George Blondin

George Blondin (1923–2008), a highly-respected Dene Elder, was born in the Northwest Territories. His many accomplishments include working as a wilderness guide, writer, miner,and trapper, as well as serving as Vice President of the Dene Nation. In 1989, he was elected Chairman of the Denendah Elder’s Council. He also worked with the Dene Cultural Institution and wrote articles for local newspapers. In 1990, George Blondin was the recipient of the Ross Charles Award for Native journalism and, in 2003, was appointed to the Order of Canada.

Blondin is best known for collecting and sharing the stories of his people so that future generations of Dene would not forget their stories. In his books he describes medicine heroes, hunters and healers, as well as the history of the Blondin family. As Blondin explains, “The people of Denendeh have a complete history of themselves from very ancient times told in the stories they have passed down for countless generations.”

His first book, When the World was New, was published by Outcrop, a northern publisher, in 1990. Yamoria the Law Maker (1997), is a collection of stories focusing on Yamoria, the great medicine man. This was followed by Trail of the Spirit: The Mysteries of Dene Medicine Power Revealed, published in 2006.