Mary Jane Johnson Gùdia (b. 1955)
Mary Jane Johnson was born at Burwash Landing. She always introduces herself first from her mother’s side of the family, giving them all of their First Nation names in Southern Tutchone. Her mother is Lena Johnson, her grandmother was Mary Johnson and her grandmother was Emma Johnson. Her father was Fred Chambers and her grandfather was Moose Johnson. Mary Jane had tuberculosis when she was about 18 months old, and she and her brother Keith spent more than two years at the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton. Their mother was taken out of the community because she had contracted TB, and Mary Jane and Keith went to school in Whitehorse from 1960 to 1964.1)
Mary Jane attended the University of British Columbia and was a literary participant at the Yukon Native Language Centre from 1984 to 2005. She worked for Parks Canada as an interpreter from 1991 to 2005 and became a Cultural Resource Management officer until 2015 when she retired. Mary Jane was the Kluane First Nation Heritage Manager from 2013 to 2020, and then became a Lhu’ààn Mân Ku Dań Elder.2)
For forty years, Mary Jane Johnson has been a champion for indigenous language revitalization, protected areas, the environment, and many cultural issues. She was an active member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report Response Task Force addressing the call to action for Canada’s Archives. She has participated and continues to sit on many boards and committees.3)