Beaver Creek is the home of the White River First Nation, which is culturally affiliated with both the Upper Tanana people of Alaska and the Northern Tutchone people to the south and east. The White River First Nation membership is estimated at about 220.
Calculations generated by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in 2004 for their internal purposes estimated the registered population of the White River First Nation at 139, many of whom live in other communities. First Nations' calculations of their population numbers may differ from Government of Canada figures and may include registered beneficiaries, non-beneficiary citizens and others.
The Upper Tanana language is an Athapaskan dialect and one of many Athapaskan language groupings. People from the Upper Tanana and Northern Tutchone make up the membership of the White River First Nation. The Upper Tanana traditional area extends deep into the Alaskan interior and into the Yukon's mid-western section. Long ago, there were no borders to divide the people of White River and their relatives in Northway and other Alaskan villages. The small town of Beaver Creek is not the original village site of the Upper Tanana people; they were relocated from Snag and Scottie Creek after the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942.
In traditional times, the Upper Tanana people pursued a nomadic way of life, following big game, trapping, and fishing, moving with the seasons and setting up camps wherever there was an abundance of natural resources and food. They developed a strict social order within their clan systems and social organization. They celebrated all occasions of life with the institution of the potlatch, a tradition that is carried on today.
The Department of Indian Affairs grouped the Upper Tanana people of Beaver Creek with the Southern Tutchone people of the Kluane area to form the Kluane Band, although they saw themselves as two distinct groups. In 1991, at a General Assembly of the Council of Yukon First Nations, the White River First Nation officially separated from the Kluane First Nation to form their own First Nation.
The White River First Nation is completing the final legal and technical review of their land claims and self-government agreements, and expect to begin the ratification process in the fall of 2004. The White River First Nation Council administers a variety of housing, municipal, and social programs for its members. Members of the White River First Nation are very active in their cultural revival, promoting traditional dancing, singing, and language programs.
