Old Fort Franklin
By Cecile Naedzo

Long ago your grandpa George… no his wife’s dad, they were bringing fur into Deline (Ft. Franklin). Back then Mudzie use to play a music box. His mouth was just bloody but he kept playing. They would say let’s have a dance up there in Deline. For myself I think it is where Johnny Neyelle’s house is now, that is where Albert Menacho had his house. I think that is where the old fort was, from what the old ladies have told me. But others they say it is at the place where the big cross is. I still think it was where Johnny Neyelle’s house is, that spot where old man Alberta Menacho first had his house. That was the house that use to belong to white men a long time ago. That was the house that Albert Menacho lived in.

So when fur is brought in they would say the fur is to be sold, then they would say there is going to be a dance, and they say Mudzie is going to play for us and for playing he will be paid. So there will be a white man’s dance. Back then the French men called the dance (li show ne), we called it (beh ye koe dekoe).

They use to have a stick across the ceiling and they use to have flour and sugar on top. The sugar use to be like a baby medicine gum and if you put it in water it would be strong. They would say they are going to cook flour and they would be having a dance at the same time, they would say it’s cooked then they would take it down (this is what your great grandfather told me). Just then the flour spilled all over. Back then the floor is all moss (ne) so they had to do it all over again until we finally had flour to eat. That is what he said. That is where they use to have a house long ago. That is the house the white man from long ago was said to have built. This is the house that your grandpa (sameale) stayed after.