History of the land claims process

How did the land claims process start?

During the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, many people flocked to the Yukon with dreams of quick cash.  As a result of this influx of outsiders, Yukon First Nations who were the original inhabitants of the region felt they were losing access to their land. In 1902 hereditary Chief of the Ta'an Kwach'an, Jim Boss, wrote urgently to the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs saying, "Tell the King very hard, we want something for our Indians because they take our land and game".

In 1973, the Yukon Native Brotherhood led by Chief Elijah Smith travelled to Ottawa to present a proposal to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Called Together Today for our Children Tomorrow, the document laid the foundation for the negotiation of land claims and self-government for Yukon First Nations.

Negotiations between Yukon First Nations and the Government of Canada, and later the Government of Yukon, continued for the next 20 years until the Umbrella Final Agreement was signed in 1993. This document served as the foundation for the individual Final and Self-Government Agreements that followed.

Yukon land claims and self-government agreements are the result of the hard work and determination of many dedicated individuals over the years. These podcasts feature some of those individuals who provide reflections of the past and insights into a vision of the future for Yukon Aboriginal self-government.

The podcast series, Voices of Vision: Yukon Aboriginal Self-Government, was created in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations, the Government of Yukon, the Government of Canada and Self-Governing Yukon First Nations.

The content of the podcast interviews is intended to deepen public understanding of the history of land claims and self-government implementation in the Yukon, and represent the opinions and ideas of the interviewees alone.