Little Jim (d. 1930)

Little Jim was Marge Jackson's father. After his wife died, Little Jim married Marge’s mother Maggie Jim (nee Maggie John) around 1908. He had a big house in Champagne called Frog House or T'sal ku. It was a clan house, part of the Crow Moiety, and the family lived there because Little Jim was the head of the clan. Jim was good hunter, trapper and guide. Contrary to the normal custom for nicknames, Jim was a little guy. In winter, the family stayed at Otter Lake where Little Jim trapped. They traded at Champagne for flour, sugar, tea, rice, mush, macaroni, dried potatoes, dried onions, and used dog packs for carrying it. In the spring they went to Et'elin, between Aishihik and Otter Lake, to hunt rats [muskrats]. Then they would go to Champagne and sell the pelts. Then they went from Otter Lake to the other side of the lake just this end of Aishihik Lake to hunt moose. After they dried a little of the meat, they went to the mountain just below Kloo Lake. And then to Dry Pass when they met and stayed with people from Kloo Lake. Then they went through Marshall Creek and then to Haines Junction to dry gophers. Then to Canyon Creek to put up more meat. They had a cache about ten miles up the Aishihik Road and they left dry meat there for the winter. The cache was built just like a log house. After September, they went back to this end of Otter Lake and used a net to get trout and whitefish to dry for the winter and for dog food. Around November, they went to Aishihik Lake to the big island to net trout. They brought them back to Otter Lake to dry them. Then they trapped until Christmas when they travelled to Champagne. The men went down sometimes in the fall to get supplies. Then in the spring they went to Canyon Creek and then Marshall Creek to trap for lynx and fur. Marge Jackson’s mother caught squirrels and got about five cents each for them. After the spring they went to Marshall Creek and stayed there for fresh meat. Then back to Otter Lake to trap muskrats in the spring.¹⁾