Indigenous peoples of Yukon

The Indigenous peoples of Yukon are ethnic groups who, prior to European contact, occupied the former countries now collectively known as Yukon Territory. While most First Nations in the Territory are a part of the wider Dene Nation, there are Tlingit, Inuit and Métis nations that blend into the wider spectrum of Indigeneity across Canada. Traditionally gatherers and hunters, 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 folks in Yukon continue to foster their connections with the land in seasonal wage labour such as fishing and trapping. Today, Indigenous Nations aim to maintain and develop Indigenous languages, traditional or culturally-appropriate forms of education, cultures, spiritualities and Aboriginal rights.

Population

The population of indigenous people of the Yukon prior to arrival of Europeans is uncertain. The number at the beginning of the nineteenth century most likely lies between 7000 and 9000 or more.[1][2][3] By 1830, there were approximately 4700 indigenous people living in the Yukon.[3]

Nations

Inhabited by six principle tribes: the Gwich'in, the Hän, the Kaska, the Tagish, the Northern and Southern Tutchone, and the Teslin,[4](p5) there are also Métis, though unrecognized politically, and Inuvialuit who maintain connections to certain territories of Yukon.

The Gwich'in homeland encompasses the basins of the Peel River and the Porcupine River.[5] Relatives of the Gwich'in, the Hän, live at the middle reach of the Yukon River at the border with Alaska. The Northern Tutchone inhabit central Yukon in the basins of the Pelly River and Stewart River. There live the Kaska in the Southeast, in a basin of the Liard River. And, in the South, near lakes in the upper course of Yukon there live the Tagish, who are related to the Kaska. In the Southwest are the Southern Tutchone and, in the river heads of the White River, are the Upper Tanana.[6]

In the south, along the Teslin River, are continental Tlingit (Teslin), whose language, together with the Athabaskan languages, is included in the Na-Dene language family.[6]

Language

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.[7]

Traditions

The Indigenous peoples of the Yukon have a land based oral tradition.[8] 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](p5)

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.[9]

European contact

Contact between the Indigenous people 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](p3)

Through the 1800s, indigenous people such as the Han along the Alaska-Yukon border trapped for furs to trade for European manufactured items.[10]

The Klondike gold rush of 1896 was a seminal moments in post contact history of the indigenous people of the Yukon.[4](p3)[10] 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.[11]

In 1898, the increased European population led to formalisation of governance in the formation of the Yukon Territory.

Aboriginal land claims

In the late 1960s, the Yukon Indian Advancement Association was formed. In 1970, the Yukon Native Brotherhood was founded, commencing a land claims movement.[12][13] In 1973, the Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow petition was presented by Elijah Smith to the prime minister Pierre Trudeau.[14]

In 1990, the Yukon Final Umbrella Agreement was completed.[15]

Twenty-first century

In 2006, approximately twenty-five percent of the population of the Yukon Territory were indigenous people.[16] Only twelve percent were fluent in the language of their nation.[17] Fourteen First Nations represented eight language groups.[18] 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.[19]

First Nations
Southern Tutchone board game

This is a list of the fourteen First Nations of indigenous people of Yukon.[20]

See also

References
  1. First Nations History Canadian Mysteries website.
  2. 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.
  3. Coates K. Canada's colonies: a history of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. James Lorimer & Company 1985 volume 2 p362.
  4. Coates 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.
  5. Yukon The Canadian Encyclopaedia.
  6. Wurm 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Dana L. P. International handbook of research on indigenous Entrepreneurship Edward Elgar publishing 2007 p313 ISBN 1781952647, 978178195264. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
  11. 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.
  12. Alia V. Un/Covering the North: News, Media, and Aboriginal People UBC Press 2011 p125. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
  13. 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.
  14. History of Yukon First Nations People Yukon First Nations Travel Adventures website. Accessed 3 July 2016.
  15. The Umbrella Final Agreement, First Nation Final Agreements and Treaty Rights Archived 2011-01-27 at WebCite Executive Council Office Yukon Government website. Accessed 3 July 2016.
  16. 2006 Community Profiles in Yukon
  17. 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.
  18. Nuttall M. Encyclopaedia of the Arctic Routledge 2012 p. 2222 ISBN 978-1136786808. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
  19. Castallano M. B. et al (ed.) Aboriginal education: fulfilling the Promise UBC Press 2013 p 41. Accessed at Google books 3 July 2016.
  20. First Nation Profiles Archived 2015-11-09 at the Wayback Machine Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
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