Patsy Henderson Kùlsìn (1879 -1976)
Kùlsìn was an Inland Tlingit man born near Tagish, one of nine boys and one girl in his family.1) He was Skookum Jim's nephew and Dawson Charlie's youngest brother. His English name was given to him by George Carmack. Patsy Henderson thought that because he was frightened and cried at his dream of Wealth Woman he never became rich like his uncle and brother.2) In late July 1896, Skookum Jim and his two nephews, Charlie and seventeen-year-old Kùlsìn, arrived at Carmack’s Klondike River fish camp.3) Patsy stayed at the Klondike camp with Kate when George, Jim, and Charlie travelled up Bonanza and made their historic strike. When William Ogilvie surveyed the claims on Bonanza and Eldorado, he found that Jim’s claim was No 1 was over the legal size so Patsy, now eighteen years old, was able to stake the fraction known as Claim 1A Above. It was recorded in the name of Tagish Patsy on 1 March 1897.4)
Patsy Henderson and Edith Jackson were married in St. Saviour's Church in Carcross in 1906. They were the first First Nation couple to be married in the church.5) In 1914, they were operating a fox farm.6)
On Discovery Day in August 1928, Patsy Henderson had a display ad in the Whitehorse newspaper for his Indian Museum and instructive lectures in Carcross.7) Henderson was well known for his lectures about the north and the discovery of gold and he and Edith met tourists at the Carcross train station. He would demonstrate snares and fish traps and explain beaver nets and the bow and arrow and how to make fire without matches.8) Henderson owned a wealth of artifacts inherited from Skookum Jim that included bone and wooden objects, traditional Tlingit clothing some of which was home-made, and some gifts from Alaska. He rented the biggest room in the old Scott Hotel in Carcross to house it and when that burned down, he put what remained in the White Pass station waiting room. The collection remains with descendants of the Henderson family.9)
In January or February 1920, Patsy and Edith disposed of their fox ranch at Ten Mile Point on Tagish Lake.10) [This may have been caused by new legislation regulating First Nation businesses.] Patsy and Sam Smith started advertising their guiding and boat rental business on Little Atlin Lake in 1946.11)
Patsy and Edith Henderson were presented to Queen Elizabeth at MacBride Museum in Whitehorse in 1959.12)