Background
Sidney was born near Carcross in 1902. Her mother, Maria John (or Maria Tagish) (born ca 1871), was of Tlingit Deisheetaan (Crow) clan ancestry. Her father, Tagish John (born ca 1856), was Tagish Dakhl"awedi.
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Angela Sidney
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She co-authored two narratives of traditional Tagish legends and a historical document of Tagish place names for southern Yukon. My stories are my wealth!" Childhood She was given two names at birth, Ch"óonehte" Ma (in Tagish), Stóow (in Tlingit), and a third, Angela, by her godfather, when she was two weeks old. Maria was left weak after epidemics killed the family"s first four children.
Because her mother was not well, Sidney, eldest daughter, spent much of her time assisting her mother and listening to her stories.
However, Sidney did receive some schooling in Carcross at the Anglican mission school prior to age ten. Her father"s cousins, Skookum Jim, Kate Carmack and Dawson Charlie, were credited with making the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.
At age 14, Sidney married George Sidney (ca 1888 - 1971). They had seven children, four of whom died young.
George worked seasonally for White Pass and Yukon Route railroad, he later became chief at Carcross.
To ensure that the dances, language, stories, and traditions of her people were recorded for future generations, Sidney started teaching Tagish traditions to schoolchildren. She assisted linguists Victor Golla, Jeff Leer and John Ritter and anthropologists Catharine McClellan and Julie Cruikshank with their research on Tagish language and traditions to ensure the Tagish language would not be lost. Sidney died in 1991. She was survived by a daughter, Ida Calmegane.
Achievements
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Born
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Died
July 17, 1991 (aged 89) -
Nationality
Canada
Awards
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Member of the Order of Canada Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada.The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada.