Latest news with #YukonFirstNations
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
AFN Yukon and CYFN chief positions set to be consolidated this year
According to a statement from the Council of Yukon First Nations, effective Oct. 1, 2025 the positions of Grand Chief and AFN Yukon Regional Chief will be merged into one. The consolidation comes out of resolutions made by Yukon First Nation chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations Yukon Chiefs Summit on May 21 and 22, as well as a May 30 Council of Yukon First Nations Leadership meeting. 'The new model is intended to streamline governance, reduce duplication, and strengthen national and political advocacy grounded in the shared priority of all 14 Yukon First Nations,' reads the statement. The consolidation was being discussed since spring 2024, reads the statement. Chiefs arrived at the consensus to consolidate the two positions into a 'unified Grand Chief model' after a substantive review process and much discussion, per the statement. CYFN Grand Chief Peter Johnston is quoted as saying that the decision will help unify efforts and advance the interests of all Yukon First Nations. AFN Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek is quoted in the release as saying that the new model will allow for stronger advocacy. It will ensure 'that Yukon First Nations are not only heard, but are leading the conversation both regionally and nationally,' per Adamek. Elections for the new Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief will be held on June 25 at the CYFN general assembly meeting in Teslin. Five candidates are currently in the running for the position: former Kluane First Nation Chief Math'ieya Alatini, current Vuntut Gwitchin Chief Pauline Frost, former Carcross Tagish First Nation councillor Rose Sellars, former CYFN Grand Chief Ed Schultz and former Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Chief Steve Smith. Whoever ends up winning the election will assume the duties and responsibilities formerly held by the AFN Regional Chief, per the statement. The new grand chief will also be responsible for a 'regional mandate review to assess how Yukon First Nations are currently supported,' reads the statement. The CYFN constitution will have to be amended, and the proposed changes to the constitution will be presented at the CYFN general assembly, ensuring all 14 Yukon First Nations will have voting rights. Financial resources, authority and responsibilities associated with the AFN Yukon Regional Chief will also be transferred to the CYFN. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Council of Yukon First Nations, AFN to combine leadership roles into 1
Change aims to 'streamline governance, reduce duplication and strengthen national and political advocacy' Yukon First Nations have decided to unify a couple of regional leadership roles into one — meaning the next grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) will have some new responsibilities. Starting in October, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) will no longer have a Yukon regional chief who's independent of CYFN. That person's duties and responsibilities will be taken up by the next CYFN grand chief. The two organizations began discussing the idea since last year and both passed resolutions last month to make it happen. The goal, according to a joint news release on Wednesday, is to "streamline governance, reduce duplication and strengthen national and political advocacy grounded in the shared priorities of all 14 Yukon First Nations." Currently, Yukon is represented at the AFN — an Ottawa-based national advocacy group — by Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek, who has served in that role since 2018. CYFN is a non-profit political organization based in the territory that represents and advocates for Yukon First Nations, with the grand chief serving as the main political spokesperson. Peter Johnston has held that role since 2016 and has said he won't be running for another term. Image | Peter Johnston and Kluane Adamek Caption: Peter Johnson, grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations, left, and Kluane Adamek, regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations, in 2019. (Steve Silva/CBC) Open Image in New Tab Under the new model, the CYFN grand chief will now represent Yukon First Nations at AFN executive meetings. However, that person "will not lead an AFN portfolio or sit on the AFN corporate board without a direct mandate from Yukon First Nations," reads Wednesday's news release. "This approach reflects a made-in-Yukon solution — directed by all 14 Chiefs — that aligns with regional governance realities while maintaining a strategic national presence." The next grand chief of CYFN will be elected this month. They would take on the new AFN-related responsibilities as of Oct. 1. In a written statement, Johnston called the change "a significant step forward in unifying our effort and advancing the interests of all Yukon First Nations." Adamek also touted the decision as a way to ensure Yukon First Nations have a stronger voice through "co-ordinated advocacy." "This is about amplifying the collective voices of all Yukon First Nations in a way that reflects who we are: united, visionary and rooted in our values," she said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Council of Yukon First Nations, AFN to combine leadership roles into 1
Yukon First Nations have decided to unify a couple of regional leadership roles into one — meaning the next grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) will have some new responsibilities. Starting in October, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) will no longer have a Yukon regional chief who's independent of CYFN. That person's duties and responsibilities will be taken up by the next CYFN grand chief. The two organizations began discussing the idea since last year and both passed resolutions last month to make it happen. The goal, according to a joint news release on Wednesday, is to "streamline governance, reduce duplication and strengthen national and political advocacy grounded in the shared priorities of all 14 Yukon First Nations." Currently, Yukon is represented at the AFN — an Ottawa-based national advocacy group — by Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek, who has served in that role since 2018. CYFN is a non-profit political organization based in the territory that represents and advocates for Yukon First Nations, with the grand chief serving as the main political spokesperson. Peter Johnston has held that role since 2016 and has said he won't be running for another term. Under the new model, the CYFN grand chief will now represent Yukon First Nations at AFN executive meetings. However, that person "will not lead an AFN portfolio or sit on the AFN corporate board without a direct mandate from Yukon First Nations," reads Wednesday's news release. "This approach reflects a made-in-Yukon solution — directed by all 14 Chiefs — that aligns with regional governance realities while maintaining a strategic national presence." The next grand chief of CYFN will be elected this month. They would take on the new AFN-related responsibilities as of Oct. 1. In a written statement, Johnston called the change "a significant step forward in unifying our effort and advancing the interests of all Yukon First Nations." Adamek also touted the decision as a way to ensure Yukon First Nations have a stronger voice through "co-ordinated advocacy." "This is about amplifying the collective voices of all Yukon First Nations in a way that reflects who we are: united, visionary and rooted in our values," she said.
CBC
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Whitehorse gallery exhibit shows off beauty and artistry of beaded earrings
Nine. That's the number of times the word "bougie" was used in the Yukon Legislature on Wednesday, as MLAs from all three parties paid tribute to Teagyn Vallevand's first show as curator of the Hudę Njú Kú gallery in Whitehorse's Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. The show, which opened on March 14, is titled My Big Bougie Beaded* Earrings. "I put … an asterisk because we didn't always use beads," Vallevand said. "We utilized other resources that are Yukon First Nations-specific." Those Yukon-specific resources included home tanned hide, fish leather, porcupine quills, shells, foxtails, whale baleen, and at least five different kinds of fur, which were all found in the earrings at the gallery — along with modern seed beads, copper cones, commercial hide, sapphires, rubies, vinyl and rhinestones. "I just love being able to learn and work with our traditional art styles," Vallevand said. "And then also, as an artist, playing with, 'What does contemporary Indigenous artwork mean?'" Vallevand is a Kwanlin Dun citizen. In addition to being a curator, she is a beader, weaver and carver. She said she was was blown away by the interest in her first exhibit. Expecting to receive around 20 sets of earrings, she ended up getting 53 submissions from artists across the North. "Yukon First Nations artisans went hard," she said. Earrings as entrepreneurship Twenty-one pieces ended up on the gallery walls, but Vallevand didn't want to leave the others out. Instead, she added a retail element to the show. The earrings that didn't make it to the main exhibit are displayed in glass cases, and are available for sale. "I feel like as an Indigenous artist, so many of us have made earrings," Vallevand says. "I know for myself as an artist, a couple of times I would sell earrings to make a couple extra dollars here and there to help support myself." Many placards in the gallery shared stories of how beadwork connected the artists with their communities, their cultures and their ancestors. Many of the artists learned to bead from their grandmothers, great-grandmothers or uncles, and are now passing the skill on to future generations. Vallevand said beadwork can also be a survival skill, with women selling their work to help provide for their families. "I wanted to honour that," she said. Living art and stories What Vallevand wanted to honour is the idea that beadwork isn't a historical art form meant to hang on a museum wall. It's living, breathing culture, she said. "I think it's really important now to have space as a Yukon First Nations curator to be able to … do things a little bit differently than how a normal exhibition works." Vallevand says for her, being a curator is about storytelling. Her father was a storyteller at CBC, and she says in her new role, "I feel like I'm also telling a story. And so I feel really connected to him." As for being recognized in the Legislature, Vallevand says she wasn't expecting the kudos to come one after the other, from all three parties. "I kind of felt like the queen," she says. "It was very cute."
CBC
17-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
For some Yukoners, climate change is a key issue this federal election campaign
While topics like tariffs, affordability and housing have dominated conversations about the upcoming federal election, some Yukon voters say another issue should also be at the forefront — climate change and the environment. "It seems to be something we're ignoring now," Haines Junction resident Julie Bauer said. "I know there's other focuses but I think the environment has to be a priority, especially for our youth and for all of us…. We have to think about other things than just day-to-day stuff, we have to think about the future of our children." Whitehorse resident Jennifer Staniforth also said it was a priority for her. "The environment hasn't been talked about a lot and I would hope that that would be a big part of this election," Staniforth said. "I think a clean, healthy planet is the best thing we can do for ourselves right now." A federal government report in 2019 found that Canada, on average, was warming at double the global rate, with the North warming even faster than the rest of the country. Besides warmer days, symptoms of a changing climate have also included increased precipitation, warming and melting permafrost, higher water temperatures and more intense wildfire and flood seasons. While climate change may seem like a standalone issue, Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle, a Whitehorse-based conservation planning biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, said it's interwoven with other topics. "My perspective is, we want an MP that can … actually see that intrinsic connection between our economy, our social welfare issues and our environment because they're all interlinked," she said. That's a reality that Yukon First Nations have been grappling with for years now, with traditional travel routes and harvest — including for chinook salmon — along with entire communities threatened by the impacts of climate change. "It's really emotional when we talk about our homelands and when we talk about loss and damage because everything that is alive keeps us as First Nations people in our traditional territory alive," Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation elder Lorraine Netro previously said at a global climate summit. The Yukon's capital city also knows the impact of climate change first-hand, having seen one of its main arteries into and out of the downtown core — Robert Service Way — blocked by a major landslide off a neighbouring escarpment in 2022. "That slide was a wake-up call and a clear sign of the impacts of climate change on our community and our infrastructure," Mayor Kirk Cameron told reporters earlier this month. The slide, and smaller ones in the years since, have cost the city millions of dollars for clean-up and the installation of safety barriers, but an even more expensive project lies ahead — permanently rerouting the road away from the escarpment. The federal government is pitching in more than $45 million for the project via its Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. Cameron said that kind of federal funding was "critical" for dealing with the triple-threat of climate change, aging infrastructure and a growing population, and that he would ensure the next federal government remains aware of that. What candidates say CBC Yukon asked the four candidates running for the territory's lone MP seat how they planned to address climate change during a forum Tuesday. Here's how they responded, with answers edited for clarity and length. Ryan Leef (Conservative Party) We believe in technology, not taxes. We saw the carbon tax didn't [have] any measurable impact on dealing with the climate issue, which is really a global issue and it just ultimately broke the backs of Canadians in terms of affordability of life. So our focus is going to be on investing in technology. If we utilize some of the ethical and the clean products that we have here in the country, extracting our own resources, we can reduce the emissions that are utilized by our reliance on other global partners. Climate change is not a Yukon-caused phenomenon, although we suffer from the effects of it far more than anyone else, so we do need to be conscious about climate issues, but we also can play a much bigger role in reducing global climate emissions with our technological advances in Canadian innovation. Katherine McCallum (NDP) Canadians are doing their part, but we can't keep relying on working Canadians to solve this enormous problem by themselves. And the way to do that is to make sure that the big polluters are paying for the damage that they're causing and, and they shouldn't be rewarded for the damage that they're causing. So we need to be taxing big oil and gas companies and making sure that that money isn't going offshore. We need to end the consumer carbon tax and instead put the onus on the biggest polluters in subsidies to the most profitable oil and gas companies. Put money in people's pockets by making homes more efficient and reinvesting in greener and renewable energies on the home front and, and making it easier for people and more affordable people to buy a zero-emissions vehicle and make their homes more energy efficient. Brendan Hanley (Liberal Party) Canada has an important role to play and to continue to play as a climate leader. And I'm glad to see among Mark Carney's many, many skills, he was also the UN envoy on climate change, including climate financing. So part of his vision and our vision is harnessing the markets to leapfrog into new energy infrastructure and develop more energy self-sufficiency, which we need to do anyway in the light of the U.S. tariffs, but also to accelerate the transition towards renewable energy. We also need to keep in mind emergency preparedness in the North. We also need to hold industrial polluters to account because we need to continue to bend the curve in emissions. I would say the consumer carbon tax did have an effect about 10 to 15 per cent of emissions reductions. We need to compensate for that on the industrial side. Gabrielle Dupont (Green Party) Clean energy transition — this is one of my priorities for this campaign. We do know that taxing the big emitters, it's three times more efficient than taxing consumers, taxing people. And I do not believe that the carbon tax in the Yukon was the right tool. And so when we do keep taxing the big emitters, the revenue that we're getting from this, we're using [it] to fund clean energy transition. And the Yukon, we're really not that far from being 100 per cent renewable. And I'm pretty sad that we actually missed the boat on projects like the Atlin hydro expansion because of a lack of commitment from the federal government. And so as a Green MP, these are the projects that I would champion as hard as I can, to get these projects out the door. This is exactly what we need to do for our clean energy transition in the Yukon so let's fund these projects.
