Teslin, Yukon
The community of Teslin includes the Village of Teslin in Yukon, Canada. Teslin is situated at historical Mile 804 on the Alaska Highway along Teslin Lake.[1] The Hudson's Bay Company established a small trading post at Teslin in 1903 (i.e. Teslin Post). In the 2011 census, the population of the village was 122, a decrease of 13.5% from the 2006 census, and that of the reserve was 138, a decrease of 11.5% from 2006.[2]
Village of Teslin ᑦᐁᔅᓕᓐᑦᐆ | |
---|---|
![]() Southeast Teslin | |
![]() ![]() Village of Teslin ![]() ![]() Village of Teslin | |
Coordinates: 60°10′02″N 132°43′18″W | |
Country | Canada |
Territory | Yukon |
Teslin is home to the Teslin Inland Tlingit First Nations. The name Teslin came from a Tlingit word "Teslintoo." Teslin has one of the largest Native populations in Yukon. Much of the community's livelihood revolves around traditional hunting, trapping and fishing.
Culture
Teslin is made up of two moieties; Wolf and Crow. Under the moiety of Wolf there are two clans; Eagle (Dakhl'awedi') and Wolf (Yanyedi). The Crow moiety have three clans; Raven's Children (Kukhhittan or Crow), Frog (Ishkitan) and Split tail Beaver (Deshitan). Under their matrilineal kinship system, children are considered born into the mother's clan, and descent is traced through her line.[3]
Government
In 1995 the Teslin Inland Tlingit negotiated and signed a land claims agreement with the federal government, under which they re-established their own government and became self-sustaining.[3] The Teslin Inland Tlingit now enact their own legal and political framework for government-to-government relations with Canada and the Yukon.
The Teslin Tlingit Council have the right to make their own laws and regulations. There are many different departments within Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC), for example: Finance, Lands and Resources, Health and Social.[3]
The people have developed the Teslin Tlingit Council Clan System Government, which combines traditional Tlingit Clan culture with contemporary organizational and management principles. The five clans (Eagle, Crow, Frog, Wolf, and Beaver) each appoint five members to the 25-member General Council, and have recognized Elders (persons 58 years and older) on the Elders Council.[4]
Gallery
- Teslin at dusk
- Terminal, Teslin Airport
- Runway 08
- Teslin Airport
Climate
Teslin has a dry-summer subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc). Summer days are mild along with cool nights. Winters are severely cold and snowy, with annual snowfall averaging 58.4 inches (148.4 cm). Teslin is one of the warmest communities in the Yukon, with a yearly average of 30.9°F (-0.6°C).[5]
Climate data for Teslin Airport | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high humidex | 8.8 | 10.3 | 12.2 | 19.4 | 28.4 | 35.1 | 33.9 | 32.2 | 26.6 | 17.8 | 10.6 | 8.0 | 35.1 |
Record high °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
13.0 (55.4) |
22.0 (71.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
33.3 (91.9) |
31.1 (88.0) |
32.5 (90.5) |
26.1 (79.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
9.0 (48.2) |
33.3 (91.9) |
Average high °C (°F) | −12.6 (9.3) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
12.6 (54.7) |
4.3 (39.7) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −17.1 (1.2) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
0.7 (33.3) |
6.9 (44.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
14.1 (57.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
7.3 (45.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
Average low °C (°F) | −21.5 (−6.7) |
−19.5 (−3.1) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.9 (46.2) |
5.8 (42.4) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −52.8 (−63.0) |
−50.6 (−59.1) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
−27.8 (−18.0) |
−23.9 (−11.0) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−20.0 (−4.0) |
−25.0 (−13.0) |
−40.6 (−41.1) |
−48.0 (−54.4) |
−52.8 (−63.0) |
Record low wind chill | −60.4 | −53.4 | −49.3 | −31.2 | −13.4 | −4.2 | −2.0 | −5.0 | −13.0 | −33.2 | −51.1 | −59.3 | −60.4 |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.5 (1.04) |
16.1 (0.63) |
14.2 (0.56) |
9.4 (0.37) |
24.0 (0.94) |
30.7 (1.21) |
44.2 (1.74) |
41.4 (1.63) |
48.7 (1.92) |
38.5 (1.52) |
27.4 (1.08) |
25.2 (0.99) |
346.3 (13.63) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.2 (0.01) |
0.1 (0.00) |
0.2 (0.01) |
3.8 (0.15) |
22.6 (0.89) |
30.7 (1.21) |
44.2 (1.74) |
41.4 (1.63) |
46.9 (1.85) |
17.9 (0.70) |
1.2 (0.05) |
0.2 (0.01) |
209.5 (8.25) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 29.2 (11.5) |
18.3 (7.2) |
14.9 (5.9) |
5.9 (2.3) |
1.4 (0.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.9 (0.7) |
22.0 (8.7) |
27.6 (10.9) |
27.0 (10.6) |
148.4 (58.4) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 10.8 | 7.9 | 7.4 | 5.2 | 10.3 | 12.2 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 15.8 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.2 | 140.5 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 9.8 | 12.2 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 15.4 | 8.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 78.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 10.9 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 8.3 | 13.6 | 11.9 | 65.0 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 78.2 | 74.6 | 65.5 | 50.7 | 41.9 | 42.9 | 49.6 | 51.2 | 59.1 | 68.7 | 79.0 | 79.1 | 61.7 |
Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[6] |
Notable Teslin Tlingit
- Marian Horne (born 1943), politician (Yukon Party), elected in 2006 as MLA, Minister of Justice and Minister responsible for Women's Directorate in the Yukon Legislative Assembly[4]
- George Johnston (1884–1972), trapper and photographer, founder of "Teslin Taxi." He captured the life of the inland Tlingit people of Teslin and Atlin in numerous photos taken between 1910 and 1940.[7][8] Johnston also brought the first car to Teslin; it was a 1928 Chevrolet. He built a 3 to 5 mi (4.8 to 8.0 km) road for his "Teslin taxi" since the Alaska Highway had not been built yet.[9] In winter, he put chains on the car, painted it white, and drove it on frozen Teslin Lake. The '28 Chevy has been restored and is now on permanent display at the George Johnston Museum in Teslin.[10]
See also
References
- "Teslin (village)". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses
- Governance
- Marian C. Horne, "Yukon's Self Governing First Nations", Canadian Parliamentary Review, Vol 33 no 2, 2010, accessed 5 October 2014
- Canada, Environment and Climate Change (25 September 2013). "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". climate.weather.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "Teslin A" (CSV (2874 KB)). Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2101100. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- The Cultural Work of Photography in Canada, edited by Carol Payne, Andrea Kunard
- "George Johnston captured the history of Teslin on film", Whiteshorse Star
- Jim C. Robb, Teslin Taxi, Yukon News, 2014
- "George Johnston", George Johnston Museum
External links
- Teslin Tlingit Council, Official Website
- Community profiles
- George Johnston Museum