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First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun
Geri-lee
The village of Mayo has something in common with the practice of hide tanning for Geri-Lee Buyck. It goes beyond the fact that Buyck often tans the hides she harvests on a piece of land her family owns just outside the community.
“There’s so many different steps and stages in tanning and I was always told to use respect when I’m working,” says Buyck, who grew up in Mayo. She thinks that lesson goes hand-in-hand with one she learned from her grandmothers about place.
“They said to leave a place or space or people better than you found them,” says Buyck. “That’s always resonated with me.”
She hopes it also resonates with visitors who decide to take a right on the Silver Tail towards Mayo rather than turning left and taking the Klondike Highway toward Dawson City.
“A lot of people head left to Dawson for the fun times there and Mayo is kind of forgotten because it’s not this big, crazy place,” she says. But Buyck feels it’s more than that. A place of quiet beauty, full of valleys and mountains, endless trails and easy access to the winding Stewart River, Buyck considers it the heart of the Yukon. Partly, this is because of the people there. Partly, this is because it’s a hub for adventure for those looking to hike or paddle in the Peel watershed region.
It’s also rich with arts and culture. Many of the hides Buyck tans are used by local artist to make regalia, earrings, slippers, shawls and more. While she admire the finished artwork, Buyck prefers the demanding physical process of scraping and working a hide over the finicky work of beading and sewing, something her sister excels at. Tanning gives her a chance to spend time on the land, reflecting on memories of her family and her connection to the place she calls “a hidden gem.”
Gavin Winter-Sinnott
Gavin Winter-Sinnott is a perfect example of someone who made a career out of what he loved as a kid. Growing up in Mayo, he was always out on the land, looking for animals. One of his earliest memories is of being in a tiny boat, holding onto a rod, trying to hook greyling in the waters around the community.
“Now I get to do that for work,” says Winter-Sinnott, who is a fish and wildlife officer for the First Nation of Na Cho Nyäk Dun. It’s the perfect place to do it too, he says. From Mayo, you can access all the big lakes and mountains of the pristine Peel watershed region, making it a popular starting point for hikers and paddlers. If you bring a boat or book a charter flight, that whole area opens up to you. If you have a car, Winter-Sinnott suggests driving to nearby Keno (roughly 100 kilometres down the Silver Trail) and hiking Mount Hinton. It’s a fairly easy climb that offers great views of both the jagged mountains and rolling hills the territory is known for.
For those limited in terms of transportation, there’s plenty to do in the village. Five Mile Lake is just minutes from town and offers some of the warmest water in the territory for swimming. All year long, there are events including the Canada Day and Mayo Arts Festival in July, the Irene Hutton Memorial Bonspiel in April, and beading and hide-tanning workshops regularly throughout the year.
One of Winter-Sinnott’s favourite activities, however, is just walking around looking for wildlife. This year, there was a moose in town, bear sightings are common and, in the summer, it’s normal to see salmon jumping little waterfalls in the Stewart River. Anyone who visits should take advantage of the opportunity to explore. Mayo proper is a great place to gather, grab a slice of pizza and get to know the locals, but there’s so much more to it.
“Mayo is really just the front door to the area,” says Winter-Sinott.
