INTRODUCTION

Fort Selkirk, found just north of the confluence of the Yukon and Pelly rivers, is a land of very cold, dry winters and mild, temperate summers. The coldest recorded temperature at the townsite is 64º Celsius below zero, while in summer the mercury rarely rises much above 20º.

Extremes of temperature have played a major role in the geologic development of the area. Covered in glaciers during three ice periods, volcanic centres around Fort Selkirk erupted. A synthesis of molten rock and ice produced the distinctive basalt rock cliffs found on the north shore of the Yukon River, opposite Fort Selkirk. Geologists have dated the most recent eruption, that of Volcano Mountain (Nelruna in Northern Tutchone), to be at least 4,200 years old. The ancient blast is still related in the oral tradition of the Northern Tutchone people.

The ice that raked the earth during the glacial periods left vast layers of gravel and boulders in its wake, forming what is now the riverbed of the Yukon River. The jagged bottom and the swift current (approximately 7 km/h) produce the boiling effect seen on the surface of the river. Hidden beneath the turbulent water is the abundant river life that originally attracted First Nation people to the site.

Just as plentiful are the wildlife species found at the town, they include: moose, black bear, coyote, red fox, arctic ground squirrel, rabbit and muskrat.

The presence of wildlife through vast expanses of time has been dramatically demonstrated by the recent discovery of the remains of the world’s oldest caribou. 1.6 million year old caribou bones have been discovered at the base of the basalt cliffs opposite Fort Selkirk, and examination of these bones has shown a remarkable similarity between the ancient and modern animals. Further paleontological research has delineated the remains of many species of small mammals from the same time period.