Jim Boss Kishxóot (~1871 - 1950)
Jim Boss was the chief of the Ta’an Kwäch’än from around 1890 to 1950.1) His father, Mundessa, was from Hutshi and his mother was Tagish. Jim had four siblings including Maggie [Broeren], Jenny Boss, Susie, and [not named].2) Chief Boss married Kathleen and they had one son, Fred. He and his second wife, Maude, had four children: Alice, David, Lena, and Ned. He and his third wife Annie had children Agnes and Sam.3)
In 1900, Chief Boss petitioned William Ogilvie, Commissioner of the Yukon, for a 1,600-acre reserve to protect his peoples’ land and hunting grounds. He was granted a 320-acre parcel. Boss was not satisfied, and he had lawyer Willard Phelps write a letter to Ottawa directing the prime minister to notify the King that the gold rush stampeders were taking Ta’an land and game. The local police responded, saying they would protect Boss’ people and land. About fifty years later, Ottawa decided that the Ta’an were not an independent nation and melded two Whitehorse First Nations into one band.4)
Boss owned several roadhouses including one at Deep Creek at Lake Laberge.5) He was a good hunter and fisherman and provided wild meat to the Burns Company in Whitehorse and sold lake trout and white fish to the sternwheelers and miners along the Yukon River.6) He worked cutting wood for the river boats and in 1925 reported good progress on his wood contract with White Pass.7) He also worked for White Pass as second mate on the riverboats.8) In the summer of 1929, John Scott and Fred Boss stretched and stapled canvas surfacing on the decks of the SS Klondike.9)