A RICH CULTURE

Before the region was inundated with settlers, it was part of the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. First peoples used and migrated through the area for at least 8,000 years, hunting moose and caribou, trapping, fishing, and harvesting traditional plants and berries.

Visit the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre to learn about the history and culture of Dawson’s original inhabitants through stories, artifacts, and other cultural objects such as canoes and beaded clothing. The centre is open Wednesday through Friday in summer and by appointment in winter.

In late spring through the summer, join the Parks Canada interpretive program, Red Serge, Red Tape, and step inside the opulent Commissioner’s Residence. An interpreter helps participants challenge their notion of a romanticized gold rush by telling the Indigenous side of the story. I learn how Chief Isaac moved his people downriver to Moosehide to shield them from the drinking, gambling and general rabble-rousing that had overcome Dawson.