Gabe Kochon, the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 first resident to die from COVID-19, will be remembered by family and community members as a warm, funny man known for his traditional knowledge.
The Fort Good Hope Elder passed away on Aug. 23 at 10:15 p.m. at Stanton Territorial Hospital, said his daughter Rose McNeely. He was 92.
RELATED REPORTING: NWT resident dies of COVID-19
He tested positive for COVID-19 and was medevaced to Yellowknife on Aug. 18 after feeling dehydrated.
SA国际影视传媒淲hen he was at home with us he had a sniffly nose. He wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 coughing or anything. After they medevacked him they said he was really sick two days later,SA国际影视传媒� McNeely said.
Kochon was known as the SA国际影视传媒楧ene ProfessorSA国际影视传媒� in Fort Good Hope for the depth of his traditional knowledge and fluency in Sahtu GotSA国际影视传媒檌ne.
SA国际影视传媒淗e tried really hard to push the language for the young people to get their language back. He lived his life to the fullest. He was a really calm and gentle person. I never saw him get mad growing up. He was always jolly.SA国际影视传媒�
KochonSA国际影视传媒檚 niece Snowbird Kakfwi said his many nieces, nephews and grandchildren were very fond of him.
SA国际影视传媒淗e lived such a long life. And he had so much Northern knowledge. He always had a story. He told stories about what he had to do to survive on the land and about walking from Fort Good Hope to Colville Lake. But now ISA国际影视传媒檒l never hear those stories again.SA国际影视传媒�
He always told his stories in Sahtu GotSA国际影视传媒檌ne, Kakfwi said.
SA国际影视传媒淗e was comical all the time. Every time he talked to us he gave us a hug and talked to us like we were his kids.SA国际影视传媒�
Vicky Orlias served on the Elders Committee with Kochon in Fort Good Hope.
She recalls that he always attended the meetings and was the oldest member on the committee.
SA国际影视传媒淗e was still setting nets and fishing and hunting in his 90s. I talked to him a lot and he was a nice old man. ISA国际影视传媒檓 going to regret him being gone,SA国际影视传媒� Orlias said.
KochonSA国际影视传媒檚 death comes as the NWT experiences its highest active COVID-19 case count since the pandemic began in 2020, with 219 cases among residents most of which are in Sahtu communities, according to an update by the chief public health officer on Aug. 23.
