Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizens gathered last week for an annual celebration featuring traditional arts, food and culture at the Conrad Historic Site. People came togther at the historic Conrad settlement on the shores of Windy Arm, on Tagish Lake, about 16 kilometres south of Carcross, Yukon. The town — a former gold and silver mining site — was founded in 1905 by Colonel J.
H. Conrad of the Conrad Consolidated Mining Company. With 300 people at its peak, it was briefly the largest settled town in the Southern Lakes area.
But by 1914 declining silver prices forced Conrad's company into bankruptcy and the town was abandoned. But even before settlers arrived, the area on Windy Arm was a traditional fishing, hunting and camping spot for the Tagish Kwan people. After the town's boom and bust, the Tagish Kwan reclaimed the site.
Colleen James, who helped host the celebration, said there was stew, bannock and a fish pond for kids to mark the day. "Fish is integral to what happened in the past to people in Carcross/Tagish," she said. There were also a badge-making, colouring and art stations.
"It's a beautiful day today," James said. People were invited to give their feedback on proposed signage for the historic site. (Marissa Meilleur/ CBC) Chelsea Jeffrey, the historic site's interpretative planner, organized a station where panels that explain the site's history were laid out for people to read and provide their feedback.
Jeffrey said the panels will be printed on a per.