Charley Smith TL’ukshan (~1880s – 1978)

Charley Smith was of the Wolf Clan. He was related to Jim Boss on his mother’s side and the Klukwan Tlingit on his father’s side. Charlie was born at Zil Män (Fish Lake) and his family travelled widely in the southern Yukon. Charlie and Mary (Tàshura) were married around 1920 and they had seven children. Mary grew up in the Little Salmon area. They had a salmon camp on the Teslin River and a trapline and a cabin at Winter Crossing where they spent most of the winter. In the spring, they travelled to Whitehorse where they had a small cabin near Front Street. They traded their furs at Taylor and Drury’s for food and clothing and would stay in town for several weeks visiting with friends and family. Mary died suddenly with pneumonia in 1937. Fur prices declined in the 1950s and Charlie and his family ended their Teslin River lifestyle. Charlie was a respected elder who passed along his knowledge and stories to his family.¹⁾