Summary
With the pursuit of gold in the Klondike, prospectors rushed into the Canadian North. Many hundreds of people made the trek north through un-ceded Aboriginal territory. During this period prospectors expanded into other regions—including the area surrounding Lake Athabasca—in search of more gold or other resources. This led directly to a greater North West Mounted Police presence being dispatched in the area. As the government desired the resource wealth of the area, they responded to the longstanding requests of Indigenous people in the area to negotiate treaties.
Implications
The Klondike Gold Rush resulted in increased settler presence. The rapid influx of people resulted in increased disease and illness amongst Indigenous peoples, an interruption in subsistence patterns as pressures on game and fish increased, and increased violence and conflict between Indigenous peoples and miners.
Resources
Date
1897-00-00
Theme(s)