1940

The Prophecy of Ayah

Ayah was a prophet from the Sahtu who had powerful medicine. He was born in 1857 and lived according to the Dene way until his passing in 1940. George Blondin celebrated his wisdom in his book “When the World was New.” While Ayah was alive, people listened to his words and learned to work hard and share everything. Blondin noted, “as long as this great teacher lived, life was like that. But after he was gone,, things started to change­ –­ just as Ayah had foretold.”

Ayah saw that the Dene world would change and warned the people to be ready. He warned against gambling and alcohol, knowing that it would increase crime. People came from long distances to hear him speak, including George Blondin and his father Edward, who spent many hours with him in his last years. They buried him as he directed in a grave with a fence.

The school in Délı̨nę is named after Ayah to show respect for his teachings.