Table of Contents of Table

Message from the Chief Executive Officer ...... Page 4

Message from the Executive Director ...... Page 6

Lands & Resources ...... Page 8

Heritage & Language ...... Page 10

Finance and Administration ...... Page 14

Implementation and Negotiations ...... Page 19

Capital and Infrastructure ...... Page 21

Health & Social ...... Page 23

Workforce Development ...... Page 25 TABLE OF CONTENTS OF TABLE

Cover Photo: by Lisa Dewhurst of a beaded slipper from the Heritage Centre Gift Shop.

This Report to the Annual General Assembly was prepared by the Teslin Tlingit Council Executive, Directors and Staff. Many thanks to all the contributors, especially the photographers who have have brought colour and enjoyment to this publication. They include:Tip Evans, Kelly Morris, Lisa Dewhurst, Gord Curran, Pat Wiens and Janet Smellie. Our sincere apologies for anyone we missed.

Editor: Janet Smellie, (867) 390-2532 (ext. 225) Communications Coordinator [email protected] Teslin Tlingit Council Box 133, Teslin Yukon Y0A 1B0

3 Message from the Chief Executive Officer

ment and proposed planning for the BC portions of our Traditional Territory. We drafted a proposed Memoran- Peter Johnston dum of Understanding with both Tlingit governments, including BC and Canada as signatories, which outlines It is with great pleasure that I present to you the 2008- roles and responsibilities of each party to this agree- 09 Annual Report. First of all, Gunalchish to past ment. Chief Eric Morris for his eight years of leadership and Dahk Ka Tribal Council has been inactive throughout the great integrity and commitment he brought to the 2008-09. The Member First Nations (CTFN, TRTFN, position. It was an honour to work with Eric during his TTC) decided to cease all operations for the time being leadership and I wish him well in his future endeavors. and look into creating a new strategic plan to provide Next, I would to send a note of recognition to all the direction for the Tribal Council. Over the next year, Staff of the Teslin Tlingit Council for their continuous Dahk Ka will apply for resources through the Northern efforts and dedication over the last year. Also I would Strategy Fund. TTC has agreed to administer the finan- like to take this opportunity to welcome new staff and cials for the interim. community members to Teslin. Here is a summary of TTC has been engaged in the re-structuring of the the 2008/09 fiscal year. Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN). The mandate TTC Government of CYFN was to assist Yukon First Nations in the Land It was another very active year for TTC as a govern- Claims negotiations. Since 1995, 11 out of the 14 Yu- ment. It included defining a new Leadership selection kon First Nations have settled their Claims. In May, a process, creation of a Speaker to the General Council, special General Assembly was held in Haines Junction Constitutional Reform, continuation of Human Re- to discuss the future of the organization. There was a source Development planning, and the undertaking of task group developed to review the mandate and pro- the ‘Critical Path’, an 18 month map to an organiza- vide recommendations back to Leadership. John Peters tional development plan. As part of the Critical Path, Jr represented TTC through this process and will assist 2008-19 activities included an assessment of TTC as a in presenting the final draft at the 2009 Annual General government and its function as it relates to programs Assembly. and services offered to Citizens. In the fall of 2009, Our participation in the Northern Nations Alliance TTC will undergo a completely new process of plan- (NNA) continued. This entity is made up of Tlingit, ning and priority setting leading into the 2010/11 bud- Kaska, Tahltan, and Southern Tuchtone Nations which geting process. make up 25 per cent of the Land owners in British Co- lumbia. The focus of the NNA has been primarily from Relationship with other Governments a wildlife management perspective since its inception TTC had a series of meetings with the Yukon govern- in 2001. John Peters Jr has represented TTC since 2005 ment. We discussed the proposed Seniors Complex for on the NNA and was also appointed in 2008 to sit as the Teslin, joint subdivision development projects, Cor- Dahk Ka representitive. rections Act, Chapter 22, Consultation and Accom- modation, cost sharing initiatives and new school and Administration of Justice land investments. This coming year, we will be com- The Administration of Justice team was very active municating more through our MLA, Marian Horne, to in negotiating our justice agreements with significant help us facilitate our concerns and move our agendas and ground breaking progress. They met with Minis- forward. ters, Deputy Ministers, and members of the Opposition TTC began discussions with Taku River Tlingit in Ottawa on numerous occasions, consulted with TTC (TRT) and Carcross/ Tagish First Nation (CTFN) spe- Citizens several times, and made presentations to Ex- cifically focused around the TRT Framework - agree ecutive and General Council on a regular basis request- 4 ing input and keeping us informed on their progress. at the July AGA and many of their recommendations At a March meeting, General Council passed a resolu- were adopted through resolution, including accepting tion instructing Executive Council to sign the TTC Ad- a new leadership selection process and creation of a ministrative of Justice Agreement and Implementation Speaker’s position. Other important items of prior- Plan. We expect this to happen in Fall 2009. ity included the Citizenship Code and recognition of As a result of their hard work and diligence, TTC is members to Clans. poised this coming year to have its own Peacemaker Court and Justice Council Act. This Act will allow TTC Consultation and Accommodation to do the following: The duty of governments and companies to consult and accommodate TTC and other First Nations became • Resolve or Adjudicate disputes that arise more and more of a hot topic over the year. With many from the Constitution or Teslin Tlingit Law governments getting challenged in the courts, it has become clear that there is no respect for our authorities • Adjudicate violations of Teslin Tlingit within our jurisdiction. TTC has worked at defining a Legislation process that details the responsibilities of government and proponents in regards to explorations and devel- • Resolve or adjudicate any dispute arising opment. We have been very assertive in expressing our between, within or among respective Teslin views of consultation to these parties and their obliga- Tlingit Clans tion to us as a government. In closing, your government will continue to build TTC will be the first Self Governing First Nations in strong relationships with Citizens and create new part- Canada to take on their own Justice system. nerships with other governments and organizations who will help us accomplish our goals and, more im- Constitutional Reform portantly, offer Citizens the best opportunity for suc- The Constitution Committee presented their findings cess.

Gunalchish, Peter

Peter Johnston makes his acceptance speech on February 19, 2009, moments after being selected as Chief Executive Officer by members of General Council. 5 Doug Hogan Message from the Executive Director was the decision to embark upon an intensive look at The 2008/2009 fiscal year presented TTC with the the organization, its priorities, service standards and highest number of General Council meeting days in gaps. The most significant gap which was identified history. We hosted 8 General Councils for a total of 18 was the ineffective and vague 10-year Strategic Plan, days of meetings. This unprecedented number of meet- passed by General Council in February 2006. General ings created a significant increase in workload for the Council recognized the ineffectiveness of this plan and Executive Staff. Coming from this incredible pressure supported an 18-month Critical Path which will result to organize these meetings was the need for increased in the creation of a new planning process for Teslin Staff to meet the General Council and Executive Coun- Tlingit Council. This process was designed to involve a cil demands. The position of Executive Office Manager strategic approach to be driven by the Citizens who will was created and filled to help lessen the pressure on set the priorities for annual budgeting. Executive Staff. Complementing this willingness to change, two de- In advance of the many General Council meetings, partments were merged into the new Workforce Devel- Executive also scheduled All Citizen meetings in both opment Department. Human Resources and Education Whitehorse and Teslin. These All Citizen meetings joined forces to become more effective and efficient. were found to be a very effective communication tool. Capacity development, career assessments and person- They also added increased pressure to an already over- al growth became the focus. One major initiative was worked Executive Staff. The cost of the meetings in the Excellence Series of courses hosted by TTC. By the Whitehorse was extremely high, while the correspond- end of the fiscal year, 150 people had taken one or more ing attendance was very low. Solutions to cost effective of these courses. The result has been significant change consultation should be pursued. and improved interpersonal relationships. TTC has re- TTC embarked upon a new, improved budget creation ceived a number of positive written testimonials attest- process. With the help of Mike Lewis of the Centre for ing to the value of these courses. Community Enterprise, Executive examined and ad- Another major initiative was the hiring of a Wellness opted this process for change. It included identifying Counsellor for Staff and Citizens. Mike McIsaac, a the issues and analyzing solutions in smaller groups, qualified and experienced counsellor, is a definite asset so all issues were covered, with reporting back to the to this community. The majority of this past year was main group. spent learning about the community, about the people, There was very positive feedback of this new ap- about the Clans and the culture. proach by all the General Council members in atten- A major component of the counsellor’s work is to pro- dance. Some of the feedback included that General vide support to TTC employees. TTC also employed Council members felt heard, that it was inclusive and the additional services of an Employee Assistance a win win process. As a result TTC, General Council Program (EAP) service provider, Barb Nimco to help created a very responsible budget while facing severe in that area. In addition, the counseling services of a funding shortfalls. female counsellor from Many Rivers Counselling Ser- Part of this new approach to developing the budget vices were made available. 6 When Mike was hired, he stated that all the tools needed to make Teslin a healthy community were right here in Teslin. After a year in Teslin, we feel even more confident that this is true. Our intent at the beginning of the fiscal year was to create a community Economic Development Corpo- ration which would generate local employment and economic opportunity. A Corporation was established, Terms of Reference were developed, a recruitment process was initiated and two thirds of the Board members were selected. The Corporation was in a position to be- gin. The budgeting process resulted in no funds being available to allow the Corporation to fulfill its mandate. At the end of the fiscal year, recognizing this lack of support for funding, and realizing they would be un- able to achieve their mandate, the Board of Directors resigned. In tandem with creating the Corporation, the Executive Director worked towards creating effective partnerships with resources developers through socio economic impact benefit agreement discussions. As a consequence of this work, many Tlingit contractors and Citizens gained employment with these resource companies on Traditional Territory. As a result of the closing of the Dakh ka offices, TTC found itself in the position of taking control of the Dakh ka financial situation. With approval of the other Dakh- ka Nations, TTC has authority to take care of the financial and on going oversight of Dakh ka business. All of the outstanding invoices have been identified and paid by the three First Nations. TTC assumes the cost of the administrative expenses. The Constitution Review created significant challenges for the Executive Office of TTC. The lack of clear direction of the intent of the constitutional changes resulted in difficulties moving forward. This lack of clarity contributed to the already large workload for Executive Staff. In conclusion, the year offered many challenges, opportunities and change. I feel that the Executive Staff has solidified as a team and met these challenges. I look forward to the next fiscal year with the leadership of the new Executive Council. This year, General Council members took part in a unique two- Doug Hogan, day budget workshop in March that allowed Directors to meet with small groups to go over the proposed budget. Executive Director

7 Report on Lands and Resources

Blanche Warrington Director of Lands and Resources

Wildlife and Harvest was only 150. In February, a delegation comprised of the Fish and Last spring, Richard Dewhurst joined the Lands and Wildlife Officer, Elder Pearl Keenan and Game Guard- Resources team as Game Guardian. In August we hired ian Dick Dewhurst participated in the international Kim Melton as Fish and Wildlife Officer, and Allen State of the Salmon Conference in Vancouver. We com- Fox as an additional Game Guardian in time for salmon municated some of our findings to the community at a season. The increased presence on the land dramati- workshop held in March to get direction for drafting cally improved our ability to educate Citizens and other a community-based Salmon Management Plan. At the members of the public. This was especially important in workshop we also received immediate recommenda- light of the hunting restrictions imposed on the Nisut- tions for the upcoming season. lin. Over the winter, we were involved in joint caribou patrols at the western edge of the Traditional Territory, Legislation Review and Planning and dealt with the issue of vehicle collisions with wild- On the table for review this past year were the amend- life. ments to the TTC Settlement Lands and Resources Act. TTC, YTG and the University of British Columbia The revised Act was approved by General Council in (UNBC) embarked on a three-year moose habitat utili- November 2008. We also participated in the develop- zation study in the South Canol area. Telemetry flights ment of the Northern Mountain Caribou Management have been carried out each season with TTC participa- Plan and continued work on the Strategic Forest Man- tion, including of Howard Smith. A workshop for com- agement Plan for Teslin, which highlights the East Tes- munity members is being planned for the fall of 2009. lin River as the first area to undergo a timber harvest This winter Frank Johnstone interviewed local Tlin- development plan. Feasibility assessments were done git hunters about their year’s harvest. This data is used last summer and a preliminary plan for the area will be primarily to keep track of our harvest efforts, which al- presented to the public in early fall 2009. lows us to make informed management decisions. We appreciate your continued cooperation as we improve Teslin Tlingit Renewable Resources Council our system of collecting this data – it is crucial if we The Council has reviewed the TTC Fish and Wildlife are to manage our use of animals to be sustainable for Act, the Trapline Allocation Guidelines and participat- future generations. ed in the yearly review of traplines. The Council, with Salmon the Teslin RRC, put a lot of effort into a Wildlife Act Last summer the Chinook run was at an all-time low regulation change proposal for the Nisutlin River Game and DFO requested that all Yukon First Nations reduce Management Zones intended to improve our ability to their harvest by half; 450 for TTC. The actual harvest manage the Nisutlin River moose harvest.

8 Staff as of March 31, 2009

Blanche Warrington, Director Margaret Douville, Administrative Assistant Tracy Boyes, Renewable Resources Mgr. Karl Blattmann, Environmental Officer Kim Melton, Fish/Wildlife Technician Linda Sidney, GIS Administrator

Unfortunately, the Minister of Environment denied rights were protected. This work involved numerous the change. site visits and the development of relationships with project proponents, assessors and Yukon Government. Geographical Information System (GIS) Projects The LEO developed best practices pamphlets to assist We have been working with the Elders on the Tlingit proponents to better work with TTC by describing our Geographical Place Names Project to ensure that the organizations and relevant legislation. A comprehen- Tlingit spelling is correct and to identify proper loca- sive inventory of land allocations and leases, as well as tions. There has been about 40 Place Names forms filed Settlement Lands suited for development is ongoing. with the YTG Place Names Board. Once everything is This work will better allow the Department of Lands finalized the Tlingit Place Names will be put on the NTS and Resources to serve the demands of Citizens and re- map sheets in our Traditional Territory. We will also be sponsibly manage TTC Settlement Lands. The LEO working with the Heritage Department on handing over has worked closely with YTG Lands Branch with the our heritage and cultural information. The joint house development of the Little Teslin Lake cottage lot sub- numbering project with the Village of Teslin was com- division, as well as other potential subdivisions in the pleted. There are new house numbers and street names Traditional Territory. that have been put up around town. We have upgraded the GIS to ArcGIS 9.3. ESRI is always making changes Agay Mene Special Management Area to their softward and through our Maintenance Agree- Planning has begun for the Agay Mene Special Man- ments we received the upgrades for free. agement Area (SMA). This SMA is located in the western part of our Traditional Territory, south of Jakes Cor- Lands and Environmental Activities ner and down the east side of the Atlin Road. Terms of The Lands and Environmental Officer (LEO) -par Reference have been completed for the Steering Com- ticipated in the environmental assessments of 12 proj- mittee and the Technical Working Group as well as a ects in 2008. This involved the description of TTC two-year Workplan. We have met approximately three values that could be impacted by developments, how times since August 2008 and will be looking forward these values could be impacted, and how such impacts to our Citizens input into the Management Plan for this could be mitigated to ensure that TTC interests and SMA.

9 Report on Heritage and Language diffusion of archival and published materials relating to the TTC. The project, which is still under way, includes copies of records of all media including writ- Tip Evans ten documentation, film and sound recordings, pho- Director of tographs, maps, microfilm, electronic records and Heritage and Language published materials.

Progress to Date: Three employees have been hired and are working on-site at the Archives. An inventory assessment of Staff, as of March 31, 2009 photographs, textual records, film, sound recordings, Tip Evans, Director maps, posters, newspapers, and library materials has Bev Morris, Community Arts Coordinator been conducted. The research was carried out by Doug Smarch Jr., Culture Coordinator searching the photograph caption database, the Ar- Lisa Dewhurst, Business Marketing Manager chives’ database M2A, and the library database PAC, Liz Smarch, Language Instructor as well as printed documents, map and subject index Claudia Bob, Archives cards, and finding aids. Alicia Patterson, Archives A database to record the relevant archival and library material has been created. 2008 Summer Staff The next step will be the examination of these ma- Robin Smarch, Temporary Culture Coordinator terials to confirm their relevance and value to the Ada Johnstone Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC) and the community of Kathryn Porter Teslin. Meetings with Elders and TTC citizens will Rodney Smarch be arranged to assist in identifying people, places Patricia Boutilier and events in photographs and films. Materials will be prioritized and records that do not have restric- During the last fiscal year the Heritage Department tions will be reproduced by photocopying or transfer worked closely with a number of other departments to digital format. within the Teslin Tlingit Council and regionally. Workforce Development used the Heritage Centre to host the Spring Culture Camp. The event was planned and organized by Education but Heritage assisted in any way it could and provided some financial support. Another partnership was formed with the Health and Social Department, resulting in Heritage Department funding one position within the Early and Childhood Development Centre. Liz Smith was employed as a Tlingit teacher. The Heritage Department also worked with Lands & Resources Department with respect to land applications and Heritage sites.

Northern Strategy Project Yukon Archives and Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC) partnered in a project to provide the TTC with access to copies of records at Yukon Archives related to the community of Teslin. The project consisted of the identification, acquisition, documentation, reproduction and Claudia Bob, TTC Researcher, in her office at Yukon Archives. 10 Arts in the Park The Heritage Centre contributed financially to the Teslin Recreation Society in bringing the Arts in the Park to Teslin. Arts Coordinator, Bev Morris helped by contacting and booking the groups. On July 2008, an evening concert was held in the Village of Teslin Friendship Park. Music groups travelling enroute to the Improvements to the Centre Atlin Music Festival stopped and entertained the folks of Teslin. This event was well attended with approximately 100 1) New Shelving in Gift Shop people gathering in the park. 2) Copper Plates installed on totem poles 3) Blinds installed on all windows Staff Development 4) Purchase of translation booth Lisa Dewhurst, Business Manager, attended the Ca- nadian Museum Associations Retail and Visitor Work- shop in Toronto in January. Collection Development Doug Smarch Jr. and Lisa both attended program training held at the Beringia Centre in February. Highlights Visitation Numbers and Programming 1) Purchase of 1928 Chevrolet that was used in the George Johnston movie. April – May 2008 This will be used in Celebrations and During this period 675 people visited or participated programming. in programs at the Heritage Centre, or in the outreach programs offered by our Centre. 2) Art work on the Heritage Centre’s two canoes. The following programs, meetings and out-reach 3) 22-foot Turner Boat, originally programs were held at the Heritage Centre: owned by Boson Smith, donated by Carl Sidney. • Lands & Resources community consultations 4) Beaded moosehide jacket made by • Traditional Knowledge Information Session • Elders Meetings Mabel Johnson, 1985. • Anash Screening 5) Moosehide vest, moosehide muck- • 50th Wedding Anniversary Party lucks (made by Mabel Johnson, 1974), • Constitution Committee meetings wolverine hide, black bear hide and • General Council meetings photos, donated by retired RCMP • Spring Beaver Hunt Teslin River, Yukon officer Warren MacDonald and wife • Carcross Study Tour • Justice Workshop Diane. 6) Beaded mucklucks, made by Jen- nie Johnson, 1959, and a photo DVD, Several youth donated by Dennis McCrea. participated in the Spring 7) Carved paddle, in recognition of Beaver Hunt the Women’s Yukon River Quest team, 2009 donated by Scott Linsday.

11 Heritage & Language taken care of. April-May 2008 (cont’d) The women got the Red Lantern award for the efforts. However, the exposure and publicity of the Heritage During the two week period on the Teslin River, up Centre’s beautifully painted canoe was the real vic- to 70 people participated in the Spring Beaver Hunt tory. Camp. Many youth harvested their first beavers, they were taught to skin the animal and the Heritage Centre had the furs tanned for them.

June – September 2008 4,000 tourists and local community members visited the centre during this time. The majority of our visitors were American and European tourists travelling by RV or small cars. A small contingent of staff and Elders participated in the Tlingit Celebration in Juneau, Alaska. Young participantants Normally during the month of July the Heritage Cen- take part in the tre operates a Fish Camp on site. This year the fish stick gambling during camp was cancelled as a conservation effort in support Tlingit Day. of preserving the salmon stocks.

Events held at the Centre or as an Outreach program during the summer months were the following: Tlingit Day July 28 was declared National Tlingit Day by the Yukon River Quest communities of Teslin, Atlin and Carcross. The three The major outreach program that the Heritage Cen- communities share in the Celebration of this day. This tre participated in was the launching of our traditional year, it was Teslins’ turn to host an event. The Heri- canoes. A group of six Teslin women participated in tage Centre opened its doors to our usual tourists and the Yukon River Quest which began on June 25, 2008 our local neighbors. The Centre had a full day of Stick from Whitehorse. Gambling, Archery and good food!

Artist-on-site Beginning in early June local artist Keith Wolfe Smarch worked on-site at the Heritage Centre. Keith was working on a major project of painting two canoes that the Heritage Centre had acquired. This was a treat for our tourists as they got to see first hand a well re- nowned artist at work!

Deslin Shawaat Team.

A large contingency of Heritage staff and local citizens travelled the Klondike Highway in support of the Keith Wolfe Teslin team. A camp was set up for the team at Car- Smarch. macks and again in Dawson City. The team was met at the river side where the canoe and team were well 12 Heritage & Language

October – December 2008 Over 400 people visited or utilized our Heritage Cen- tre during this period of time. The following events took place:

• The Pursuit of Excellence Seminar • The Wall Seminar • The Premier’s community tour and dinner. • The Teslin Tlingit General Council • Alaska/Yukon Symposium sponsored by Yukon College • Chilkat Weaving Course • Heritage Centre Christmas Open House and Annual sale • Monthly Elders Council meetings • Visiting Artist, Wayne Price

Clarissa Hudson teaches Lorraine Porter the intricate art of Chilkat Weaving. Chilkat Weaving Clarissa Hudson from Juneau, Alaska spent two weeks at the Heritage Centre teaching traditional Chilkat and Raven’s Tale Weaving. Six women participated in this very challeng- ing art form.

January – March 2009 400 people visited or utilized the Heritage Centre during this period. The following events took place: Chief Eric Morris and Deputy Premier Elaine Taylor. • The Advancement of Excellence course on two separate Premier’s Community Tour dates Deputy Premier Elaine Taylor and other members of Cab- • Monthly Elders Council meetings inet met with the Teslin Tlingit Council and the Village of • Teslin Tlingit Justice Meetings Teslin in October. Approximately 100 people joined in the • Teslin Tlingit General Council Meetings town hall meeting and dinner. • Spring youth Culture Camp

Summary For the 2008-2009 Fiscal year, the Heritage Centre had approximately 5,500 visitors pass through its doors. The majority of these visitors were American or European tourists. The tourists spent their day in Teslin visiting the Heritage Centre as well as other attractions in the area. However, the off-season was also exceptionally busy. The Heritage Centre has become increasingly popular as a meeting and convention hub. We offer the Great Hall for larger groups up to 200 people and the more personal Elder’s Room which seats approximately 20 comfortably. Monthly meetings that have been held at the Heritage Centre include the Inland Celebration Steering Committee Members from the Alaska and Teslin delegation. which met twice a month, (this group is busy planning and organizing a large cultural event for the centre which will Alaska/Yukon Symposium take place in July 2009) and the Elders Council which meets A full day was spent at the Heritage Centre discussing once a month. Alaska and Yukon Land Claims. A number of Yukon Col- The gift shop remained open throughout the year and it lege students observed the meetings, afterwards a delicious became popular for Citizens who appreciated it as a place to salmon meal was enjoyed by all. shop for last minute gift ideas. 13 Report on Finance & Administration General Council had requested a greater involvement in the process. In December 2008, TTC took a draft budget to General Council, with the goal of informing and Pat Wiens receiving input from the members, regarding TTC pri- Director of orities for the 2009-10 fiscal year. As usual, the budget Finance & Administration requests far exceeded the available revenue. Through- out January, the Executive Council and Management Board met in order to balance the budget based on the input from the General Council. All Citizen meetings were held in Teslin and Whitehorse through January and February to further refine priorities. This year the Functions, Highlights and Challenges staff was consulted and many useful suggestions were incorporated into the final budget. The role of the Finance Department is currently de- Additionally, we had a two-day budget workshop fa- fined in the Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC) Constitution. cilitated by Mike Lewis for General Council. This in- During the next year, this detail will move to a TTC Fi- clusive process broke delegates into small groups en- nance Act. The Finance Department’s activities repeat suring everyone had a voice and better understanding bi-weekly, monthly and yearly. Finance is responsible of the budget. for safeguarding TTC money by ensuring that policies A major challenge in the Finance Department is at- are followed, laws complied with and budgets are spent tracting TTC Citizens to accounting as a career. In according to annual work plans. 2008/2009, the challenge was filling the position for Finance must ensure that TTC follows TTC laws, poli- Accounts Receivable (AR), which has been vacant for cies and the various regulations in the Laws of General three years. The position has been advertised a number Application. These include; TTC Administration Act, of times but without success. We are happy to announce Residency Grant Act, Finance Policy, Personnel Policy, recently the position was filled and we welcome Mat- Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) Act, Income thias Liniger who will take on this role in 2009/2010. Tax Act, GST Act and Labour Canada Act, to name a Bernie has done a remarkable job and fulfilled the few. day-to-day AR duties, as well as supervised the finance The major function of the Finance Department is is- staff. She was responsible for the accuracy of all the suing cheques, receiving funds, collecting accounts re- accounting information and the timely distribution of ceivable, issuing financial statements, budgeting, and TTC financial statements. She has begun the process of auditing. Our annual audit was very successful this year, but Staff as of March 31, 2009: not without its’ challenges. Each year the Canadian In- stitute of Chartered Accountants revise their national Pat Wiens – Director auditing standards, which cause additional workloads Bernie Wolfe - Finance Supervisor in preparing the audited financial statements. Fiscal Carlene Hycha - Payroll 2008/2009 was no exception, however, each year we Darryl Kremer - Accounts Payable (AP) are more organized and equipped to adapt to pressures Ray Bob - AP/Aboriginal Information Systems (AIS) of the changing auditing standards. Vacant - Accounts Receivable/Collections (AR) Other challenges this year included the constitutional Sharon Sterritt- Investments / Cash Management changes and change in leadership. Even when the en- Rick Scramstad - Information Technology vironment around us is changing, we must maintain (IT) Manager routine procedures, checks, balances, and workflow. Jody Sydney - Computer Support Fortunately, TTC has a dedicated staff that makes this possible. The budgeting process took up more time this year as 14 reviewing all finance procedures to ensure efficiencies knowledge to staff. He hopes to enhance the IT infra- in the department. structure within TTC’s office with the goal of being on Payroll is a job that has complex rules and accounting equal playing field with other organizations. He plans and many laws to follow. Because people’s paychecks to offer ongoing seminars for the mail system, commu- are affected, this job gets the most scrutiny and is one nications, group emails, online employee introductions of the most sensitive areas. Carlene Hycha handles the and many other IT capacities. He will also be mentor- responsibility well for payroll, T4’s, Revenue Canada ing Jody Sydney. remittances and administering the group Registered Jody Sydney has worked as computer support for a Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). number of years. Her skills and knowledge of comput- In Finance, the work never stops and nobody knows ers has grown considerably and Jody is committed to this better then Darryl Kremer. Darryl is responsible seeing each staff members’ skills with computers im- for the Accounts Payable (AP) cheque runs. Darryl prove over the next year. We are excited about where has worked in AP longer than anyone, which takes ex- the IT unit will go in the future. ceptional dedication. This job is so demanding, most We appreciate TTC’s ongoing commitment to devel- people work in this area for two to three years only. oping personal-growth, leadership, communication and Additionally, this year we saw an enormous increase problem solving capacities in staff and Citizens. The in the volume of work because of the spending of an strength of our finance team comes from our ability to additional two million dollars in the capital depart- communicate and work effectively as a team. Carlene ment due to the Housing Trust Funding. This past year Hycha, Pat Wiens, Darryl Kremer, Jody Sydney, Bernie Darryl has trained two staff in AP. Darryl has also been Wolfe and Sharon Sterritt participated in the Excellence the administrator the Group Medical Dental Plan. Ef- Series courses. The impact these courses have had on fective April 2009 this function will be transferred to our team is monumental in the way we function as a the Workforce Development department. unit. Ray Bob is a new addition to the team and we are The goal of the Finance Department is to continually excited to train such a talented young person. Finan- improve efficiencies, clearly communicate financial -in cial enthusiasts are a rare breed and we are hopeful formation, ensure policies and processes are followed that Ray will look to accounting as a possible voca- and most importantly, support other TTC departments. tion. Ray worked with Darryl in Aboriginal Informa- I’m so fortunate to have such a dedicated and loyal staff tion Systems (AIS) modules and has learned the tricks that ensure the demands of the work is met, regardless and trade of AP. of their personal commitments. The success of Finance Sharon Sterritt has complete responsibility for the is the result of committed team work. TTC Trust, which includes accounting for TTC’s in- vestment portfolio. She is also responsible for TTC’s Residency Grant program and the banking and cash management for TTC. Another major piece of Sharon’s job is taking care of the Teslin Tlingit Housing Society including the accounting, coordinating with the capital department for repairs and maintenance, organizing the board meetings and insuring all the reporting with CMHC and YTG Societies is complete. Sharon handles this complex set of responsibilities working only part-time. Her contribution is invaluable. We are pleased to announce that Rick Scramstad recently joined the team in March. Rick brings a rare skill-set with twenty-five to thirty years experience in Information Technologies (IT) including telecom- munications, computers, servers, internet, network infrastructure, new software and plenty more. Having run his own IT company, New West Technologies, a TTC Auditors take a break during the Spring Beaver Har- large part of what he will be doing is passing on his vest of 2009. 15 Finance & Administration Accounts Receivable - 2007 and 2009 comparison

182,500

162,500

142,500

122,500

102,500

82,500

62,500

42,500

22,500

2,500 Current/Rent First Nation Government Cost Overruns Bill C-31 Loans Education T.F.A. Misc. Arrears Groups Revenue

2007 3616.82 163174.41 59584.32 38206.63 9433.8 28042.25 7770.14 18258.79 11221.91 2008 2609.42 158134.85 54985.43 36249.66 12956.58 52735.6 6858.43 11215.4 16194.08 2009 39667.87 176802.42 52444.18 33631.68 6599.58 58612.8 9839.13 13357.78 71568

TESLIN TLINGIT COUNCIL ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COMPARISON OF MARCH 2008 AND MARCH 2009

Increase (decrease) Explanation of changes: 2008 to 2009

COST OVERRUNS - Increase due to labour provided in home ownership unit. Citizen will repay. 37,058

CURRENT/RENT ARREARS and BILL C-31 - In part these current increases are due to housing policy procedures related to rent collection. Arrears are decreasing. 16,126

LOANS and EDUCATION - Decreases are due to Citizens paying off their loans. (8,975)

TFA - Increases are due to bill backs with INAC and other Yukon First Nations and emergency loans to Citizens. 5,877

MISCELLANEOUS - Daycare is now being tracked through accounts receivable. 2,981

FN GROUPS and GOVERNMENT REVENUE - Increases are due to additional contribution agreements requiring invoices. These will be collected. 57,516

Overall increase (decrease) 110,584

TTC would like to thank all Citizens who have made efforts to clear outstanding debts in the past fiscal year.

16 Finance & Administration

TESLINTLINGITCOUNCIL ConsolidatedStatementofOperationsandAccumulatedSurplus YearendedMarch31,2009,withcomparativefiguresfor2008

Budget 2009 2008 Revenue FinancialTransferAgreement(FTA) 5,919,721 5,919,721 5,252,094 DepartmentofIndianAffairs 830,817 829,961 722,354 OtherFederalGovernment 1,187,314 365,583 461,411 YukonTerritorialGovernment 2,583,750 1,967,417 842,912 AboriginalOrganizations 287,508 293,310 338,906 InvestmentIncome 1,110,452 522,222 1,719,906 BusinessIncome Ͳ 528,538 Ͳ TaxationandRoyaltyrevenues 788,924 777,320 1,148,232 OtherRevenue 164,917 346,023 325,978 OtherRecoveries 111,188 340,966 325,541 12,984,591 11,891,061 11,137,334

Expenses GovernanceandElders 2,734,285 2,703,184 1,999,081 WorkforceDevelopment 1,849,488 1,884,533 1,330,393 Heritage,Language&Culture 723,684 561,482 345,480 HealthandSocialDevelopment 1,860,030 1,759,130 1,388,891 Landsandresources 785,502 578,280 707,938 Operations/maintenance/capital 3,242,207 2,734,812 2,010,491 GeneralAdministration 1,613,604 1,597,292 1,755,612 InvestmentTrustactivities 205,000 307,385 257,054 13,013,801 12,126,098 9,794,940

Annualsurplus(deficit) (29,209) (235,036) 1,342,394

Accumulateddeficitatbeginningofyear Ͳ40,918,247 38,906,309 AdoptionofTangiblecapitalassets(note1(f)) Ͳ Ͳ 669,544

Accumulateddeficitatendofyear (29,209) 40,683,210 40,918,247

17 Finance & Administration

TESLINTLINGITCOUNCIL ConsolidatedStatementofFinancialPosition

March31,2009,withcomparativefiguresfor2008

2009 2008 FinancialAssets

Cashandcashequivalents $3,636,250 $7,894,950 Restrictedcashandcashequivalents 99,999 83,114 Investments 13,589,221 16,576,056 Grantsandotherreceivables 1,888,810 817,853 Businessinvestmentsandreceivablesfromrelatedparties 16,652,492 13,415,222 35,866,772 38,787,195

Liabilities

Accountspayableandaccruedliabilities 1,546,517 1,456,727 Deferredrevenue 772,383 2,377,997 CMHCReserves 97,620 86,136 Debt 1,410,395 651,213 3,826,915 4,572,073 Netfinancialassets 32,039,857 34,215,122

NonͲfinancialassets

Tangiblecapitalassets 8,583,965 6,635,427 Inventoriesofsupplies 29,500 31,066 Prepaidexpenses 29,888 36,632 8,643,354 6,703,125

AccumulatedSurplus $40,683,210 $40,918,247

OnbehalfoftheCoucil:

18 Report onImplementation & Negotiations

Kim Smarch Director of Implementation & Negotiations

Yukon: Teslin Tlingit Council Skeeter Miller Wright and Catherine Constable Activity Report Yukon First Nations: Completion of Reviews/Gross Expenditure Base SGS - Matt Mehaffey (GEB) Project/Financial and Fiscal Components VGFN - Alison Reid, Norm McIntyre, Hugh Mon- of a Renewed SGFTA aghan April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009 CAFN - Fran Asp, Angie Wabisca, Jim Harper LSCFN - Viola Mullet, Dorothy John, Jim Harper Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC) , the Government of Can- Sharon Peter, Tim Gerberding, Art Hoogland – NND ada and the Government of Yukon completed the Gross TTC - Kim Smarch, Pat Wiens, Hugh Taylor, Jim Expenditure Base project for Yukon Self Governing Harper First Nation Governments (SGFNs), and transmitted the TH - Tim Gerberding, Joanne MacDonald, Bruce Warn- project report to the Parties. This project may inform the sby SGFTA renegotiation. TTC is preparing for the renewal KFN - Donalda Easterson of our Implementation arrangements and the negotia- CTFN - Beverley Sembsmoen, Matt Mehaffey tion of our Self-Government Financial Transfer Agree- TKC - Corinne Mckay ment (SGFTA). Other TTC Participants: Objectives TTC Implementation representative Kim Smarch was The objectives for fiscal year 2008-2009: greatly assisted by TTC Departmental Directors and relevant TTC Finance and program staff in assembling 1.Finalize the GEB project for the development of esti- all of the information required for the Reviews, GEB mates of expenditure need; project, and subsequent exchanges. 2.Transmit the GEB project report to the Parties; Meetings and Consultations also included TTC Execu- 3. Respond to the recommendations and observations in tive Council. the FTA Review report, Implementation Review report, and GEB project report; 4. Participate in discussions, meetings, caucuses, negotiations and related activities relating to the renegotiation Legend of YFN Implementation arrangements and the SGFTA, including discussions relating to possible extension of YFN - Yukon First Nations the current SGFTA. GEB - Gross Expenditure Base FTA - Federal Transfer Agreement Primary participants IWG - Intergovernmental Working Group at various times/Canada: IGF - Intergovernmental Forum Jim McCarthy, Kim Thompson, Steve Gagnon, Damon SA - Social Assistance Rourke, Craig Milne, Dave Janoff, Jessica Torrance, PSTA - Program and Service Transfer Agreement Amos Westropp, Dionne Savill, Brian Gillen and oth- NNADAP - National Native Alcohol and Drug ers Abuse Program

19 Implementation & Negotiations

• Substantial discussion/meetings re: Canada’s response Progress Report: to Reviews • Substantial discussion/meetings re: FTA renegotiation • Gross Expenditure Project completed (note: Tim Ger- • Identification of fiscal issues berding and Alison Reid were the • Production of discussion papers designated YFN reps to draft the report) • Intergovernmental Forum • Report transmitted • Yukon Days Ottawa Lobby • Prepared draft individual GEB spreadsheets to inform • Messages developed and delivered FTA renegotiation • FTA Extension Amendment negotiated, • Generated internal data request for FN approved and signed specific GEB with huge input from TTC • FTA Amendment re: enhancements for Social Assis- Departments tance negotiated, approved and signed • Renewal 2009 Tri-partite Workplan approved by Par- • First round of FTA Renewal negotiations scheduled, fol- ties lowing federal approval of mandate

SECTION 17 NEGOTATIONS tion of the related wait period. Further, the negotiators will FINAL REPORT work together to address the effects of YGs decision to annu- April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009 ally index basic social assistance benefits to their Consumer 1.0 ACTIVITY REPORT Price Index. These results may trigger FTA 6.1 to capture any new increases. Participants at various times: Canada - Amos Westropp, Lisa Hutton Items in Progress as per TTC’s Notice of Program and Yukon - Michael Hale, Christine Paradis Yukon First Nations - James Harper Service Transfers for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 ADS Legal counsel on behalf of the SGFNs: The goal is to have this PSTA finalized and effective date of Matt Mehaffey – VGFN April 1, 2009. Given the complexity of this file, the effective Angie Wabisca – CAFN date may be in 2010. PSTA will focus on education, pre- Sharon Nelson – SFN vention, referral, counseling and aftercare. Treatment centre Viola Mullet, Dorothy John – LSCFN component, ongoing discussions. Draft feasibility study and Art Hoogland, Tim Gerberding – NND plan for a Yukon First Nations Healing and Wellness Centre Kim Smarch – TTC is being discussed internally by all YFNs. TTC is in support Tim Gerberding, Joanne MacDonald – TH of a FN regional treatment centre. Brenda Asp – TKC Donalda Easterson – KFN The conference call with Health Canada officials on March Beverley Sembsmoen – CTFN 30th caused extreme concern for FNs. Health Canada stated Debra Dupont – KDFN that FNs exploring the development of a NNADAP treatment Pauline Frost – Self-government Secretariat centre would be outside of the scope of the PSTA table, that Various FN Council members and support staff (as required) FNs can only assume responsibility for programs they are presently administering or are eligible to administer. Their Negotiation Progress position is fundamentally inconsistent with FN SGAs. • Workplan/schedule/budget Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Chief Taylor wrote a letter to Canada’s • A new Schedule C and budget was produced and ap- Minister of Health and Minister of INAC expressing these proved for 08/09 negotiations. concerns. HRSD Items Completed FNs met with HRSD officials this year and struck a small FTA amendment for Social Assistance Program Enhance- working group. Group met again with HRSD officials in ment. For CAFN, $38,656 ongoing funding to the base plus Vancouver. Parties further exploring a SGFN/Canada Labor $14,076 prorated for 08-09 by amendment to the CFA. A Market Development (type of) Agreement (LMDA). This condition of the FTA amendment is that during a three-year arrangement would be dealt with substantially the same basis period, FNs shall provide to Canada any additional costs as HRSD’s arrangements with Provinces/Territories. incurred for the Disabled Persons Assistance Program and The current AHRDA (Aboriginal Human Resources Devel- the raising of the earned income exemption and elimina- opment Agreement) is extended to March 31, 2010. 20 . Report on Capital & Infrastructure

Staff as of March 31, 2009

Director: Bert Goodvin

Asset Manager: Richard Horne (Acting Director)

Inventory Assistant: Santana Jules

Housing Clerk: Wanda Jackson

Office Manager: Tammy Taylor

Projects Project Manager: Tod Smarch

Carpenters & Helpers: Richard Grant, Raymond Douville, Thomas Morris, Steve Smith, John Dew- hurst, Floyd Smith, John LaVallee, Kayne Geddes, Nathan Bob, Anthony Johnston, Travis Beebe, Thomas Wolfe, Jan Jules, Mike Jules, Mike Melichar, Frank Sydney, Gus Jules, Loren Jules, George Ned Sidney, Evan Smarch, Elmer Jackson, Allen Fox ald Ent., Chilkoot Engineering, To the T Janitorial

Slashers / Labourers: George Wolfe, Tianna Wolfe, Maintenance Marianne Morris, Tyler Clark, Lee Turner, Kayne Property Manager(s): Rob Gareau, Gus Jules Geddes, Korey Smith, Bodean Wolfe, Jesse Wolfe, Maintenance Workers: Darrin Wolfe, Gorden Smith George Hohn, Darryl Peters, William Johnston, Jack Custodial/Maintenance: Clara Jules, Joe Smith, Smarch, Kenneth Smarch, Paul Bosely Mike Callaghan, Mike Cloutier, Doreen Aster, Mike Miskell, Wendy Jackson, Tasha Fox, Michelle Fox, Contractors: Thomas Contracting, Deano’s Electric, Venus Abou, George Ned Sidney, Donna Dickson. Thomas Electric, Deadman Creek Enterprises, General Laundromat Attendants: Reg Wolfe, Daniel Jackson, Waste Management, D & M Equipment Contracting, Mike Miskell Permafrost Enterprises, Smith Equipment Rentals, Doug Hogan Ent., Precision Builders, Allan MacDon-

21 Capital & Infrastructure

Capital & Infrastructure constructed three new CMHC becoming very important to our continued growth in Section 95 housing units and started construction on housing stock. the Six-plex. Two houses were built in-house by TTC’s The cost of an oil spill took a significant portion of our construction crew. The other house was tendered out budget this year. Costs to date have been approximately to the successful bidder Franz Paukner of Permafrost $341,000 to excavate and haul contaminated soil to a Enterprises. The Six-plex was tendered out over sev- licensed facility for remediation. This also included eral phases; structural building envelope, electrical and moving the house to where a new foundation had been mechanical. The remainder of the construction is being placed and backfilling the excavated site. There will be completed by TTC’s construction crew and contrac- additional costs for ongoing monitoring and the drilling tors. of another monitoring hole. A survey of all fuel storage tanks will be conducted in RRAP (Residential Rehabilitation an effort to minimize future occurrences. Adaptation Program): Homeowners are encouraged to check their fuel stor- • Finished off four RRAPs from the previous fiscal age tanks regularly for leaking lines and to ensure the year, and did a large RRAP on one unit. tanks are stable and not located in an area where they • Housing Renovations: 13 can be damaged. • Building code upgrades to wood stove heating systems: Approximately 18 • Oil spill remediation • Other Projects: Brooks Brook Slashing, Fox Point Health & Social Road, Health & Social Dept. Stove Purchase and Installation, Elder’s Cache, Tool and Trailer Pur- chases, Community Garden/Greenhouse Comple- tion, Renovation to TTC Whitehorse Office

We had record amounts of snow this past year. This called for additional contractor callouts for snow re- moval and we had to hire additional staff to keep the commercial building entrances sidewalks and Elder’s roofs cleared. Additional staff were able to assist with the backlog of work orders for the commercial and residential buildings and also complete the chimney clean- ing.

Challenges We still have an urgent need for developed land for our Joe Dewhurst works on a TTC housing unit. Citizen’s housing projects. Subdivision development is

22 Report on Health & Social

Program Listing:

Kelly Morris • Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA) Director of Health & Social • Home and Community Care (HCC) • Home Support • Treatment referrals • Counseling referrals • Traditional Counselling • Meals on Wheels (twice weekly) uring the 2008-09 fiscal year, the Health & Social’s D • Soup Kitchen (once every two weeks) Director continued to play an active role in consulta- • Support for Residential School Survivors tions in regards to revisions to the Family and Chil- • Family support with related to Child Welfare dren’s Act for the Yukon. • Health prevention education (diabetes, tobacco, cancer) The Social Worker position in Teslin has been vacant • Family support related to illness/disability in the family for over a year and continues to be vacant to date. Yu- • Medical related transportation kon Government had a number of job postings without • Medical Equipment Loans finding a successful candidate. Some rural communi- • Justice – Peace Maker Diversion Program ties in Yukon have been without a social worker for as • Community Garden many as five years. • Emergency Medical Transportation Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA) increases for • Social workshops and programs basic needs of food, clothing and incidentals were in- • Health Promotion and Prevention Workshops troduced on July 1st, 2008. Consultations continued between TTC and the majority of Yukon First Nations over the establishment of a permanent Treatment Cen- tre for the Yukon. Health & Social also continued to take part in regional and community committees on the Health & Human Resource Initiative (Lori Joe); Injury Health & Social Prevention (Jade McGinty); Pandemic Planning for TTC (Lori Joe, Mary Rose and Kelly Morris). Other initiatives that the TTC Health Department committed to during the fiscal year include Cancer Preven- tion, Pandemic Planning, Injury Prevention, Commu- nity Health Planning, Community Health Scan, Access to Health Care, and Mental Wellness. We also attended the Health Summit for Yukon. Lisa Boutilier, Eric Morris and Robin Murphy during Earth Day celebrations. Staff, as of March 31, 2009 Director Kelly Morris Traditional Counsellor Rita Grant TFA Intake Clerk Dalyce Huot Meals-Wheels Coordinator Donna Dickson Youth at Risk Support Worker Lisa Boutilier ELCC Manager Patty Wiseman Home Support Worker Vicky Bob AHS Instructor Michelle Smith Health Manager Lori Joe Justice Coordinator Annie Johnston Home/Com. Care Coordinator Jade McGinty Justice Clerk Martina Sidney Program Coordinator Mary Rose Sydney 23 Health & Social

Graduates of the first Pursuit of Ex- cellence Seminars to take place in Teslin during the Spring of 2008.

Activities for past Fiscal Year: • School Nutritional hot lunch Program bi-weekly, School year 2008/09 • Coordinated and Chaperoned kids in Whitehorse for • Gwichin Gathering for Youth, Summer 2008 Hockey Camp, Summer 2008 • Dakota House Workshop for Youth, Summer 2008 • Aboriginal Head Start, 2nd Graduation, June 2008 • Pursuit of Excellence – Whitehorse, January 2009 • Mini Christmas Bazaar, 2nd Annual, December 2008 • The Wall – Whitehorse, March 2009 • Telehealth system installed, November 2008 • Staff assisted at the Pursuits and Wall seminars • Community Garden 1st year • Chaperoned youth at Youth Conference in Whitehorse • Community Harvest Camp at Brooks Brook, 3rd An- Winter 2008 nual • Awaken The Spirit Workshop (Healing w/Humour) • August 2008 Indian Residential School Program Training/Capacity Development • Assisted/Coordinated community participation at An- for Staff nual Stick Gambling Championship, July 2008 • 8th Annual Community Christmas Dinner December • Home Support Worker Training and Certification 2008 • Person Centered Planning for Youth @ Risk • Assisted w/ Canada Day Event Kids Tent & Activi- • Diabetes Do it Yourself – Tool Kit ties, July 2008 • ECD Course for E.L.C.C. Staff • Smoking Cessation Program, April 2008

24 Report on Workforce Development

James Smarch Director Workforce Development

Vision: To establish the Teslin Tlingit Council as an Since September of 2007, the functions of human re- employer of choice and a model of exceptional gover- sources management and capacity development within nance by providing leadership in all matters that affect TTC have undergone an evolution. In 2007 the new de- the current and future staffing component of the TTC partment of Human Resources was implemented and by following the four goals set out in the Employer Phi- staffed. In 2008 a change was made to the leadership losophy. of the department and James Smarch was installed as the new Director. The roles within the department have Guiding Principles: changed throughout the year to reflect a good mix of • We treat everyone with respect responsibilities and skills that can efficiently provide • We are committed to facilitating the the support needed by the organization in personnel employment of Teslin Tlingit Citizens matters. • We will ensure that all employees of TTC In the same time frame the Education Department lost receive consistent and fair treatment a number of staff, providing the opportunity to con- • We carefully consider the impact of our sider the potential for efficiencies, including job and decisions on the well-being of our people and department combinations. As a result the Education community” and Human Resources departments became Workforce Development with James as the Director. The melding The work plan that flowed from these guiding state- together of the two departments resulted in a reduction ments was weighted heavily at first in establishing a of five positions. The mission of the new department viable department in the short term and then to a broad is: objective of preparing staff, Citizens and residents of Teslin to be skilled contributors in all manner of careers. These efforts have started at the elementary school lev- “To provide support and guidance el through the efforts of Robin Smarch who completed in all personnel matters; to develop a course of training in career exploration called Guid- a work and community environment ing Circles. This is a process developed specifically for that is inclusive and provides First Nations people and helps individuals explore their skills and aspirations, leading them to careers that are capacity development and career right for them. opportunities into the future.” Capacity Building Two additional Workforce Development employees, Marie Davies and Lenora Minet, completed the certifi- The department developed a vision statement and guid- cation for Guiding Circles. They will be able to use the ing principles that led decision making when choices system in their work with high school and post second- were needed: ary students as well as in assessing adults who ask 25 Workforce Development for guidance in career exploration. Skills development ment to have access to health benefits. and education continue to be a focus for TTC in or- The department worked with the other departments der to create a competent and productive Tlingit work- to update job descriptions and a process to reclassify force to staff the Council and its associated businesses the jobs and compare them to the marketplace was con- today and into the future. Marie Davies is located in cluded by Clarity Job Analysis. The project included the Whitehorse offices of TTC on a one-year trial basis the development of three new pay scale options for to assess the effectiveness of a closer liaison with TTI TTC to allow TTC to become more competitive with (need the actual name) and how that may result in pre- respect to salaries and provide for more flexibility in paratory training for job opportunities arising in those salary ranges. Unfortunately the introduction of the organizations. new scale is delayed due to current budget restrictions. The Pursuit of Excellence Series provided a founda- When conditions allow it is the intention of TTC to in- tion for further skills development both internally and troduce the new scale which will give employees who outside of TTC. By the end of the fiscal year 150 peo- have maxed out in their wage scales an opportunity to ple had taken advantage of the program. move forward.

Skills Gap Analysis Summary The department started developing a survey in 2008 Workforce Development continues to explore oppor- that will be conducted in 2009 to identify available tunities to streamline and increase productivity because skills in Teslin and within Citizens living elsewhere. every dollar saved from salary costs is another dollar The survey will also give insight into gaps in skills that for programming to benefit staff, Citizens and Teslin. will drive the department’s capacity building efforts. The amalgamation of the Education and Human Re- The gaps are suspected to be in the areas of literacy sources Departments resulted in the reduction of five and numeracy as well as advanced technical skills that positions. It allows for a department that manages the are generally acquired through post secondary educa- continuum of learning from elementary school to post tion. Training and education programming will also be secondary; from education to working for TTC and in- guided by the outcomes of the new performance as- cludes continuing career exploration and lifelong learn- sessment process that was developed in 2008. The new ing if people desire it. While employed by TTC, staff system provides a two-way communication between can be confident that they will be treated fairly and eq- employees and their supervisors where performance is uitably through the exercise of the Workforce Develop- assessed against the requirements set out in their job ment function of administering policies and following descriptions. Where employees need upgrading or new legislation. skills to adequately perform their jobs, training plans will be developed to address the need.

Employer of Choice Workforce Development continues to make changes to the Per- sonnel Policy Manual to update many of the policies and make them more relevant and user friendly. Personnel policies must be dynamic documents in order to change and reflect changing legislation as well as changes within TTC. One change made in 2008 was to include term and project- based employees in the definition of “Employee”. This allowed eli- By the end of the fiscal year, 150 people had taken part in the Pursuit of Excellence gible employees in term employ- Series. Here, staff, Citizens and facilitators attend their group’s commencement. 26