Dachan Choo Gę̀hnjik

This has long been known as a good fishing area and people have camped here for many generations. Oral history indicates that a fish trap for grayling was used about 30 miles up the river. Historically, Bill McNeely was the first person to establish a permanent camp near the mouth of the river. In 1942, Hyacinthe Andre decided to settle down in one place with his family and he purchased McNeely’s camp for $100. Hyacinthe continued to hunt, fish and trap from here. In the summer, he and his brother-in-law, Richard (Dick) Bullock also grew vegetables such as potatoes, cabbages and turnips in a large garden below his cabin. Although most of these vegetables were for his family, he recalls that he had so many cabbages (700) one year, that he and his wife Eliza took 400 of them into Inuvik to sell. They were sold out in less than an hour. Today, there are three cabins still standing plus a warehouse, smokehouse and three outhouses. Hyacinthe moved permanently to Tsiigehtchic from Tree River after the death of his wife Eliza in 1977. The Tree River camp is still used by the Andre family of Tsiigehtchic.