Executive Council Office

Land Claims and Public Access

Public Access on First Nations land.

Are there rules for public access to Settlement Land?

Generally, the public can go onto undeveloped Settlement Land for a reasonable period of time for recreational and other non-commercial purposes, as long as no damage is created.

This use is said to be of a "casual or insignificant" nature and is especially common in rural and wilderness areas.

Find out more about hunting on First Nations land.

Other FAQs

How much land is there for First Nations through land claims?

In total, the 14 Yukon First Nations receive 16,060 square miles (41,595 square kilometers) of Settlement Land. This is about 8.5 percent of the total land area of Yukon. There are different kinds of Settlement Land.

Some treaty rights, such as harvesting, extend over a much wider area within what is called the Traditional Territory of each First Nation.

What is Traditional Territory?

A Traditional Territory is the geographic area claimed to have been traditionally used and occupied in the past by each of the 14 First Nations.

Some areas were used by more than one First Nation, and these areas are called "overlap" areas.

What is Category A Settlement Land?

Land that a Yukon First Nation has complete ownership of both the surface and the subsurface.

Category A ownership includes minerals, oil and gas, and exclusive fish and wildlife harvesting rights.

What is Category B Settlement Land?

Land that a Yukon First Nation has ownership of the surface only. The Yukon public continues to have access for non-commercial fish and wildlife harvesting on Category B Settlement Land. The Yukon government controls the sub-surface rights to minerals, oil and gas.