Yukon is at the forefront of land claim negotiations in Canada – 11 of the 14 Yukon First Nations have finalized their land claims and have their Final and Self-Government Agreements in effect.
Settled land claims provide Yukon First Nations with access, rights and obligations to land and resources, and the right to govern their own affairs. The settled claims also give more certainty for Yukon with respect to land management and resource development.
The Umbrella Final Agreement (PDF 463KB) between the Government of Canada, Government of Yukon, and Yukon First Nations – as represented by the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) – provides for Surface Rights Legislation. This is now in place and provides a mechanism to resolve disputes over access rights.
The Umbrella Final Agreement and Yukon First Nation Final Agreements called for legislation to assess the effects of projects and other activities in Yukon. The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA) was passed in 2003 and is now in effect.
Below are the 11 Yukon First Nations that have Final and Self-Government Agreements in effect. The dates within the parentheses indicate the year in which each First Nation's agreement came into effect:
There are three First Nations that have not settled land claims and remain Indian Bands under the federal Indian Act:
- Liard First Nation
- Ross River Dena Council
- White River First Nation
