| Summary: | The Hän people lived along the Yukon River in eastern Alaska and western Yukon Territory. One of their largest camps was at the junction of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers. It was near here that George W. Carmack made the first big gold strike in 1896. By 1898, 30,000 gold seekers had poured into Hän territory. The newcomers' hunting and timber cutting left the native population in poverty. This photo, taken by Asahel Curtis around 1898, shows Chief Isaac of the Hän people. He was so worried about the future of his people that he sent some of their most sacred tribal possessions to Hän elders in Alaska for safekeeping. Original photograph: Curtis, Asahel, ca. 1898. Copied after 1975 by the Museum of History and Industry. 1 acetate negative: b&w; 2.5 x 2.5 in.
|
|---|