's loss of culture. Where she lived, the heritage languages, Tlingit and Tagash, appeared to be lost. Everyone spoke English. Something needed to be done. Clara met with her aunt, Agnes Sidney, who was a well-known storyteller and author of many books, and together they decided to use Native dance as a vehicle for the preservation of culture. Not only would children and adults learn the traditional songs and dances, but they would also have exposure to their culture's history, stories, and language.

Clara started the Carcross-Tagish Dancers in 1973 with just a handful of children, but over the years, the group has grown. Today, the group has more than 40 dancers ranging from babies as young as eight months old to elders nearing 80. The dancers are family members spanning four generations and non-family volunteers.

Though Clara is no longer involved, her vision is being carried forward by her daughter. All dancers are required to learn their Native language and heritage. At performances, the dancers introduce themselves by their Native names and tell the audience something about their clan.

The dance group has been instrumental in spreading knowledge about Native culture throughout the world. The group has danced as far away as Japan and Russia. At one performance in Alaska, the group proudly introduced themselves in Tagish and talked about their families. At the end of the dance, the audience of more than a thousand people rose to their feet, giving the dance group a standing ovation. This was a memorable moment for the troupe.

The Carcross-Tagish Dancers have had an important influence on the Native people. The biggest change can be seen in Native children, who have gained knowledge of their heritage and, as a result, now show pride in their identity. This is particularly true for children who are of two ethnic backgrounds. According to Clara, it appears that these children are no longer as quick to deny their Native heritage as they were in the past.

About the Innovator

Clara Schinkel was born in Carcross, Yukon in 1935 to her father Peter Johns who was Tlingit, and her mother Agnes, who was Tagish. Since lineage is passed down through mothers, Clara is also Tagish. The town of Carcross is close to the border between British Columbia and the Yukon.

Though retired now, Clara is on the Board of Governors for Yukon College and Vice-chair of Heritage Resources for the Yukon Government. Clara is involved in land claim discussions between the Federal government and Native people. She also practices traditional medicine.

Getting the dance group off the ground was difficult. She had to overcome prejudice from within the community. Children teased the children in the dance group, which was very hard on the young dancers. Even the childrens' parents had a difficult time understanding the need for the dance group. It was only after involving the Carcross school and principle, that a change in attitude occured, first in children, then parents and finally the community.

Clara has achieved what she set out to do. Though there were many challenges along the way, the benefits are now evident. Clara sees an emergence of Native pride. “First nations people are coming out of the woodwork,” she says. The most important spin-off of the dance group is the re-birth of the Tagish language. Each dancer, once having learned to speak Tagish, is an ambassador who carries the language forward.