Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide)
Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide)
Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide)
Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide)
Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide)
Construction Period: Pre 1895
Designation Level: Municipal
in Dawson City
Moosehide Slide (Ëdhä dädhëchą) is a natural and cultural landscape located in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Traditional Territory and on un-surveyed Commissioners land in the north end of Dawson City, Yukon. The designated area includes the entire extent of the slide and the talus apron discharge down the hill. The site is bound on the west by the Yukon River bluffs and to the east by a knoll at the furthest extent of the slide activity. The upper extent borders the crest of the hilltop while the lower extent borders the green space at the base of the slide.
Construction Period: Pre 1895 Designation Level: Municipal
Designation Date: June 12, 2018
The Moosehide Slide was designated for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic values.
Moosehide Slide is one of the most iconic natural features of the Yukon. For the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in it signified the arrival to their fishing grounds and a coming together of families following winter travels; for gold seekers it signified their arrival into the Klondike; and today it signifies a connection to place for all residents of the region.
The story of the creation of the Moosehide slide is a “long-ago” story demonstrating Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s enduring relationship with their landscape. This story relates to other important stories which describe the creation of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s physical world in the Yukon, and further relates to other Athabascan stories both in the Yukon and Alaska. The Moosehide Trail, which crosses the slide and provides an overland route between Moosehide and Tr’ochëk, is one of the few Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in traditional routes still used today.
Historic photographs of Dawson City feature Moosehide Slide prominently, establishing this landmark in the imaginations of gold-rush aficionados world-wide. The site contains artifacts from Dawson City’s gold rush era: The Acklen Ditch, built in the early 1900s to transport water for hydraulic mining operations, is still visible across the Moosehide Slide. As well, at the base of the slide there are remains of historic residences, including stone foundations, a tin midden, and a number of in situ artifacts.
Presently, Moosehide Slide provides a backdrop to the City of Dawson’s North End green space. It includes a trail loop which connects to the ninth avenue trail and community park space with some of the most varied vegetation within the city limit. Viewpoints from the Moosehide trail provide vistas overlooking the City of Dawson, Tr’ochëk and the Yukon River.
