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SKOOKUM JIM: Native and Non-Native Stories and Views About His Life and Times and the Klondike Gold Rush

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SKOOKUM JIM: Native and Non-Native Stories and Views About His Life and Times And the Klondike Gold Rush Prepared for Heritage Branch, Department of Tourism, Government of Yukon By Rab Wilkie and The Skookum Jim Friendship Center March, 1992 ============================================================ CONTENTS ============================================================ 2 Contents 8 Photographs 11 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------ PART ONE: BACKGROUND ------------------------------------------------------------ 15 I IN THE BEGINNING: TWO STORIES ABOUT CROW 16 The Birth of Crow 17 Crow Brings Light to the World Angela Sidney II SHAGOON: FAMILY HISTORY 18 Shagoon Sergei Kan 18 Skookum Jim's Shagoon 19 1. Dakl'aweidi History 20 2. Deisheetaan History Angela Sidney 22 3. Skookum Jim's Family III MEETING WHITEMEN 24 First Encounters 26 1. The Man from Greenland Rachel Dawson 28 2. Prospectors at Tagish Ed Lung 30 3. Prospectors at Marsh Lake Johnny Joe ------------------------------------------------------------ PART TWO: SKOOKUM JIM'S LIFE STORY ------------------------------------------------------------ IV AN OUTLINE OF SKOOKUM JIM'S LIFE 32 A Chilkoot Packer 33 Keish Becomes "Skookum Jim" 34 "Seven Years Bad Luck" 36 Discovery of Gold in the Klondike 37 Seattle and After 39 Last years and Final Illness ------------------------------------------------------------ PART THREE: NARRATIVES AND STORIES ABOUT SKOOKUM JIM ------------------------------------------------------------ V DREAMS AND MYTHS: OUTSIDE TIME 40 Skookum Jim's Animal and Spirit Friends 1. Mrs. Angela Sidney's Story 41 The Stranded Frog 41 Skookum Jim's Wound 42 Skookum Jim's Dream 44 2. Mrs. Annie Ned's Story 46 3. Wealth Woman 46 How She Came To Be 48 Encounters with Tl'anaxeedakw (Wealth Woman) Angela Sidney 49 4. A Note About Frogs Catherine McClellan VI STORIES ABOUT HIS EARLY YEARS 50 Whiteman's Grub 51 1. Jim Buys Beans 52 2. Jim Buys Soap Johnny Johns 53 Stories By Whitemen 54 1. Carrying Bacon William Ogilvie 55 2. The Two Bears J. Bernard Moore 58 Carmack Meets Jim and Charlie 59 1. An Early Version 62 2. A Later Version 62 3. The Final Version George Carmack VII DISCOVERY OF GOLD ON BONANZA CREEK 64 Accounts by Indian Men 65 1. Johnny Fraser's Account 65 2. Patsy Henderson's Account 68 Accounts by Indian Women 68 1. Kitty Smith's Account 72 2. Angela Sidney's Account 74 Accounts by Whitemen 74 1. William Ogilvie's Account 76 2. George Carmack's Acount 78 Towards An Overview 81 What About the Women? 82 VIII THE HEYDAYS 83 Klondike Stories 83 1. Jim's Generosity Johnny Johns 84 3. King George's Man Ed Lung 85 2. The King's Woodpile Mrs. Fred Boss Seattle Stories 1. Comparing Versions A) Skookum Jim On the Ocean 85 Billy Johnson's Story 86 Johnny Johns' Story 86 James A. Johnson's Story B) Throwing Money Away 87 Johnny Johns' Story 87 James A. Johnson's Story 2. Other Seattle Stories 88 The Variety Show Johnny Johns 88 Kate's Campfire Johnny Johns 89 Newspaper Story Seattle Post- Intelligencer IX AFTER THE GOLD RUSH 90 Skookum Jim's House Johnny Johns 91 The Kluane Gold Rush Johnny Johns 93 Historical Notes 93 Potlatches 94 1. Whitehorse 1905 Whitehorse Star 94 2. Carcross 1912 Johnny Johns 95 3. Others' Memories Kitty Smith, 96 Suzie Fred, 96 Annie Ned X BACK IN CARCROSS 96 Women's Stories, Men's Stories 97 Johnny Johns On Skookum Jim 1. Jim's Cooks 99 Mrs. Hose and the Moose Feet 100 The Englishman 2. His Drinking Habits 101 A Christmas in Whitehorse 102 Fire at Ten-Mile Point 104 Prohibition at Carcross 104 3. Squirrels Get Skookum Jim's Cache Other Stories 105 1. Jim's Grief Johnny Fraser 105 2. The Train Tunnel Billy Johnson 106 3. Prospecting Near Teslin Billy Johnson XI LAST YEARS 111 The Journey South Johnny Johns 113 Last Days in Carcross Angela Sidney ------------------------------------------------------------ PART FOUR: SKOOKUM JIM'S LEGACY ------------------------------------------------------------ XII MATTERS OF ESTATE Last Will and Testament 114 1. Mary Martin's Account 116 2. James A. Johnson's Account 117 3. The Bishop's Account 118 A Short History of the Skookum Jim Friendship Center Mary Martin ------------------------------------------------------------ APPENDICES ------------------------------------------------------------ A) BIOGRAPHIC NOTES: RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF SKOOKUM JIM 122 Daisy Mason 123 Kate Carmack 126 Graphie Gracie Carmack 127 Ernest Saftig 128 Patsy Henderson 129 Dawson Charlie 132 Angela Sidney 134 Kitty Smith 134 Annie Ned 136 Johnny and Julia Joe B) FORGOTTEN MYTHS OF WHITEMEN 137 George Carmack's Dream: A Song of Higher Water 137 1. The Golden Salmon 139 2. On Mythic Dimensions 140 3. Carmack's Song 142 C) THE TAGISH-TLINGIT ALPHABET D) ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PERSONAL NAMES 143 Indian Names 149 English Names 159 E) SKOOKUM JIM'S FAMILY TREE 160 F) CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS: 1834 - 1992 170 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 172 BIBLIOGRAPHY 189 INDEX ============================================================ PHOTOGRAPHS ============================================================ COVER: Keish (Skookum Jim Mason), about 1900. [Skookum Jim Oral History Project, YA] "Skookum Jim and family: Keish (Skookum Jim), Daakuxda.eit' (Mary), Saayna.aat (Daisy); 1901." [Skookum Jim Oral History Project, YA] " Shaaw Tlaa (Kate Carmack), Skookum Jim's sister; California, 1898. [A. Johnson Collection, YA]" "Shaaw Tlaa (Kate Carmack) at Carcross, 1919. [B. Becht Jr. Collection, YA]" "At Skookum Jim's house in Carcross: an unidentified miner, George Carmack, Daakuxda.eit' (Mary Mason), Saayna.aat (Daisy), Keish (Skookum Jim), Koo|seen (Patsy Henderson); about 1899. [D. Bohn Collection, YA]" "Thought to be Bob Henderson as a young man in Alaska, 1880s. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "George Carmack, 1883. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "George Carmack, 1897. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "Shaaw Tlaa (Kate Carmack) and her daughter, Graphie Grace, at their Klondike cabin, 1897. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "Carmack family: George, Kate, Graphie; California, 1898. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "Graphie Grace (Saftig) Rogers, niece of Skookum Jim, with two grandchildren; California, 1960. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "La.oos Tlaa (Maria John), who tended Keish (Skookum Jim) at Dyea when he was ill, and at the end of his life; mother of Stoow (Angela Sidney) and Yei|shaan (Johnny Johns); about 1950. [National Museum of Canada; Catalog #786, YA]" "Mrs. Angela Sidney outside a tent at the Northern Story-telling Festival, Whitehorse, 1990. The double-tailed beaver painted on her drum, Keedu t'ei Kaa, is her Deisheetaan clan crest. [John Hatch, Whitehorse]" "Yei|shaan (Johnny Johns) telling stories at Kaye MacDonald's 'wake'; Carcross, 1986. The cow-bell in his hand served as the 'talking-stick'; whoever held it had the floor. [John Hatch, Whitehorse]." "Koo|seen (Patsy) and Kidinch'ilaa (Edith) Henderson performing for tourists at Carcross railway station; 1960s. [Skookum Jim Oral History Project, YA]" "Dancers at the big potlatch for Dawson Charlie; Carcross, 1912. [Anglican Church Collection, YA]" "Tom Dickson, holding child, at Kluane Lake; a former 'Mountie', who married Louise, daughter of Skookum Jim's sister, Aage. [Harbottle Family Collection, YA]" "Reverend T. H. Canham, 1890s. George Carmack helped him build the Anglican church at Fort Selkirk during the time he and his wife, Kate, established and ran his trading post near Five Finger Rapids, 1892-96. [Anglican Church Collection, YA]" "Anglican Bishop, Rev. Isaac O. Stringer. [Anglican Church Collection, YA]" "Bishop Stringer and his family in Whitehorse. [Anglican Church Collection, YA]" "Willard Leroy Phelps (extreme left), Skookum Jim's lawyer, as member of Yukon's first fully elected Territorial Council; June 28, 1909. [MacBride Museum Collection; Catalog #4142, YA]" "Indian in canoe on Dyea River, about 1898. [Vogel Collection; Catalog #85, YA]" "Grave-house of a Tagish 'chief' at cemetary near Dyea. [E.H. Hegg Collection; Catalog #2528, YA]" "A Christmas party, held by local Native people to welcome prospectors to Dyea; 1898. [Vogel Collection; Catalog #96, YA]" "Tagish village, about 1898. [Alaskan Historical Library Collection; Catalog #4229, YA]" "View of Bonanza Creek, about 1900. [MacBride Museum Collection; Catalog #3599, YA]" "Stake marking Discovery Claim on Bonanza Creek, about 1898. [Vacouver Public Library Collection, #1990, YA]" "Keish (Skookum Jim), hand on hip, on his claim, No. 1 Above, 1899. [J. Johnson Collection, YA]" "Skookum Jim's house in Carcross. [Anglican Church Collection, YA]" "Dawson Charlie's house in Carcross; 1922. [R. Finnie Collection, YA]" "Houses of Dawson Charlie, Patsy Henderson, and Skookum Jim in Carcross; 1922. [R. Finnie Collection, YA]" "The Carcross railway bridge, traversing the narrows that separated the Native and non-Native communities. [H.C. Barley Collection, V.1; Catalog #4668, YA]" "View of Carcross and the Caribou Hotel, about 1900. [J. Campbell Collection; Catalog #6031, YA]" "Ceremony of the Last Spike at Carcross, officially completing the construction of the White Pass & Yukon Railway, July 29, 1900. [Kodiak Historical Society; Catalog #911, YA]" "Skookum Jim's ceremonial robe, taken from the Yukon in 1908 by the Peele family, returned many years later by Vivian Peele of New Westminster, B.C. The robe, made by Kate Carmack, is of dark blue cloth with scarlet bands, and almost 3000 handsewn mother-of- pearl buttons. [J. Whyard Collection, YA]" ============================================================
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