This position gave him the responsibility of collecting traditional songs and performing at ceremonial events of his people, the Selkirk First Nation.
Alfred's position also involved his representing the clan at potlatches, or meetings with the broader Yukon Aboriginal community.
He was named "Keeper of the Songs" at birth, an honorary title which he has made into a career, updating traditional Tutchone music by adding twentieth century Western influences.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Alfred played a large role in negotiations with the Government of Canada over the Selkirk people's Land Claim, which culminated in an agreement in 1995.
In 1996, he received a Juno Award as Jerry Alfred & The Medicine Beat for Best Music for Aboriginal Canada Recording.