One of the last living speakers of the Tagish language, she has been actively involved in recording oral history and publishing books containing songs, traditional stories and Tagish and Tlingit- language place names of the Southern Yukon. By doing so, this prominent elder in her community has made a major contribution to northern linguistic and ethnographic studies and to the preservation of the Native cultural heritage. [Governor General's website]

Following his enrollment, he travelled to Southeast Alaska to teach the Faith. Later, he travelled with Don MacLaren throughout the Yukon to present a Bahá'í brief on Human Rights to all the Chiefs of the Yukon. During his travels, which included a trip to the Philippines along with his daughter Hazel and niece Clara Shinkel, he was able to present the Faith on the radio.

He attended the first native council held in Haines, Alaska and was instrumental in the decision made by the Elders at Carcross to pursue the building of a native teaching institute. Hand of the Cause John Robarts and Uncle Johnnie turned the sod for the construction of the Yukon Bahá'í Institute in 1983. Uncle Johnnie participated at the Dedication of the Institute and the naming ceremony for Hand of the Cause John Robarts which was held during the potlatch. His leadership and counsel will be dearly missed by all his Bahá'í family. "The circle is completed". [BC Vol 1 No 1 March 1988 p15]

See "Remembering Uncle Johnnie". [BC Vol 1 No 1 March 1988 p24]