Dreamers & The Land | DREAMERS

Born late 1800s. Died in 1923

Gaayęą was from the Hines Creek/Eureka River area in Alberta. He visited our people each summer and taught many songs to our drummers and singers, as well as to our Dreamers such as Oker and Charlie Yahey. Gaayęą made and painted the double-sided drum that Charlie Yahey inherited from him. Robin Ridington took many photographs of Charlie Yahey with Gaayęą's drum in the 1960s.

Gaayęą's wife, Mali (Molly), was much loved and respected by our people. They enjoyed her company as they camped and worked together at places such as Sweeney Creek and Gat Tah Kwą̂. Gaayęą's son, Aki (Francis Leg), married Anno Davis, and settled down in the Doig River area with her.

Gaayęa brought back his Prairie Chicken song from Heaven while camping in a place where prairie chickens gathered to dance at Sweeney Creek. We continue to sing this song, and many other songs dreamed by Gaayęą, at our Dreamers' Dances.

He dreamed his song "Suunéch'ii Kéch'iige," which means "The Place Where Happiness Dwells," at our Dreamers' Dance grounds at Gat Tah Kwą̂. Hearing this song today reminds us of the good times our people had at Gat Tah Kwą ̂ in the summers when they would gather there to court, celebrate births, settle political issues, drum, and sing and dance to the Dreamers' songs, renewing our world for another cycle.

Gaayęą died in 1923 while riding his horse on our old Reserve at Montney, which we call Gat Tah Kwą̂. Before he died, he told people that the place where he is buried will always have a lot of game animals. In 2005, former Chief Gerry Attachie took our Project Team to find the grave at Gat Tah Kwą̂ and discovered that even though the area is surrounded by farmland, there is still an abundance of game there.

Stories

Tommy Attachie, telling about Dane-zaa people and Dreamers gathering at Sweeney Creek, 2005.
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Tommy Attachie, talking about the Dreamer Gaayęą. Gat Tah Kwą̂ (Montney), 2005.

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Songs

Albert Askoty singing the Dreamer Gaayęą's "Prairie Chicken Song," 1990s.

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Tommy Attachie and the Doig River Drummers singing "Suunéch'ii Kéch'iige" by the Dreamer Gaayęą, 2004.

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Tommy Attachie and the Doig River Drummers singing the Dreamer Gaayęą's "Prairie Chicken Song," Doig River, 2004.

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