Champagne & Aishihik First Nations

FIRST NATION COMMUNITY PROFILES CHAMPAGNE & AISHIHIK FIRST NATIONS - COMMUNITY OF HAINES JUNCTION COMPLiMENTS OF CAFN PHOTO GALLERY Champagne & Aishihik First Nations History The homeland of Champagne & Aishihik First Nations (CAFN), located in southwest Yukon and Northwest British Columbia, is a land of great natural beauty and biological richness. It is a land of steep mountains, surging glaciers, fast flowing rivers, rolling tundra plateau and forested river val- leys. CAFN was named after two of its historic settlements: Champagne, located on the Dezadeash River; and Aishihik, situated at the headwaters of the Alsek River drainage. Formerly, the South- ern Tutchone population was located throughout the region in other villages including Kloo Lake, Klukshu, Canyon, Shäwshe and Hutshi. Of Yukon’s fourteen First Nations, CAFN is one of the largest. Its traditional territory covers 41,000 square kilometers, 29,000 of which are located in Yukon and 12,000 in British Columbia. Centred on Haines Junction, the easterly portion of CAFN’s traditional territory lies in the Yukon River watershed, while the larger, westerly portion lies in the Alsek River watershed. Much of Kluane National Park (Yukon) and all of Tatshenshini-Alsek Park (BC) lie within CAFN’s traditional territory. Cultural Connections CAFN’s native language is Southern Tutchone, a member of the Athapaskan language family, which includes Navajo, the Dene languages and most Yukon Indian languages. Strong ties with neigh- bouring Southern Tutchone First Nations, Kluane First Nation to the northwest and Ta’an First Nation to the east, have long been strengthened by intermarriage and visiting. CAFN has also maintained strong trading relationships with its neighbours to the south, the Tlingits of the Pacific Coast. In for- mer days, most people in the southern section of the territory were bilingual, speaking both South- ern Tutchone and Tlingit. Only a few local elders speak Tlingit today. Traditional Lifestyles A hundred years ago, CAFN people pursued a subsistence-hunting and fishing lifestyle. Caribou, moose, Dall sheep, mountain goat, gophers and small mammals were hunted and trapped for food and clothing. The annual runs of sockeye, coho and chinook up the Tatshenshini River were a time of plenty and celebration. These runs would bring people from as far away as Aishihik to the settlements on the Tatshenshini River and its tributaries. Resident fish species in the lakes and rivers were also an important food source and were taken throughout the year. In addition to this abundance, berries were also gathered by the women and preserved in grease to add variety to the diet throughout the year. CAFN people knew how to use many local plants as medicine for healing. First Nations Economy Trapping for furs has always been a part of the CAFN economy. Trapping activities increased during the 19th century when Chilkat traders moved inland from their coastal communities to secure furs from the Southern Tutchone. The Chilkats traded these furs to the Russians and later the Euro-Amer- ican traders along the coast. This was a period of change during which many cultural exchanges and intermarriages took place between the two cultures. The Chilkats protected this trade route until the discovery of Klondike gold in 1898, initiating the first great influx of non-natives into the region, changing life forever. Fur trapping is still practiced on both a full- and part-time basis and most community members continue to exercise their subsistence rights to hunt and fish. These activities provide more than food for CAFN members; they connect the people to their heritage and provide opportunities to teach the culture to present and future gen- erations. COMPLiMENTS OF CAFN PHOTO GALLERY OUR PEOPLE TODAY - FOR OUR CHILDREN TOMORROW In 1993, after more than 20 years of negotiations, CAFN’s rights to the Yukon portion of its traditional lands and resources were finally confirmed with the signing of the Champagne & Aishihik First Na- tions Final Agreement between CAFN, the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon. Land claim negotiations concerning the portion of CAFN territory within BC are as yet incomplete, but in the interim, an innovative and precedent setting agreement between the BC government and CAFN has been reached which provides for joint management authority of the newly created Tatshenshini-Alsek Park. The road to the Yukon Land Claim Agreement was a long and difficult one. Many Champagne and Aishihik members, beginning with the late Elijah Smith, provided creative leadership in initiating and negotiating an Umbrella Yukon Land Claim Agreement. Elijah organized the Yukon Native Brother- hood and, in 1973, he presented Together Today for our Children Tomorrow, a position paper on the Yukon comprehensive claim, to then Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. CAFN was one of the first four Yukon First Nations to conclude their final agreements. CAFN’s Dave Joe was the Chief Negotiator for the Council for Yukon Indians (now the Council of Yukon First Na- tions) was instrumental in completing the Yukon Umbrella Final Agreement. The late Harry Allen and Dorothy Wabisca, along with Chief Paul Birckel, were also key players in the successful negotia- tion of these groundbreaking agreements. CAFN’s Land Claim Agreement provides for the ownership of some 2,427 square kilometers of land. It also continues to provide guaranteed access to fish and wildlife resources. Most importantly, the agreement establishes the CAFN government as co-managers of all natural and cultural resources in its traditional territory. CAFN is a partner of the Kluane National Park Management Board, the Alsek Renewable Resources Council and has representation on numerous other regional and ter- ritorial boards that make recommendations on heritage, educational, environmental and economic issues. In addition, the self-government agreement provides CAFN with the power to enact laws on a wide range of matters affecting the rights of its citizens. On September 17, 1998, Champagne and Aishi- hik First Nations made history by passing three acts: the Income Tax Act, Fish and Wildlife Act, and Traditional Pursuits Act. These acts became effective on January 1, 1999. CAFN has undergone radical change in the last 100 years. Not long ago, the Southern Tutchone people of this region lived as part of the land. Today, they are working on the establishment of their own government and CAFN is becoming the steward of its homeland as it builds a sustainable economy. Champagne & Aishihik First Nations: http://www.cafn.ca/ 2 CAFN ADMINISTRatION DePARTMentS OF CAFN Public services such as Health & Social, Housing & Mu- nicipal, Education, and Heritage, Lands and Resources are provided to Citizens by the CAFN self-government are provided through the departments of Chief & Coun- cil, Economic Development, Human Resources, Finance & Administration, and Community Justice. Secretariat Development Under the Secretariat department, there are five branch- es: Economic Development, Human Resources (HR), Ne- gotiations/Implementations, Community Justice and COMPLIMENTS OF CAFN PHOTO GALLERY Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Economic development is responsible for planning and implementing economic programs, policies and organizations, while the implementation department oversees the PSTA and Tax negotiations, financial transfer agreements and working/review groups. The HR department deals with staffing and staffing procedures, staff development planning, policy development and personnel policy research and development. Community Justice helps coordi- nate the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and researches, develops, consults and negotiates for an administration of justice agreement for CAFN pursuant to section 13.6.0 of the CAFN Self-government Agreement. Heritage, Lands and Resources Department The department of Heritage, Lands and Resources (HLR) is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the Land Claims Final Agreement and Self-Government Agreements. These duties are divid- ed into two main categories: implementing the land and natural resource sections of CAFN’s land claim agreements and taking care of CAFN lands and heritage for the future. The HLR staff participate in surveying settlement lands, setting up Special Management Areas, man- aging fish & wildlife, land use planning and forest management planning. In order to facilitate these objectives, HLR looks after all activities, developments and land uses on CAFN settlement land, as well as monitoring and providing input into activities on other lands in the CAFN Traditional Terri- tory. Health Department The CAFN Health department is responsible for the administration of such services as social assistance, substance abuse wellness programs, family and child welfare, addictions, community health and youth recreation to its members within and surrounding the Haines Junction area. Housing & Municipal This department directs the activities of the Department of Housing and Properties and Municipal Ser- vices, which include planning and evaluating community housing needs as well as construction of any new infrastructure and repair and maintenance of municipal infrastructure/equipment. This department is also responsible for maintaining the Diamond Willow Apartment building in accordance with standards established by the CAFN, along with many other buildings and properties. Education Department The Education department is responsible for the employment and training

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