Beaver Creek is the home of the White River First Nation, which is culturally affiliated with both the Upper Tanana people of Alaska and the Northern Tutchone people to the south and east. This area has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. The Upper Tanana traditional area extends deep into the Alaskan interior and into the Yukons mid-western section. Long ago, no borders divided the people of White River and their relatives in Alaskan villages.
In traditional times, the Upper Tanana people pursued a nomadic way of life, following big game, trapping, and fishing, moving with the seasons and setting up camps wherever there was an abundance of natural resources and food. They developed a strict social order within their clan systems and social organizations. They celebrated all occasions of life with the institution of the potlatch, a tradition that is carried on today.
The people of the White River had access to a rich source of copper in streams near the headwaters. They learned to fashion copper nuggets into spear points, arrowheads, tools and ornaments. They also traded these items and raw copper nuggets with other First Nation groups in the Yukon interior who developed their own uses for the metal.
The White River country is marked by a massive volcanic eruption that occurred about 1,250 years ago. This major eruption in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska blanketed much of southern and central Yukon with a thick layer of volcanic ash. This layer of white ash is still visible in cutbanks today, just a few centimetres below the topsoil.
Today, members of the White River First Nation are very active in their cultural revival, promoting traditional dancing, singing and language programs.