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The Assembly of First Nations Yukon Region office is set to dissolve on Oct. 1 of this year.
The move comes after resolutions made by Yukon First Nations chiefs this May at Chiefs’ Summit meeting and Council of Yukon First Nations leadership meeting. The move will merge the roles of the CYFN Grand Chief and the AFN regional chief.
AFN Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek told the News the writing was on the wall. There were resourcing issues, she said.
The regional offices receives core funding from the Assembly of First Nations, she said, and the Council of Yukon First Nations receives funding from the federal government. Adamek said when asking the federal government for money for the AFN regional office, the response has been that they already fund other organizations in the region.
The Assembly of First Nations has also added on two new regional offices — Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island — while having its core funding reduced, she said.
There were also concerns regarding duplication between the work of the regional office and the CYFN, said Adamek.
Adamek said she approached the CYFN Grand Chief regarding the matter, and the two of them presented five options to Yukon First Nations leaders.
Adamek said the two most preferred options were to either have a single role that would fulfill the duties of both roles, or to have two positions under CYFN: a grand chief, and a deputy.
Chiefs decided to try the option of the singular Grand Chief, who would fulfill some of the duties of the regional chief, like attending Assembly of First Nations executive meetings, but not being part of the AFN corporate board.
“There needs to be analysis, heavy analysis, done on what the impacts could be for a grand chief who’s representing Yukon First Nations, but also modern treaty interests at an organization that is very much still embedded within, in and of its structure, the Indian Act,” said Adamek, referring to the Assembly of First Nations.
There were also times when sitting on the AFN board felt like it conflicted with the interests of those who elected her, Adamek said.
“Over the last few years, it’s really stuck out to me and to our Yukon chiefs that you kind of can’t do both of those things,” she said. “You end up being in a conflict in a lot of times where, like, my chiefs direct me, but legally, whatever is in the best interest of the corporation, are my legal responsibilities.”
In merging the two roles, Adamek said she is aware of potential concern from the three First Nations in the territory who are not party to the Umbrella Final Agreement. The chiefs of those First Nations — Ross River, Liard and White River First Nations — did participate in the discussions and decisions regarding the merging of the roles, she said.
“I think that the opportunity here is to, like, really figure out what changes, or what conversations do we have to lean in and have, that are really hard, to figure out how we do get everybody under one sort of house?”
Adamek said it is important Yukon First Nations are unified, as they stare down issues such as climate change, navigating a new relationship with the United States regarding Arctic sovereignty, and also the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s final settlement agreement.
The settlement seeks to “compensate those harmed by discriminatory underfunding of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and narrow interpretation of Jordan’s Principle,” per an AFN news release from this March.
Adamek said the responsibilities that the next grand chief will be taking on will include making appointments to chief’s committees at the Assembly of First Nations, attending AFN executive meetings on matters of importance to Yukon First Nations and communicating AFN national matters of interest. This will not prevent Yukon First Nations leaders from participating in the AFN assemblies or committees, she said.
The AFN should not be the only body for engagement and consultation for the federal government, Adamek said.
“That is not serving the interests of our region,” she said.
Adamek said other regions of the country have similar streamlined structures within AFN, but said that the Yukon is a region that has always done things on its own terms.
“You’ve got the three nations that are unsigned and for their own strong reasons, and you have the 11 nations that have modern treaties. And so we’ve made that very clear, that the Yukon needs its own process,” she said.
Adamek expressed gratitude for having been able to take on the position of regional chief, and noted the mentorship she had received from former and current chiefs as well as elders.
“Leadership, again, is about making decisions that will serve the best interest of people, even knowing when it’s time to sort of step aside and to support other voices and approaches and models coming in,”
She also said she was excited to spend more time with her daughter, who is two years old.
“I just don’t want to lose that with her, and so want to be present for that season of life,” said Adamek.
“Really feel that this is a very strong and bold and important move for our region to sort of really exercise that stronger togetherness. And I’m excited to see how it unfolds.”
The new leader of the CYFN will be elected on June 25.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
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