Yukon who is who

Bella Alexie, nee Martin (1892 - 1995)

Bella Alexie was a Teetł’it Gwich’in Elder, born near Fort McPherson, NWT. Her parents were Martin and Jane, and Bella used Martin as her surname. Her mother died when Bella was young and her oldest sister, Annie, looked after the family of three girls and three boys.¹⁾

When Joseph Kunizzi’s daughter died, Bella Martin was married to his son-in-law, and Joseph cared for her like a daughter. Kunizzi was a lay minister trained by Archdeacon Robert McDonald. He taught Bella to read the bible and teach people hymns and prayers.²⁾ Bella’s first husband was Deyah John Andrew. Before John died, they had four children and raised John’s nephew.³⁾

Joseph Kunizzi was sent to Mayo and the people moved into the mountains. There was no one left as a minister, so Abraham Alexie started to hold services for the people. The people returned from the mountains and Abraham came with them. Gikhyi Edward Sittichinli knew of Abraham’s work out at the camps, so he told Abraham to continue working with the people. That was the time when Bella and Abraham married.⁴⁾ It was 1923.⁵⁾

When the W.A. started, Bella joined and became president. The bishop gave his blessing, so Abraham worked for the church and Bella worked for the W.A. Slowly people stopped going into the bush and the church workers died off. Maybe they held services in the bush, but in town it was not what it used to be. When the white minister came, his wife took over the W.A. and the First Nation elders were left out. So they stayed out and chose Andrew Kunizzi and Peter Thompson as lay readers. Now the women were becoming lay readers. When the minister came to visit, Bella asked him about her sons as church workers. He said Neil was helping people with drinking problems, but that Hannah, Bella’s daughter, was doing good work for God. Belle never thought that her youngest daughter would be the one to work for the church.⁶⁾

Bella and Abraham Alexie raised eight children plus Abraham’s two daughters and his nephew. They lived happily until Abraham died in 1976. Some of Bella’s stories are preserved in the COPE Collection of the Northwest Territories Archives at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife.⁷⁾