Dawson Charlie
Encyclopedia
Dawson Charlie or K̲áa Goox̱ [qʰáː kuːχ] (ca. 1860s – 26 December 1908) was a Canadian Tagish
/Tlingit First Nation person and one of the co-discoverers of gold that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
located in the Yukon
territory of Northwest Canada
. He was the nephew of Skookum Jim Mason and accompanied him on his search for his aunt Kate Carmack
. He staked one of the first three claims in the Klondike
, along with his uncle and George Carmack
. Kate Carmack
was his aunt. Storyteller Angela Sidney
was a niece.
He died in Carcross, Yukon
when he fell off the White Pass
railway bridge
.
Pierre Berton
incorrectly called him Tagish Charlie in his Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush.
Tagish
The Tagish or Tagish Khwáan are a group of Athabaskan First Nation people that lived around Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Tagish people intermarried heavily with Tlingit people from the coast and the Tagish language is almost extinct...
/Tlingit First Nation person and one of the co-discoverers of gold that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
located in the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
territory of Northwest Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was the nephew of Skookum Jim Mason and accompanied him on his search for his aunt Kate Carmack
Kate Carmack
Shaaw Tláa, also known as Kate Carmack was a Tagish First Nation woman born near Bennett Lake. She lived with her parents, and seven sisters and brothers, near Carcross, Yukon. Her father, Kaachgaawáa, was the head of the Tlingit crow clan, while her mother, Gus’dutéen, was a member of the Tagish...
. He staked one of the first three claims in the Klondike
Klondike, Yukon
The Klondike is a region of the Yukon in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. It lies around the Klondike River, a small river that enters the Yukon from the east at Dawson....
, along with his uncle and George Carmack
George Carmack
George Washington Carmack was a Contra Costa County, California-born prospector in the Yukon. He was originally credited with the discovery of gold that set off the Klondike Gold Rush on August 16, 1896...
. Kate Carmack
Kate Carmack
Shaaw Tláa, also known as Kate Carmack was a Tagish First Nation woman born near Bennett Lake. She lived with her parents, and seven sisters and brothers, near Carcross, Yukon. Her father, Kaachgaawáa, was the head of the Tlingit crow clan, while her mother, Gus’dutéen, was a member of the Tagish...
was his aunt. Storyteller Angela Sidney
Angela Sidney
Angela Sidney, was a Tagish storyteller. She co-authored two narratives of traditional Tagish legends, and a historical document of Tagish place names for southern Yukon...
was a niece.
He died in Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of 431 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation....
when he fell off the White Pass
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
railway bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
.
Pierre Berton
Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
incorrectly called him Tagish Charlie in his Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush.