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About the Region > First Nations History
1689
Russian Traders made first contact with coastal Natives who crossed
the mountains and traded with Yukon Natives.
1789
Alexander Mackenzie made it to the mouth of the Mackenzie River
and met the Loucheaux Natives who told him of a country to
the west and about a great river (Yukon River).
1820s to 1830s
British Explorer, John Franklin & fur traders, Thomas Simpson & Peter
Dease met Loucheaux natives and heard of fine furs of which
time the Hudson Bay Company began searching for passages into
the
Yukon. The Hudson Bay Company sponsored these explorations
because it
wanted to buy the furs before the local natives sold them
to Russians.
1831
John McLeod travelled up the Frances River to Simpson Lake
where he found a Kaska camp and a cache from which he took
3 beaver skins
and left behind a knife and other goods as payment.
1842
John Bell reached the Porcupine River which flows into
the Yukon. Natives first contact with the white man.
Elders still
tell stories
of this event today.
"He was feared at first, no one had seen a whiteman
before. He was soon welcomed because his price for fur was better
ten what we
had been getting" (CYI, 1973)
1848
Robert Campbell set up a trading Post at Fort Selkirk.
1851
Robert Campbell moved his trading post 1/2 mile up river
because of frequent flooding.
1852
Angry Chilkat Natives ambushed and destroyed the
post.
1854
J. Arrowsmith issued the 1st fairly map of the
area based on data supplied by Robert Campbell.
1881
Two geographers Arthur & Aurel Krause wintered at Port Chilkoot
in order to explore the various trails leading
to the Yukon and Alsek country.
1878
The first prospector George Holt made his way
over the Chilkoot, to the Teslin River.
1880
Mr. Bean led the first party of 25 prospectors
over the Chilkoot Pass, with the assistance
of Captain
Beards Lee U.S.N. and
20 armed soldiers & a gatlin gun.
1890
It wasn't until this time any whites attempted
to cross the Chilkoot Pass, this time
it was a party
sponsored
by "Frank Leslie's
Illustrated Newspaper" led by E.H.
Wells and Dalton and Glave they were
the first to make the whole journey right
to
the Interior
Yukon.
1891
Glave & Dalton returned the next year. It was Jack Dalton
who really broke up the Chilkat trading
monopoly.
1896
The final blow to Tlingit supremacy
over Interior Natives came in with
the Klondike
Gold Rush & 60,000 gold seekers.
1894
Inspector Constatine of the N.W.M.P.
visits the Yukon and to act as
an "Indian" agent.
1902
Chief Jim Boss instructed a Whitehorse
lawyer to request a treaty from
Ottowa to protect
his people
from the
influx of
people and
the effects of the Gold Rush.
He was told the R.C.M.P. wouldn't
let his
people starve.
1941
The United States Army began
construction of the Alaska
Highway, completing
it by 1943.
1946
Jack Meek became the first
Indian Agent in Whitehorse
providing
Aid programs
to the
natives.
1948
Yukon Indian Agency was
placed under the control
of the
Department of
Indian Affairs
regional
office in
Vancouver.
The began
organizing the natives
into official bands.
More and
more natives
became dependant on
the aid as fur prices
began to drop.
1966
Prrime Minister Lester
Pearson created within
his cabinet
a new department
called Department
of Indian
Affairs
and Northern
Development
(DIAND) as a further
change to Indian
Policy.
1969
Formation of Yukon
Native Brotherhood.
1973
Elijah Smith presents
Prime Minister
Trudeau with "Together
Today for Our Children Tomorrow".
It was the first
time that such a
statement of Claim
had been prepared
and presented
by Native
People and had been
accepted by the Canadian
Government
for negotiation.
1973
Yukon Natives founded "Council for Yukon Indians" specifically
to negotiate such
claims.
1975
The federal government & CYI agreed upon a freeze on the
sale of crown
lands until claims settled. Negotiations stopped in 1976
when the National
Brotherhood opposed this proposal.
1979
YTG became a third party
in the negotiation
process.
1980-1984
The tree parties worked
on an agreement
in principal. The A.I.P.
allowed
for 4% lands
to be part
of the settlement.
In return
aboriginal
rights were to
be extinguished.
8 our of 12 bands
rejected
the A.I.P.
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