Yukon government encourages all companies working in Yukon to contact the appropriate First Nation government before conducting any work on Traditional or Settlement lands.
Mineral Rights on Settlement Land
The holder of an existing mineral right on Settlement Land or on Non-Settlement Land ("existing" means prior to the effective date of a Yukon First Nation Final Agreement) has a right of access to exercise mineral rights without the consent of the First Nation, provided that the access is of a casual or insignificant nature, or the route is generally recognized and not altered significantly.
Category B or Fee Simple Settlement Land
A person who has a new mineral right on Category B or Fee Simple Settlement Land also has a right of access on Settlement Land without permission from a First Nation. That person has a right to use that parcel of Settlement Land, provided that no heavy equipment or methods more disruptive than hand labour methods are used. Refer to Chapters 6 and 18 of the
Umbrella Final Agreement (PDF 463KB) for further information.
Category A Settlement Land
Category A Settlement Land is Settlement Land where a Yukon First Nation has ownership of the surface and subsurface, including minerals. All staking, exploration, and mining activity is governed by the First Nation for new mineral interests.
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