Executive Council Office

Land Claims and Self Government Overview

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History : From 1902 to today

Land Claims in Yukon: Umbrella Final Agreement, First Nation Final Agreements and Treaty Rights 

Final Agreements: What’s in a Final Agreement? 

Law-making powers: Self-Government Agreements and law-making powers

The Yukon is at the forefront of land claim negotiations in Canada – eleven of the 14 Yukon First Nations have finalized their land claims and have their Final and Self-Government Agreements in effect.

Why have land claims been negotiated in the Yukon?

The negotiation process for Yukon land claims began when Yukon First Nation people presented Together Today For Our Children Tomorrow [ 3.5 MB] to the Prime Minister in 1973. Prior to that, no treaties were in effect between government and the aboriginal people of this area.  

Initially, Yukon land claim negotiations were a bilateral, or a two-party, process between the Yukon First Nations and the Government of Canada. Over time, the Government of Yukon became a full party to the process.

Land claims have been negotiated for three reasons:  first, because the First Nations had unresolved legal, moral and equitable claims; second, participants preferred the certainty of a negotiated agreement to the uncertain results of court decisions; and third, because it is the right thing to do.

 

After 16 years of negotiations, an agreement in principle named the Umbrella Final Agreement [ 463 KB] was reached in 1989 with the final version signed in 1993.


Browse through the overview of Land Claims