Kate Carmack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shaaw Tláa, Kate Carmack
Born	Shaaw Tláa c. 1857 Near Bennett Lake, Yukon, Canada
Died	29 March 1920 Carcross, Yukon
Other names	Kate Carmack
Occupation	Seamstress
Known for	With her husband and brother, credited with making the gold discovery at Discovery Claim that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
Spouse(s)	Kult’ús George Carmack
Children	3
Relatives	Keish (Skookum Jim Mason; brother) Dawson Charlie (K̲áa Goox̱; nephew)

Shaaw Tláa, also known as Kate Carmack (born around 1857 – died March 29, 1920), was a Tagish First Nation woman. She was part of the group that first found gold in the Klondike River area in 1896. Some people believe she was the one who actually made the important discovery. This discovery started the famous Klondike Gold Rush.

Early Life and Family

Shaaw Tláa was born near Bennett Lake in what is now Yukon, Canada. She grew up with her parents and seven brothers and sisters close to Carcross, Yukon. Her father, Kaachgaawáa, was a leader of the Tlingit crow clan. Her mother, Gus’dutéen, belonged to the Tagish wolf clan. Her name in the Tlingit language means "gumboot mother."

When she was young, Shaaw Tláa married her first cousin, Kult’ús. Sadly, in the early 1880s, her husband and their baby daughter passed away from the flu in Alaska. After this, Shaaw Tláa went back to her home village.

Meeting George Carmack

In 1887, Shaaw Tláa's brother, Keish (also known as Skookum Jim Mason), and her nephew, Dawson Charlie (K̲áa Goox̱), started working with an American named George Washington Carmack. They worked together, carrying supplies, hunting, and looking for gold. Within a year, Shaaw Tláa and George Carmack became partners and lived together. She then started using the name Kate Carmack.

From 1889, for about six years, Kate and George lived in the Forty Mile region. George looked for gold, trapped animals, and traded goods. Kate helped by making warm winter clothes, which she sold to miners. They had one daughter, Graphie Grace Carmack, who was born in 1893 in Fort Selkirk.

The Gold Discovery

Kate and George were fishing for salmon at the mouth of the Klondike River in August 1896. At that time, Kate's brother, Keish, and two nephews came to find them. This group then found gold in a place called Rabbit Creek. This creek was later renamed Bonanza Creek. This amazing discovery started the huge Klondike Gold Rush. Many stories say that Kate Carmack herself made the actual discovery of the gold.

Life After Gold

After they became very rich from the gold, the Carmacks moved to Hollister, California. They lived there with George Carmack's sister, Rose Watson. Later, George Carmack left California, leaving Kate, Graphie, and his former partners behind. Kate and Graphie stayed with Rose. In 1900, George Carmack married another woman, Marguerite Laimee, in Olympia, Washington. Kate could not prove she was George's legal wife, so she could not get financial support from him. She returned to Carcross in July.

Later Years and Legacy

Kate's brother, Keish, built a cabin for her near his own. Her daughter, Graphie, went to mission and residential schools in Carcross and Whitehorse. These schools were run by Bishop William Carpenter Bompas. Later, Graphie moved to Seattle, Washington.

Kate Carmack passed away in Carcross on March 29, 1920. She died from the flu during the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918-1920. Her important role in the Klondike Gold Rush is still remembered today.