FIRST NATION COMMUNITY PROFILES VUNTUT GWITCHIN FIRST NATION - COMMUNITY OF OLD CROW COMPLIMENTS OF VGFN PHOTO GALLERY Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation History Old Crow is the only Yukon community located north of the Arctic Circle. Situated on the banks of the Porcupine River, Old Crow is accessible only by aircraft or by river and occasionally by winter road. Old Crow derives its name from a Gwich’in Chief, “Deetru` K`avihdik”, which means “Crow May I Walk”. Following the chief’s death in the 1870’s, his people named the river and mountain in his honour, thus becoming the community of Old Crow. “Vuntut Gwitchin”, meaning “People of the Lakes”, is one group of the Gwich’in Nation living across the north into Alaska and the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.). The name “Vuntut Gwitchin” derives from the heartland of the people - the Old Crow Flats, an area covered by small and large lakes. Each family group in Old Crow has their own trapping area that has been passed down from generation to generation. The Vuntut Gwitchin continue to use the land and its resources as they have for thousands of years. With a vast traditional territory, approximately 50,000 square miles, the Vuntut Gwitchin rely heavily on the land and on the Porcupine Caribou Herd for food, shelter and medicines. The Gwich’in Athapaskan language has also been known as Loucheux, Kutchin and Tukudh. The language is used in northern Yukon, northeast Alaska and northwest N.W.T. The Gwich’in language has been taught in the Chief Zzeh Gittlit School in Old Crow since the early 1970’s. Gwich’in classes are attended by virtually all the students during the year. The Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement was signed on May 29, 1993, and came into effect on February 14, 1995. The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation administer the following departments in order to meet the needs of their com- munity members: Executive, Finance, Natural Resources, Information Systems, Health & Social, Human Resources, Education, and Government Services and Housing. COMPLIMENTS OF YUKON GOVERNMENT PHOTO GALLERY Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation: http://www.vgfn.ca/ TABle of Contents: COMMUNITY BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1 LAND CLAIMS & SELF-GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT 3 ScHEDULE ‘A’ 4 TRADITIONAL TERRITORY (MAP) 5 YUKON-AbORIGINAL STATISTICS 6 - 8 YUKON-CRIME STATISTICS 9 LOCATION OF YUKON FIRST NATION MEMBERS 10 - 11 CENSUS SUBDIVISION STATISTICS 12 - 15 YUKON FIRST NATION CONTACT LIST 16 DEFINITIONS & AbbREVIATIONS 17- 18 This First Nation Community Profile was researched and compiled by Mr. Joseph Fred, First Nations Statistician, as part of a training program supported by the Government of Yukon and Statistics Canada, in cooperation with Yukon First Nations. 2 Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Self-Government Agreement Land Claim Agreements The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation signed Final and Self-Government Agreements with Yukon and Canada on May 29, 1993. The Effective Date of these agreements was February 14, 1995. Government Structure The Vuntut Gwitchin government structure is established by its Constitution, which was developed according to the Self-Government Agreement. Among other things, the Constitution divides the Vuntut Gwitchin govern- ment into four branches: the Chief and Council, the General Assembly, the Elders Council, and the Tribal Court. Traditional Territory The Traditional Territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is centred on the village of Old Crow in northern Yukon. In very generalized terms, this area of historic use and occupation extends north from the Ogilvie River on the Dempster Highway to the height of land marking drainage to the Arctic Ocean and from the Alaska/Yu- kon border east to the Yukon/NWT border. Approximately 63% of this Traditional Territory is north of the Arctic Circle. Settlement Land and Special Management Areas Through the terms of the Umbrella Final Agreement, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation owns the following Settle- ment Land: • 7,744.06 km² of Category A Land – meaning that the First Nation owns both the surface of the land as well as what is below it (such as minerals and oil and gas). • 7.1 km² of land allocated per section 4.3.4 of the Final Agreement. Unlike the other Yukon First Nations, which received a split of Category A and Category B Land, all of the Vuntut Gwitchin’s Settlement Land parcels (other than the section 4.3.4 allocation) are Category A. The Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement created three Special Management Areas – Vuntut National Park, Fishing Branch Ecological Reserve and the Old Crow Flats area. Vuntut was designated under Canada’s National Parks Act, Fishing Branch was designated under Yukon’s Parks Act, while the Old Crow Flats Area is managed in accor- dance with an agreed-to Management Plan. Heritage Sites The Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement requires the creation of Rampart House and Lapierre House (two fur trade posts) as Historic Sites under the Historic Resources Act. Rampart House is located downstream from Old Crow, on the Porcupine River at the Yukon/Alaska border. Lapierre House is located on the Bell River, which flows into the Porcupine River upstream of Old Crow. The Final Agreement also identified ten heritage routes (for example Old Crow to Rampart House) and five sites (such as caribou fences) to which specific provisions in the Final Agreement apply. Financial Compensation In accordance with the terms of Chapter 19 of the Umbrella Final Agreement, the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation became entitled, on the Effective Date of its Final Agreement, to its share of the financial compensation package provided by Canada. This amounted to $19,161,859, as measured in 1989 dollars. The Final Agreements include formulae for determining each First Nation’s Adjusted Final Share; in the case of the Vuntut Gwitchin, factoring in interest, this resulted in 15 annual payments of $2,402,204, starting on the date the Agreement was signed (May 29, 1993). Taxation As a self-governing Yukon First Nation, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation has the authority for taxation, for local pur- poses, of interest in Settlement Land and of occupants and tenants of that land. The First Nation is also able to enter into ‘tax sharing’ arrangements with Canada and Yukon regarding the sharing of tax-generated revenue. Vuntut Gwitchin passed the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Income Tax Act in 1998. The Vuntut Gwitchin First Na- tion is responsible for paying property taxes for some, but not all Settlement Land, in accordance with Chapter 21 of the Final Agreement. Property taxes are not paid on unimproved rural Settlement Land. Economic Development Measures Chapter 22 of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement provides for certain economic development measures in- tended to provide Yukon Indian People with opportunities to participate in the Yukon economy and to ensure they obtain economic benefits that flow directly from the Agreement. 3 4 SCHEDULE 'A' ALLOCATION OF SETTLEMENT LAND AMOUNT Category A Fee Simple & Category B Total Allocation under 4.3.4 Sq. Miles Sq. Km* Sq. Miles Sq. Km* Sq. Miles Sq. Km* Sq. Miles Sq. Km* Carcross/Tagish First Nation 400 1,036.00 200 518.00 600 1,553.99 2.90 7.51 Champagne & Aishihik First Nations 475 1,230.24 450 1,165.49 925 2,395.74 12.17 31.52 Kluane First Nation 250 647.50 100 259.00 350 906.50 2.63 6.81 Kwanlin Dün First Nation 250 647.50 150 388.50 400 1,036.00 2.62 6.79 Liard First Nation 930 2,408.69 900 2,330.99 1,830 4,739.68 2.63 6.81 Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation 600 1,553.99 400 1,036.00 1,000 2,589.99 3.27 8.47 First Nation of Na-cho Nyäk Dun 930 2,408.69 900 2,330.99 1,830 4,739.68 3.58 9.27 Ross River Dena Council 920 2,382.79 900 2,330.99 1,820 4,713.78 2.75 7.12 Selkirk First Nation 930 2,408.69 900 2,330.99 1,830 4,739.68 2.62 6.79 Ta'an Kwäch’än Council 150 388.50 150 388.50 300 777.00 3.21 8.31 Teslin Tlingit Council 475 1,230.24 450 1,165.49 925 2,395.74 12.88 33.36 Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation 600 1,553.99 400 1,036.00 1,000 2,589.99 3.29 8.52 Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation 2,990 7,744.06 - - 2,990 7,744.06 2.74 7.10 White River First Nation 100 259.00 100 259.00 200 518.00 2.72 7.04 TOTAL 10,000 25,899.88 6,000 15,539.93 16,000 41,439.81 60.00 155.40 * Conversion to square kilometres is approximate Source: Umbrella Final Agreement, Council For Yukon Indians, 1993 Sh oa lw a te r Ba y C r T r a i l e S e h k a l l o e w g R a r M B b e a o a b v p o y C r i s e e k a i e B R d C h a n k n C el e r C An k k W w r e o e l s InB uv v ialuit i k T t ee i R r m C b e Set r tlement h s i k VUNTUT C NAT IONAL Regi F C on h s k PARK C a a C r n m h e s o e ¯ n i h k T F e g l i x B o F e l t C t r i o L Aklavik l d w O k a c Bl r e v i C R k P e k e r e e C l H u C e r k s f f k c ha S y W R r Si ng le oma n e n v i o i v s R n C e h k r o J C h a OLD CROW FLATS C n SPECIAL MANAGEMENT h n a e AREA n r l n e e k v l e i e a t r R R C R d W o i v r C o a k e r a w t B t e f r i s r u D o b Old C row r i e r R v a i i y v C E R I N R r e r P r U I e C R R B P O V Husky k Lake E E e e R r R V C l I d l e Fort i e t B R p u h McPherson a r C R e Cr v St on ee i e y k J o R h n s o La n r d Lo Y Old h WA s GH Rampart i HI f P e S u C a lm l k o B E n ER N ST r u E P e T M v k E E r a i o o D u R n t g R L l o R e c Ck k C P in e a r Vunt e w ut k Gwitche in k e r n R t i t i v i V ' e r C h o ve r d S Ri y c c h a i e f f e r w FISHING R G BRANCH i v C e t r r e i WILDLIFE e C k r ' r e e l S PRESERVE e i v a k ad R l m t Ro o n e r k Ki k o t e F e n r B T e C r n c u R a ha il u n C C ra n c r ah D T t FISHING h ee y k V D BRANCH