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Big Jonathan Campbell was born in 1875 and died on August 14, 1959. He was the grandson of Chief Tlingit Thling and the son of Hanan. Hanan was the Selkirk Chief that the Hudson Bay Trader and Explorer Robert Campbell gave his name to after Hanan saved Campbell’s life. In 1916 Big Jonathan became a greatly respected chief of the Selkirk people at Fort Selkirk. He married Susan Phillips and together they raised five children. Many of their descendants still live in the Pelly Crossing area. Chief Big Jonathan once had the largest house in Fort Selkirk. He lent his home to the community by hosting large gatherings such as potlatches and dances. After Big Jonathan’s death, his house was taken down as a sign of respect. Many years later his house was reconstructed on its original site at Fort Selkirk and a smaller replica was built in Pelly Crossing to house this Heritage Center. Welcome to the Big Jonathan House Heritage Center. Enjoy!

Selkirk First Nation is responsible for managing their Heritage, Culture and Language by acquiring, documenting, and preserving heritage resources that are significant to SFN citizens. These resources include artifacts, specimens, archives, and ethnographic documents.  We are responsible for the land-based research, traditional knowledge protection, seasonal archeology projects, documenting oral history, and the storage of heritage material, protection of significant heritage sites, and the programming and documentation of the Northern Tutchone language.