THE KLONDIKE QUEEN Shaaw Tláa (Kate Carmack)

19th century / Canada / First woman to... / Indigenous Peoples / North America / on-location / Travel
Shaaw Tláa wearing a gold nugget necklace and belt
Yukon archives

On a day like any other in 1896, Shaaw Tláa was washing dishes in a Yukon creek. But something shiny caught her eye… and the Klondike Gold Rush began. It’s an insane chapter of world history: 100,000 ill-prepared dreamers from all over the world trekked into the subarctic. But what would become of the indigenous woman who started it all? Shaaw Tláa, known to the world as Kate Carmack, was suddenly one the richest people in the world, and she was married to a man called Lying George…

Join Katie on location at ⁠Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park⁠ for this larger-than-life story of gold, greed, and destiny.

Want to lean more about Shaaw Tlaa? We’ve got you covered:

Lissa Kramer is Park Curator for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park- Seattle Unit. She has worked in government and nonprofit museums for 26 years, including multiple national parks. Lissa studied museology, humanities, and ethnobotany at the University of Washington, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Prior to living in Seattle, Lissa lived in Alaska for more than 12 years. She has a deep passion for integrating science and traditional knowledge to sustainably manage cultural and natural resources.
Sydney Shewmaker is an interpretive Park Ranger at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Seattle Unit. She studied education and English/Language Arts at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and taught 7th – 9th grade English before joining the National Park Service. Sydney loves public education and finding opportunities to connect visitors with the historical resources of the park.

Music featured in this episode includes:

“Gold Rush” and “Five Card Shuffle” by Kevin MacLeod; “Roundup in the Prairie” by Aaron Kenny; “A Ghost Town” by Quincas Moreira; “Over the Mountain” and “Inconsciousness” by Mini Vandals; “The Quiet Aftermath” by Sir Cubworth; “Horses and Trains” by Jesse Gallagher; historical recordings of the US Marine

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