animated man
NATURE
· Fastest-growing Mountains in the World
FIRST PEOPLES
· The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations
HISTORY
· A Dazzling Landscape
This is a link to a map of the mountains of British Columbia and a close up of the Tatshenshini.

FOCUS  Tatshenshini

The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations
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This is a photograph of the Lower Alsek River area, showing mountain ranges in the distance.
Lower Alsek River country. S. Gaunt, CAFN.
The Alsek-Tatshenshini and Chilkat river basins in the far northwest corner of British Columbia are the homeland of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN). This is a land of great natural beauty and biological richness, with steep mountains, surging glaciers, fast-flowing rivers, rolling tundra plateaus and forested river valleys.
CAFN was named after two of its historic settlements, both located in the Alsek basin in the southern Yukon. Prior to the construction of the Alaska and Haines highways in 1942–43, the CAFN people lived in small villages such as Aishihik, Canyon, Champagne, Hutchi, Kloo Lake, Klukshu and Shawshe, as well as in family camps. These were spread out over their traditional territory, which covers some 41,000 square kilometres, about one-third of which is in British Columbia and the remainder in the adjacent Yukon. There are no permanent occupied CAFN villages in British Columbia; most members live in the Yukon or in nearby Alaska.
Traditional dancer Ron Chambers at Klukshu, the only Tatshenshini River fishing village now occupied. S. Gaunt, CAFN.
This is a photograph of traditional dancer, Ron Chambers in traditional dress, holding a drum, at Klukshu fishing village on the Tatshenshini River
CAFN's native language is Southern Tutchone, a member of the Athapaskan language family grouping that includes Navajo, Dene and most Yukon and Alaskan Indian languages. Ties with neighbouring southern Yukon peoples were strengthened by intermarriage, visiting and trade. CAFN has also maintained strong relationships with its neighbours to the south, the Tlingit of the Alaskan coast. In former days the CAFN people who lived in the British Columbia portion of the territory were bilingual, speaking both Southern Tutchone and Tlingit. Only a few Yukon elders speak Tlingit. In the Yukon, Southern Tutchone is the language taught to children in schools and the family home. CAFN members living in Alaska continue to keep the Tlingit language alive.
Youth of the Dakwakada Dancers welcome visitors from southern British Columbia. S. Gaunt, CAFN.
This is a picture of young Dakwakada dancers, in traditional dress welcoming visitors.
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