Lucy Wren, Ghùch Tlâ (1917 – 2008)
Lucy Wren was a Carcross elder, born into the Dakhł'awèdí clan. She was a fluent speaker of Tlingit, English, Southern Tutchone, and Tagish. She was in the first graduating class of the Native Language Instructor Certificate Course at Yukon College in 1986.1)
Lucy Wren taught Tlingit at the Ghuch Tla Community School in Carcross for over twenty years.2) She retired from teaching in the classroom in October 2000 but continued to teach language instructors during the Yukon Native Language Centre’s Tlingit Literacy Sessions.3) After retirement, Wren continued to work to educate students about First Nation language and culture. She played a key role in the First Voices digital language project.4) Her online recordings include Tagish Language Lessons, and Kų' Eyû. At Home.
Wren received the Commissioner's Award in 1998 in recognition of her work teaching and promoting the Tlingit language and culture.5) In 2006, the Carcross Community School was renamed Ghùch Tlâ Community School to honour Lucy Wren. This was the first time a building was named to honour a living person. Ghùch Tlâ means “wolf mother” in Tlingit.6) Wren was honoured on the floor of the legislature by Education Minister John Edzerza. She received a standing ovation from the MLAs and the visitors on her introduction.7)