The Selkirk First Nation: Keepers of Fort Selkirk and the Middle Yukon

The Selkirk First Nation (SFN) are the Northern Tutchone-speaking people of the middle Yukon River, centred on the community of Pelly Crossing where the Klondike Highway crosses the Pelly River. Their traditional territory encompasses a substantial stretch of the Yukon River from the mouth of the Pelly River north, as well as the Pelly and Macmillan river drainages to the east. The First Nation takes its name from Fort Selkirk — the historic post on their territory — which they now steward as one of the most significant heritage sites in the Yukon. ## Language and Culture Northern Tutchone is an Athapascan language that the Selkirk First Nation shares with several neighbouring peoples — the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation to the south, the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun to the east, and the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council to the southwest. Clan identity — Crow and Wolf moieties, with matrilineal descent — organized social life. SFN language revitalization programs work to ensure Northern Tutchone is passed to younger generations. ## Fort Selkirk Fort Selkirk is the defining historic landmark of Selkirk First Nation territory — and one of the most atmospheric heritage sites in the Yukon. The Hudson's Bay Company established a post here in 1848, at the confluence of the Pelly and Yukon rivers. In 1852, a group of coastal Tlingit traders raided and destroyed the post, resisting the intrusion of the HBC into their trading network. The fort was abandoned and not re-established until 1893. During the Gold Rush, Fort Selkirk became a stopping point on the river route to Dawson City. A small community grew up around it, complete with a church, school, and telegraph station. But after the sternwheelers stopped running in the 1950s, the community gradually emptied out. Today, Fort Selkirk is accessible only by boat — there is no road to the site. The Selkirk First Nation maintains it as a heritage site and operates summer programming there. Walking through the preserved buildings — the church, the trading post, the RCMP barracks — gives a vivid sense of a place suspended in time. ## Salmon and the River The confluence of the Pelly and Yukon rivers was one of the most productive fishing locations in the territory. Chinook salmon migrating upriver to their spawning grounds passed through in significant numbers, and the Selkirk First Nation people developed sophisticated techniques for harvesting, preserving, and distributing salmon across their territory. The salmon fishery remains culturally important, though runs have fluctuated over the decades and climate-driven changes in river temperatures are affecting salmon populations throughout the Yukon River system. ## Self-Government The Selkirk First Nation concluded their Final Agreement and Self-Government Agreement in 1997. Under their agreements, they received approximately 1,891 square kilometres of settlement land — one of the larger land bases among the Yukon First Nations — and self-government jurisdiction over their people and lands. The SFN operates programs in Pelly Crossing covering language, culture, health, education, and resource management. Visitors to the Klondike Highway who stop in Pelly Crossing are guests in Selkirk First Nation territory. The community has a gas station and basic services; Fort Selkirk, 55 kilometres downstream by boat, is worth the effort for serious heritage travellers. --- ## See Also on TheKlondike.net - [Yukon's Historic Sites: A Complete Visitor's Guide](/blog/yukon-historic-sites-visitor-guide) — including Fort Selkirk - [The Klondike Highway: Skagway to Dawson City](/blog/klondike-highway-skagway-to-dawson) — Pelly Crossing is on this route - [The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun](/blog/nacho-nyak-dun-first-nation) — neighbouring Northern Tutchone people to the east - [The Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation](/blog/little-salmon-carmacks-first-nation) — neighbouring Northern Tutchone people to the south - [The 1993 Umbrella Final Agreement](/blog/yukon-umbrella-final-agreement-1993) — SFN concluded self-government in 1997