Ingrid Kritsch

Ingrid Kritsch is a cultural anthropologist and archaeologist with over 35 years of experience in the Canadian Subarctic. She is the founding Executive Director of the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute (GSCI), established by the Gwich'in Tribal Council in 1993, and since 1998 has been the Research Director. As Research Director she is responsible for all heritage research and policy in the Gwich'in Settlement Region, work that feeds into implementing the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. Her research interests include the documentation of Gwich'in traditional knowledge and oral history on topics ranging from traditional land use to the replication of traditional clothing. A key part of her work is increasing public awareness of the Gwich'in through the development of partnerships and the production of published and other works.

Over the past 20 years, Ms. Kritsch has been the project manager and lead researcher of over 80 GSCI research projects. Earlier in her career, Ms. Kritsch worked as a researcher for the Royal Ontario Museum, University of Toronto, Dene Cultural Institute and Metis Heritage Association. In 2000, she was awarded the Wise Woman Award by the NWT Status of Women Council for her many years of heritage work and advocacy in the North. Since 2005, Ms. Kritsch has represented the Northwest Territories on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In honour of her hard work and dedication to the Gwich’in, she was named an honorary Gwich’in at the annual Gwich’in Assembly in 2008.  In 2012, she was presented with a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work with the Gwich’in.  Ms. Kritsch attended McGill University (BA, 1978), McMaster University (MA, 1983) and the University of Alberta, where she completed partial requirements towards a Ph.D. in Anthropology.