The Indigenous peoples of Yukon are ethnic groups who, prior to European contact, occupied the former countries now collectively known as Yukon. While most First Nations in the Canadian territory are a part of the wider Dene Nation, there are Tlingit and Métis nations that blend into the wider spectrum of indigeneity across Canada. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, indigenous peoples and their associated nations retain close connections to the land, the rivers and the seasons of their respective countries or homelands. Their histories are recorded and passed down the generations through oral traditions. European contact and invasion brought many changes to the native cultures of Yukon including land loss and non-traditional governance and education. However, indigenous people in Yukon continue to foster their connections with the land in seasonal wage labour such as fishing and trapping. Today, indigenous groups aim to maintain and develop indigenous languages, traditional or culturally-appropriate forms of education, cultures, spiritualities and indigenous rights.
Population
The population of indigenous people of the Yukon prior to arrival of Europeans is uncertain. The number at the beginning of the 19th century most likely lies between 7,000 and 9,000 or more.[1][2][3] By 1830, there were approximately 4,700 indigenous people living in Yukon.[3]
The pre-contact peoples of Yukon spoke dialects within the Athabaskan languages, which are still spoken to this day. The Athabaskan languages themselves are a subset of the Na-Dene language family. The Cree Syllabary that was developed by the Methodist missionary, James Evans, was adapted for use in the Yukon. Missionaries of many Christian denominations wrote dictionaries, grammars and religious texts in the indigenous languages, often with the assistance of translators.[8]
Traditions
The Indigenous peoples of the Yukon have a land based oral tradition.[9] The people were and, in many cases, still are hunters and gatherers, skilled in following the season changes in food sources. Fishing and trapping in the valleys remain fruitful, as specific prey can be followed to higher areas.[4]: 5
Knowledge about many aspects of pre contact tradition such as animal behaviour, land use, subsistence, textiles, language and spirituality comes from the oral history of indigenous people and from the work of scientists such as archeologists and anthropologists.[10]
European contact
Contact between the indigenous peoples of the Yukon and European fur traders began in the 1840s. The Hudson's Bay Company entered the area of the Yukon around that time.[4]: 3
Through the 1800s, indigenous people, such as the Hän, along the Alaska-Yukon border trapped for furs to trade for European manufactured items.[11]
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 was a seminal moment in post contact history of the indigenous people of the Yukon.[4]: 3 [11] Not only did the influx of Europeans bring new diseases, missionary movements and European consumer items but also the indigenous peoples found a role as guides, packers and chandlers for prospectors.[12]
In 1898, the increased European population led to formalisation of governance in the formation of Yukon.
Indigenous land claims
In a step towards Aboriginal title, the Yukon Indian Advancement Association was formed in the late 1960s. In 1970, the Yukon Native Brotherhood was founded, commencing a land claims movement.[13][14] In 1973, the Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow petition was presented by Elijah Smith to the prime minister Pierre Trudeau.[15]
At the 2016 Canadian census, there were 8,195 indigenous people. Of those people who gave a response indicating that they were of one indigenous group, 6,685 were First Nations, 1,015 were Métis and 230 were Inuit. A further 160 gave multiple indigenous responses with another 105 indicating some other indigenous background.[18] In the 2012 Youth identities, localities, and visual material Culture, K. Eglinton said only twelve percent were fluent in the language of their nation.[19] Fourteen First Nations represented eight language groups.[20] In 1991, an ongoing program for preservation of these languages was begun in Voices of the Talking Circle, the proceedings of the Yukon Aboriginal Language Services which emphasised that the people are the proper stewards of their languages and maintaining a critical mass of fluent speakers is essential.[21]
First Nations
This is a list of the fourteen First Nations of indigenous people of Yukon.[22]Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) lists the Aishihik and Champagne as separate First Nations in addition to the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.[23]
Of these, all but Liard River First Nation, Ross River Dena Council, and White River First Nation have signed Final Agreements and are now self-governing.[24]
In addition the Government of Yukon and INAC list the following groups as having a presence in Yukon.[22][25]
Kluane National Park and Reserve lies in Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and Kluane First Nation lands and is managed by them and Parks Canada with advice from the Kluane National Park Management Board.[50]
Other territorial parks that reflect First Nations heritage are:
Inuvialuit
Although the Inuvialuit no longer reside in Yukon they did traditionally. Inuit and their ancestors lived on Herschel Island and the coast of the Arctic Ocean. In 1984 they signed the Inuvialuit Final Agreement with the Government of Canada and this led to the creation of two parks.
Ivvavik National Park, also an important area to First Nations, was created as part of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. The park was established in response to oil exploration in the Beaufort and the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.[72]
References
^First Nations History Canadian Mysteries website.
^Coates K. and Morrison W. R. Land of the midnight sun: a history of the Yukon. McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal 2005 volume 2 p362.
^ a bCoates K. Canada's colonies: a history of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. James Lorimer & Company 1985 volume 2 p362.
^ a b c dCoates K. S. Best Left as Indians: Native-white Relations in the Yukon Territory, 1840-1973. McGill-Queen Press 1993 p2. ISBN 9780773511002. Accessed at Google Books 3 July 2016.
^ a bMap of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region
^Yukon The Canadian Encyclopaedia.
^ a bWurm S. A., Mühlhäusler P. Tryon, D. T. Trends in Linguistics in Atlas of languages of intercultural communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas. Walter de Gruyter, New York, 1996 volume 13.
^Cox J. H. and Justice D. H. The Oxford Handbook of Indigenous American Literature Oxford University Press 2014 p563 ISBN 0199914044, 9780199914043. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Kammen C. and Wilson A. H. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Local History Second Edition, American Association for State and Local History, AltaMira Press 2012 p587 ISBN 0759120501, 9780759120501.
^Cruikshank J. Social Life of Stories: Narrative and Knowledge in the Yukon Territory UBC Press, 2000 p48. ISBN 0774806494, 9780774806497. Accessed via Google Books 3 July 2016.
^ a bDana L. P. International handbook of research on indigenous Entrepreneurship Edward Elgar publishing 2007 p313 ISBN 1781952647, 978178195264. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Llewellyn K. R. et al The Canadian oral history Reader McGill-Queen's Press 2015 p 185. ISBN 0773583637, 9780773583634. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Alia V. Un/Covering the North: News, Media, and Aboriginal People UBC Press 2011 p125. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Ray A. J. Aboriginal rights claims and the making and remaking of History McGill-Queen's Press 2016. ISBN 9780773547421. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^History of Yukon First Nations People Yukon First Nations Travel Adventures website. Accessed 3 July 2016.
^Agreements with First Nations Government of Yukon
^Umbrella Final Agreement Council of Yukon First Nations
^"Census Profile, 2016 Census Yukon [Territory] and Canada [Country]". August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^Eglinton K. Youth identities, localities, and visual material Culture Springer Science & Business Media, 2012 p58 ISBN 9400748574, 9789400748576. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Nuttall M. Encyclopaedia of the Arctic Routledge 2012 p. 2222 ISBN 978-1136786808. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Castallano M. B. et al (ed.) Aboriginal education: fulfilling the Promise UBC Press 2013 p 41. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
^Joe-Strack, Jocelyn; Cameron, Kirk. "Self-Governing First Nations in Yukon". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
^Concluding and Implementing Land Claim and Self-Government Agreements
^"The Legal Context of Canada's Official Languages". University of Ottawa. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
^Your Linguistic Rights at the Office of the Language Commissioner of Nunavut
^"Official Languages Act (Northwest Territories" (PDF). 1998. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^"Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data, Yukon". February 7, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
^"Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data, Alberta". February 7, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2021.