Latest news with #CarcrossTagishFirstNation
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Carcross/Tagish First Nation 'in the driver's seat' for remediation projects
The Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN) in the Yukon will play a leading role in the clean-up of several contaminated sites on or near its traditional territory, after the signing of an agreement this week with the federal government. One federal official says it puts the First Nation "in the driver's seat" for the remediation projects. The governance agreement covers the remediation of three contaminated legacy sites on or adjacent to the First Nation's traditional territory: the former Arctic Gold and Silver mine site, the former Venus mine site, and the former site of the Chooutla residential school. Darla-Jean Lindstrom, the deputy chief of the First Nation said "it feels wonderful," that the sites are going to be cleaned up. "It took a long time for it to happen," she said. The agreement was signed on Wednesday on top of Montana Mountain, at the site of the former Arctic Gold and Silver mine and mill, which operated from the early 1800s to the mid-19th century. The Venus mine site is on the shore of Windy Arm, south of Carcross. Both that site and the Arctic Gold and Silver site contain toxic tailings and other mine waste. First Nations were using the area for hunting, gathering food and traditional medicines, and other activities long before the mines moved in. "[The sites] are damaging to the lands and the animals that go up there and the berries that we pick," said Lindstrom. "So we're quite grateful for this time to get it cleaned up and look after Mother Nature, because it really looks after us." The new agreement also covers some cleanup at the Chooutla site, including some hydrocarbons in the soil. The Chooutla school operated from 1911 to 1969. After it closed, the building remained in place for many years before the First Nation helped demolish it in 1993. Rob Wright, the associate deputy minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, signed the new agreement on Wednesday on behalf of the federal government. He says the innovative part of the agreement is how it puts C/TFN "in the driver's seat," when it comes to remediating the contaminated sites. "They are going to be leading the remediation of their lands, working in partnership with us. And this is just a fantastic shift in our relationship and partnership. I think it's a step forward in the way we work together," he said. 'Not just clean up and go away' Stephen Mooney is the president of the Carcross Tagish Group of Companies, the First Nation's development corporation. It was put in charge of monitoring the sites and contracting workers for future remediation projects. He says the economic impact of these remediation projects won't just stop at cleaning up the sites. "It's not just clean up and go away. We want to show that social economic impact in the community, work with locals, have that training. This project could be a five- to seven-year cleanup… After that cleanup is done, we can get training, we can get assets," Mooney said. He says future work will be kept in the community. So far this includes repairing and upgrading old roads, aggregating materials, and possible future infrastructure projects related to capitalizing on tourism from Skagway, Alaska. Immediate next steps, says Mooney, include, "more community consultation," which will lead to the design on how to handle the remediation process safely and to make sure they meet the closure objectives. While everything may seem easy on paper, Shane Wally, a land steward for Carcross Tagish Group of Companies on Montana Mountain, says he still feels quite nervous about the amount of contaminants on the Arctic Gold and Silver site. He's been working on the mountain since he was 15 and is now in his early 30s. Along with general contaminants from different mining debris, Wally and his crew have also found buried barrels of used oil on the site. "I'm just wondering how we'll go about doing everything real safely and not trying to spread around more dirty dust and that up and down the mountain, since we're gonna be using the road going up and down from the site," he said. "You know, 'cause we don't wanna spread more contamination around the area." Contaminated and unsafe areas on Montana Mountain have been fenced off, with signs warning the public not to trespass. When remediation operations begin on the mountain, trucks will most likely be using the main roads up to the sites — Wally says the public is encouraged to take alternative trails up the mountain, like Moose Trail.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Several Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizens want self-government jobs to be more accessible
Some Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizens say it's hard to access employment with the First Nations government. They say requirements have changed throughout the years, leaving many citizens unable to access certain positions. They say it's created a leadership structure that doesn't represent the community. The CBC's Virginie Ann has more.
CBC
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Several Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizens want self-government jobs to be more accessible
Some Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizens say it's hard to access employment with the First Nations government. They say requirements have changed throughout the years, leaving many citizens unable to access certain positions. They say it's created a leadership structure that doesn't represent the community. The CBC's Virginie Ann has more.
CBC
14-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Hard talk at Whitehorse dam hearing, with concerns about environment front and centre
To Harold Gatensby, the Whitehorse hydroelectric dam evokes a sense of loss. For years, Gatensby said, he's seen fewer animals like muskrat and the threatened chinook salmon. Some lakes, Gatensby said, have gone quiet. He blames what he calls the "largest factory of the North." "You're taking our lifestyle away," he said. "We're losing the way we want to live. "I want to live by the lake. I was raised up on the lake. I raised my children up on the lake. I know where the fish are, the moose are. I don't wanna let that go." Gatensby, a member of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN), was one of dozens of people who spoke during the Yukon Water Board hearing into the dam. The hearing, likely the largest since the board's inception, is a vital part of the relicensing process. Yukon Energy's proposal has been moving along, having cleared the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board. The company wants a 20-year licence. Residents' associations, First Nations, the Yukon government and individuals all converged for more than a week of deliberations. Many are demanding system-wide changes, including increased water level data in the face of climate change and immediately coming up with ways to better protect fish. The hearing represented an opportunity for people to air grievances and suggest solutions. Together, those submissions will help the board decide whether to issue a licence and decide what conditions to place on that licence. Fish protections remain top concern The three First Nations present pointed to ongoing impacts to fish, especially the imperilled chinook salmon. For too long, First Nations spokespeople said, salmon and fresh water species have been sucked into the dam and killed or injured. New research suggests thousands of fish may be killed as they swim through the dam, with the biggest threat being the dam's four turbines. First Nations suggest Yukon Energy hasn't yet done enough to ensure safe passage. All are pushing for immediate changes. That includes shutting off certain turbines during key migration periods, revamping the fish ladder and changing the rate at which water flows through the dam, which Yukon Energy controls. Catherine Ford-Lammers, project lead with the C/TFN, said she's not putting her trust in Yukon Energy, but rather the board. Ford-Lammers said there continue to be too many unknowns, among them, undefined protections for chinook salmon and freshwater fish, with no associated timelines. That's why she wants the board to ensure strong protections for the land and water. "It is C/TFN's concern that without timelines and requirements, none of these improvements for fish and salmon will ever be fulfilled or fulfilled too late for the chinook salmon," she said. The Ta'an Kwäch'än Council and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation have agreed to 20-year licence term. The C/TFN wants 10 years instead because, the First Nation says, Yukon Energy hasn't done enough planning to protect the environment to warrant a longer licence term. The First Nation also wants to see a new board created, made up of the three affected First Nations, and public oversight into the future. Seven calls to action Rea Mombourquette, with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, said the dam has long upended traditions by disconnecting citizens from the land and killing fish. She said it's also altered the environment, inundating blueberry patches and fish camps. Some of those are now submerged by Schwatka Lake, the dam's reservoir. The First Nation has issued seven calls to action. They include restitution for citizens long displaced by the dam, environmental harms including fish kill, affirming harvesting rights and public apologies. "Regardless of the outcomes this week, we are still here," Mombourquette said. "We are river people, even if most of us have moved away from the river. We are still salmon people, even if we cannot currently harvest or consume salmon. "Respected members of the Yukon Water Board, you have this week an incredible opportunity to take a meaningful step towards repair and towards reconciliation. Take it." Kwanlin Dün Elder Pat Joe called the Whitehorse dam a "monster." "Salmon is the reflection of our people. They've suffered like us. They've suffered too much." Yukon Energy responds Kirsten Hogan, a consultant with Yukon Energy, said the company has made progress in some areas like collecting data and adjusting flows to attract more fish to the ladder, which is being kept open for longer periods of time. Hogan said the company isn't "shirking responsibility." "What we know now is good information, and we know that we have more to learn," she said. "The board should be confident that the evidence presented by Yukon Energy supports a 20-year licence term." But Hogan admitted the company has introduced no new protections in the last two years. She said work is underway to change that, in a process that will happen over time. Hogan said effects need to be fully understood before mitigations are set in place. Jason Herbet, legal counsel with Yukon Energy, acknowledged the lasting impacts of the dam on the affected First Nations. "Members of the three nations have spoken very eloquently over the course of this hearing," he said. "I have been personally moved by their words. "At the same time, the Whitehorse Rapids Generating Station is a critically important generation asset in Yukon's deeply interconnected electrical system. Yukoners today have reliable access to affordable and mostly renewable electricity every day of the year." On Friday, the final day of the hearing, Piers McDonald, chair of the board, said the implications of the hearing are significant as they are vast. "In my public life, I can't think of a more significant time other than perhaps the land claims agreement negotiations," he said. "The outcomes will matter to people in this territory for generations to come."
CBC
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
CTFN hosts Haa Ḵusteeyí Celebration in Carcross
The Haa Ḵusteeyí Celebration returns to Carcross this summer to honour and share Tlingit culture. Taking place from July 24 to 26, this biennial gathering rotates between the three inland Tlingit Nations: Teslin, Carcross/Tagish, and Atlin. This year, the Carcross/Tagish First Nation will welcome friends, families and visitors for three days of celebration. CBC North is a sponsor of the event. Nicole Welin, the Haa Ḵusteeyí co-ordinator for the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, said this year's event is about reconnecting and celebrating identity. "We are looking forward to having all the people, friends and family members that haven't seen each other in a while come together at Haa Ḵusteeyí this year and celebrate being Indigenous, our culture and our languages," she said. Welin added that this year's celebrations will include a mix of cultural expressions. "We will also be hosting some tattoo artists, one from Haida Gwaii and three or four traditional hand-poke artists from Yukon." Thursday, July 24, serves as the event's soft open. Volunteers and vendors will prepare throughout the day. Later in the afternoon, the public is invited to gather at 5 p.m. for a hand warming ceremony and opening remarks. Friday and Saturday celebrations The main festivities run on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, with a full lineup of performances, competitions and hands-on activities. Most of the activities will be happening at the Haa Shagóon Hídi learning centre. Friday morning begins at 10 the arrival of canoeists travelling from Atlin, B.C. Community members will gather to greet the paddlers on shore, marking the end of their journey. It will be followed by the opening ceremony. Weekend highlights include workshops, performances, an artist market and evening feasts. Visitors can also look forward to a fashion show on Friday and a tug-o-war on Saturday. This family friendly event also features a kids' zone that includes the Go For Literacy Bus from the Yukon Literacy Coalition. The event closes Sunday evening with a final feast and ceremony. Admission is free, and all ages are encouraged to attend this cultural gathering.
