Chief Charlie, Nootlah
Chief Charley had Russian blood, according to family oral tradition. He was called Nootle, Nootl'ee, Nootlah and Nootl'et and these are all variations of the Hän word for White man. Charley had two and maybe three children: Grace and Dolphus for sure and maybe Robert Nootlah as well. Grace and Dolphus moved to Eagle Village while Robert (aka Robert Charles) and his family moved to Forty Mile. Robert and his wife, Sarah Jane, had children Mary and Sarah. Chief Charlie and his wife, Sarah, were both Vuntut Gwich'in, Anglican Archdeacon Robert McDonald met Charley on the Yukon River in 1871. McDonald wrote that he was welcomed by Nootle, the chief, and others. Robert’s brother Kenneth McDonald met Nootle's party camped on the Black River beyond Goat Mountain. In 1874, Robert McDonald noted the arrival of Hän Gwich'in with their chief Charlie Nootle at Rampart House. The Hän stayed a little over two weeks to trade and left on June 25. In May 1875, six Hän arrived at Fort Yukon with their Christian leaders, Joseph Kooke and William Chichuin. About two weeks later, McQuesten arrived with seven Hän, including Charles Nootle and one Trohtsik Gwich'in. In 1875, Kenneth McDonald stayed at a Hän camp on the Yukon River, probably near the mouth of the Black River. McDonald stayed in the lodge of Chief Charley. The people were very short of food. In June 1896, Robert McDonald arrived at Rampart House to find 120 starving people. The leaders were Charles Nootle of the Han, Ketse of the Trohtsik Gwich'in [Tanana River people], Red Leggings of the Dranjik Gwich'in (Black Creek people), and Peter Roe of the Neets'ee Gwich'in (Arctic Village people).1)
Independent fur trader Leroy McQuesten talked to Chief Charley in 1879, and American Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka stopped at Charley Village in 1883. He counted 40 to 50 people living in five or six houses. Prospecter Edward Schieffelin, took the earliest photo of Chief Charley in 1883. In the early to mid-1880s, Charley and his family moved to Forty Mile. Rev. Bowen and McQuesten both thought very highly of Chief Charley. The 1900 census taker found Charley living at Eagle Village and guessed his age at 75.2)
In 1900, Chief Charley sought justice from Alaskan Judge Wickersham and paddled 100 miles upstream on the Yukon River to get it. In February 1901, Wickersham travelled downriver and stopped for the night at the Charley River Indian Roadhouse. Chief Charley was happy to see him again. Between 1900 and 1901, Wickersham took a photo of Chief Roderick of Circle, Chief Isaac of Dawson, and Chief Charley of Fortymile. William “Billy” Mitchell claimed he met Chief Charley in the Kechumstuk area in 1902. In the winter of 1909, Anglican Bishop Stringer visited Charley's village and counted 25 people living there, including Old Charlie whom Stringer had met at Herschel Island. The 1910 Census included Chief Charley and his wife and family at Charley Creek Indian Village. Hudson Stuck stopped at Charley Village in 1911. Stuck reported that the village was washed away during breakup in 1914. Charlie Biederman confirms the flood but states that most of the people died of the flu the year before. Louise Paul thinks that Chief Charley died in Eagle Village. Burial records show an Old Charley who died in 1907.3)
Martha Kates did a genealogy that shows all of the Roberts family, living in Dawson, as descendants of Chief Charley. According to Robert Jarvenpa (1998:46), Chief Isaac's father was the brother of Chief Carley Nootlah of Forty Mile.4) Charles Rivers and Mary Roberts married and raised seven children. Mary was the daughter of Chief Charlie and Sarah Jane James, and the sister of Chief Robert Charles (aka Robert Nootlah).5)