The lure of the Yukon
When one thinks of the Yukon, Dawson City comes to mind, complete with the romance of the Klondike gold-rush of 1897.
Dreams of bags of gold lured 100,000 gold-seekers to Canada’s north. Only 30,000 would make it and of those, very few would strike it rich.
The Yukon, however, was much more than the gold rush. The Tr’ondek Hwech’in, who have lived on the land for a few thousand years and thought the Yukon was a lot more useful for hunting and fishing and generally living the good life.
Dawson City’s Danoja Zho Cultural Center, right next to a paddlewheel ship designed to take tons of ore out, offers their perspective on how to live in the North.
The resurgence of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in culture is embodied in an extraordinary building on the Dawson waterfront.
Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre is a dramatic exception to the town’s gold rush theme by drawing on much older traditions, those of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in.
The contemporary architecture interprets salmon drying racks and winter shelter and is surrounded by Yukon wild flowers, berry bushes and trees. The Cultural Centre overlooks the Yukon River and provides a magnificent view down river to Moosehide.
Dänojà Zho was officially opened in July 1998, and has become both a community centre for heritage activities and a visitor attraction. Visitors have an opportunity to learn about the traditional and contemporary life of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in.
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, and Jean-Daniel Lafond visited the centre on June 20th to learn about the Trond'ek Hwech'in First Nation.
The Hammerstone Gallery guides visitors through the story of life at the traditional fish camp of Tr ’ochëk, the gold rush and the steps Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in took to become a self-governing nation once again. Displays include archaeological artifacts, reproductions of tools, costumes and life-sized photos that give voice to the memories and stories of the Elders.
Guided tours with Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in staff, seasonal displays, hands-on activities, films, concerts, contemporary dance, storytelling performances and special events are presented year-round.
Dänojà Zho is also considered to be a gateway to all Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in heritage sites, such as Tr ’ochëk, Forty Mile, Twelve Mile and Tombstone Park.
In its heyday, Dawson City was a pleasant place to come home to. After scrambling in the dirt all day, miners could head to the dance halls (buck a dance, payable in gold), or watch shows at the still-standing Palace Grand Theatre.
Or they could read the poems Robert Service wrote about his time in the North. Service knew instinctively what the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in already knew and what most miners would discover: it wasn’t really the lure of gold that kept them exploring the Yukon.
It’s the great, big, broad land ’way up yonder,
It’s the forests where silence has lease;
It's the beauty that thrills me with wonder,
It's the stillness that fills me with peace.”