Bessie John Nelnah (1923 – 2000)

Bessie John was born at Nìį'ìį (Sourdough) to parents Lucy and White River Johnny (Little John). Bessie lived at Tayh Chìį and other traditional sites in the Scottie Creek drainage.¹⁾ She grew up on her father’s trapline.²⁾ In 1989, Bessie’s emotional speech during the Council for Yukon First Nations general assembly at Aishihik convinced the chiefs to accept the White River First Nation as the fourteenth Yukon First Nation at the land claims table. Bessie began teaching the Upper Tanana language at the Beaver Creek School in 1989. In 1992 she graduated from the Native Language Instructor Certificate Course at Yukon College. She retired from her teaching position in 1993 but continued to assist in language and cultural instruction. She was involved in producing the Upper Tanana-Scottie Dialect Glossary. Her contributions to education and community life were recognized in 2004 when the Beaver Creek school was re-named the Nelnah Bessie John School.³⁾

Throughout her life, Bessie John took time to share her traditional knowledge, native medicines and songs with the people of Beaver Creek. She formed a long-standing dance group in Beaver Creek called the Scottie Creek Dancers. She was a regular performer at the annual Yukon International Storytelling Festival in the 1990s.⁴⁾