Yukon who is who

May Roberts (1919 – 2017)

May Roberts was born in Carmacks. She married Jimmy Roberts and raised their own four children plus many foster children. She taught them to set nets and sing songs in the Northern Tutchone tradition. The 2009 Skookum Jim Folklore Show, A Night of Blues, opened with the awarding of the Keish Elder’s Recognition Award to May Roberts. The award was established in 1996 to recognize elders who made a significant contribution to their communities.¹⁾ In 2011 Roberts was one of only a handful of those in Carmacks who spoke and taught Northern Tutchone. She was an accomplished seamstress and beader. She was Grandma May to everyone in the community; there when anyone needed help or just a visit.²⁾