Annie Ned, Ntthenada Cheteclah (~1890 - 1995)
Annie Ned was Southern Tutchone, born in Carcross.1) Her mother was a member of the Crow clan and came from the Dalton Post area. Her father was Hutshi Jim, one of the Hutshi chief’s six sons. Annie spent her childhood around Hutshi and most of her adult years near Kusawa Lake and the Takhini River system.2)
Annie married Paddy Jim and after he died she married Johnny Ned. She had seven children, including the distinguished leader Elijah Smith. She lived in many places in the Yukon including Champagne, Fifty-two Mile Lake, and the Whitehorse area.3) The Stony Creek Crossing was an important campsite for the Southern Tutchone. Annie Ned made her home here in the early 1950s until a forest fire forced the family out.4)
Annie Ned was a powerful figure with special knowledge about spiritual power.5) She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1990 for a lifetime of maintaining and promoting the culture and language of her people. Her recounting of stories and legends and participation in cultural events has helped to preserve the link between Yukon's past and the present generations.6)
The Dakwäkäda Dancers group in Haines Junction was established by the granddaughters of Annie Ned, whose songs and dances are the basis of the group’s repertoire.7) Annie Ned's story is written in Julie Cruikshank's Life Lived like a Story: Life Stories of Three Yukon Native Elders. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990.