Joe and Annie Henry

Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation elders

Annie Henry (Mitchell) was born in the Yukon in 1904 in an area known then as Black City, along what would become the Dempster Highway. She grew up speaking the dialect called Takudh.

Joe Henry was born in 1898 near the Hart and Wind Rivers. Annie married Joe in 1921 in a marriage arranged by their parents. The couple hunted and trapped together on the Blackstone Uplands, and eventually had thirteen children.

Yukon winters are formidable and Annie worked hard to keep her family fed and clothed. She had a profound connection to the land and the traditional ways but she also adapted to the tremendous changes that occurred in her lifetime.

Joe Henry was an expert hunter and trapper who spent extended periods of time out on the land. Joe was known internationally for his craftsmanship in making snowshoes and other bush tools. Instrumental in the construction of the Dempster Highway, Joe literally broke trail and determined the best route for the Cat train to follow from mile zero to Gwazhal Kak (Ogilvie Ridge).

Annie and her husband Joe were married 81 years. (In 2000 the Henrys were entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s longest married couple). Together they ensured that their Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation culture and traditional knowledge was passed along for the future generations.