Jerry Alfred (b. 1955)

Jerry Alfred was born in Pelly Crossing and belongs to the Crow clan and the Selkirk First Nation.¹⁾ In 1990, Jerry Alfred was the editor of the Pelly Button, a community newsletter, and held a full-time job in land claims.²⁾ He inherited the title of Keeper of the Songs from his father John Alfred with the responsibility of collecting traditional songs and performing at ceremonial events. In 1994 when his father died, Alfred released a record Etsi Shon (Grandfather Song) which served a dual purpose of keeping the music and the Northern Tutchone language alive. In 1995 he received a Juno Award with his musical group Jerry Alfred & The Medicine Beat for Aboriginal Canada Recording.³⁾ His was the first Yukon group to win a Juno.⁴⁾ Alfred and The Medicine Beat released two more albums, Nendaa (Go Back) in 1996, and Kehlonn in 1998.⁵⁾