Photo: CKRW file.
Members from the Yukon Government, First Nations Government and Federal Ministers all met at Parliament for Yukon Days
YUKON – The Yukon government, Yukon First Nations chiefs and federal ministers met in Ottawa to discuss priorities for the territory.
Support for Indigenous languages, the drug use health emergency, land use planning, First Nations housing, Yukon River salmon, and the government Non-Insured Health Benefits program was among the joint goals covered at this year’s conference.
This year’s Yukon Days delegation included Premier Sandy Silver; Minister Jeanie McLean; Minister Ranj Pillai; Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Doris Bill; Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation Chief Nicole Tom; Tr’ondek Hwech’in Hähké Roberta Joseph; Champagne and Aishikhik First Nations Dän nätthe äda Barb Joe; Ta’an Kwäch’än Council Chief Amanda Leas; Teslin Tlingit Council Deputy Chief Alex Oakley, and several First Nations councilors, youth and Elders.
Building on the work of the Yukon Forum, Yukon Days allows the Yukon Government and Yukon First Nations to utilize their collective voice to lobby for federal policies and investments that are responsive to Yukon objectives.
Premier Sandy Silver says the yearly meetings allow the territory’s leaders to advocate for their collective needs and are well worth the time.
“It all comes down to whether or not these conversations are worth it. And so what does that mean? Well, the First Nations governments put a ton of effort into the coordination that their public servants were extremely hard it would not make any sense to continue if this wasn’t worth it and it certainly is by all the ports as far as I understand”
Yukon Days is an annual trilateral gathering in Ottawa that brings together the Premier, Yukon Ministers, Yukon First Nations Chiefs, and federal Ministers to discuss Yukon issues.
