Aboriginal Leadership Development Program
The Aboriginal Leadership Development Program (ALDP) is a four-year leadership program developed by Parks Canada Agency (PCA) and delivered in partnership with Yukon College. The goal of the ALDP is to develop a cadre of Aboriginal leaders within PCA - a knowledgeable, skilled network of individuals in a variety of functions and levels in the organization. These individuals will serve as role models, enhancing and enriching Parks culture by integrating Aboriginal culture within all facets of park operations. The program’s fundamental goal is full-time, longterm retention of Aboriginal leaders in PCA.

The ALDP provides a unique leadership developmental opportunity for over 40 PCA employees from across the country, with 13 new participants accepted each year. The program provides a holistic approach to training and development, respecting and incorporating Aboriginal culture. Core workshops for each of the four years include leadership, communications, confl ict resolution and project management. Additional program elements include a field camp, traditional knowledge, storytelling, presentations on resource management issues, panel discussions, team building exercises and inspiring words from respected leaders. Two Elders are on site to provide knowledge, support and guidance. Participants are challenged mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The ALDP enables participants to develop their leadership potential and assist them in exploring career opportunities within the PCA.

Initiated in 2000, the ALDP continues to evolve and gain momentum, forging innovative leadership training for participants from across the country. During the 2006 ceremony of the fourth graduating class, it was announced that ALDP would receive permanent funding, giving hope to the dreams and aspirations of future graduates.

Passing on of culture and traditions: Elder Chuck Hume paying respect at a grave site near the Dempster Highway.

The Gift of the Drum
The undeniable powerful beat of the drum engages. It awakens the senses, eliciting a primordial response. It resonates and ignites a physical and emotional memory not unlike the experience of hearing a long forgotten favourite song that is reminiscent of a specific snapshot of time in your life. It is a trigger and you can’t help but smile. The drum holds special significance. It represents the life force of the Aboriginal Leadership Development Program (ALDP).

As the graduates stood on the stage, participants, Elders and instructors were invited to step forward to contribute to the ceremony in what has now become traditional protocol. A hand crafted drum, painted with the ALDP eagle insignia and signed by all the 2006 graduates, was presented on behalf of the class. All participants, past, present and future are invited to play it – to sound out the traditional call to gather – enabling the exchange of stories, culture and traditions, creating passion and vision. The drum is a unifying force, which will continue to bring Parks employees, nations and communities from right across the country together in Whitehorse for years to come.

Old Crow Flats Special Management Area
In August 2006, the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN) and Government of Yukon (YTG) announced the approval of the Management Plan for the Old Crow Flats Special Management Area (SMA). The plan provides full and permanent protection for nearly 4,000 km² of core wetlands.

The Old Crow Flats are located north of the village of Old Crow. This diverse lake network is home to major populations of waterfowl, muskrat, moose and other wildlife, and provides some of the winter range for the Porcupine Caribou herd. The area is of major cultural and economic importance to the VGFN and is one of the most important wetland complexes in Canada. It is the only Yukon wetland to be designated, by the United Nations through the Ramsar Convention, as having international ecological signifi cance.

Establishment of the Old Crow Flats SMA was provided for in 1993 by the VGFN Final Agreement to protect the ecological integrity and traditional use of the area. The Agreement also provided for Vuntut National Park of Canada, which was established in 1995. The park, covering an area of 4,345 km², is part of the overall SMA and includes the northern one-third of the Old Crow Flats wetlands.

The Final Agreement also required VGFN and YTG to jointly prepare and approve a Management Plan for this SMA – specifically for the northern part of the Flats (within the national park), VGFN Settlement Lands (the bulk of the core wetlands – 3,948 km²), and areas east and west of Crow Flats (YTG land – 3,775 km²). The planning process took place over the past year and included public consultations in Old Crow and Whitehorse. One of the management principles was to “…strive to maintain the integrity of the SMA as one ecological unit”. Elsewhere in the SMA, the YTG agreed to withdraw lands that bracket the wetlands from industrial development for a period of 20 years. The plan is to be reviewed in 2011 and every 10 years thereafter.

The two governments also acknowledged the long-standing contribution of previous and present Vuntut Gwitchin Elders and leaders who, with the Yukon and federal governments, provided the framework for the implementation of this SMA in the Vuntut Gwitchin Traditional Territory.

Of the 12,099 km² in the Old Crow Flats SMA 8,324 km², or 70%, is permanently protected, including the entire core wetland area. The remaining 3,375 km² (YTG lands) is interim protected until 2026. This network of protected areas total approximately 22,508 km² and stretches from the Beaufort Sea (Herschel Island Territorial Park), through to Old Crow Flats including Ivvavik and Vuntut National Parks of Canada.

The total amount of permanent or interim protected lands in the Yukon is approximately 13.4%, or 64,600 km², excluding the interim Special Conservation Lands on the North Slope, negotiated through the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. Of the total conservation land in the Yukon, approximately 11.3% is now closed to industrial development.

For further information and images of Old Crow Flats, please refer to the CPAWS-Yukon website www.cpawsyukon.org. Go to “Our Conservation Work/New Protected Areas”; click on the “Yukon Wild” icon; and then on “Old Crow Flats Ecoregion”.

Bonnet Plume River
The Bonnet Plume River was designated a Canadian Heritage River (CHR) in 1998 as a direct result of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun Final Agreement. As part of the designation process, a management plan was developed which identifies a wide variety of initiatives necessary to ensure that the river’s natural, cultural and recreational values remain intact. The majority of the initiatives undertaken have been related to fish, wildlife and habitat within the river corridor and the adjacent watershed. A recreational monitoring program was also considered a high priority however no action was taken prior to 2006.

During the summer of 2006 a monitoring program was implemented for the Bonnet Plume based on the BC Parks Backcountry Recreation Impact Monitoring system. Baseline data, gathered at 20 informal campsites between Bonnet Plume Lake and Taco Bar on the Peel River, included measuring recreational impacts of past use. This data will assist future systematic measurements in determining whether or not a site, or the river itself, is being impacted by river travelers. If necessary, future mitigative measures could be taken based on a scientific approach.

Due to the remoteness and the relatively low recreational use that this river receives, a follow up assessment will likely not be necessary for another five to ten years. Information gathered in the 2006 assessment will be used in the preparation of the formal ten-year monitoring report, detailing the current state of the river and assessing the effectiveness of the management plan. This report is due in 2008 as a requirement under the CHR program.

Tatshenshini River
Nominated in June 1998 as one of the requirements under the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Final Agreement, the Yukon portion of the Tatshenshini River was designated a Canadian Heritage River (CHR) in September 2004. An onsite dedication ceremony was held in July 2005 to commemorate the national and territorial significance of the Tatshenshini River while recognizing its outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values.

Located in one of the wildest areas in the world, the Tatshenshini is known for its wilderness, wildlife and salmon, and provides significant wilderness recreational opportunities amongst spectacular scenic mountains. The management area includes the upstream Yukon portion of the watershed and is approximately 1,400 km² in size. Establishment of the Yukon portion of the Tatshenshini River as a CHR complements the existing network of protected areas consisting of Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada, Tatshenshini-Alsek Park of BC, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Wrangell-St.Elias National Park, both of the US Park Service, that together form the adjacent UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Implementation of the Tatshenshini River management strategy has begun, with emphasis on establishing a river monitoring program to ensure that the recreational, cultural and natural values remain intact. A monitoring system was implemented during the summer of 2006. The system is based on the BC Parks Backcountry Recreational Impact Monitoring (BRIM) system, and provides the necessary baseline data for making future management decisions related to the level of recreational use on the river. Implementation of BRIM on the upper portion of the Tatshenshini completes a system which is now in place for the entire river.

The designation of the Yukon portion of the Tatshenshini as a CHR does not affect existing legislation, regulations or policies related to land or resource uses. Existing and proposed uses of the watershed will continue to be permitted within these existing legislative frameworks. The Government of Yukon, Parks Canada, BC Parks and the US National Park Service continue to jointly manage the Tatshenshini/Alsek river drainage in accordance with their own mandates and respective areas of responsibility. Special attention is devoted to the allocation and scheduling of commercial and recreation trips as selected by river managers from the five jurisdictions/agencies.

Yukon River-Thirty Mile Section
The Thirty Mile section of the Yukon River was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1991. This portion of the Yukon River receives over 2,000 river travelers each year. To meet the basic needs of river travelers, three campsites were constructed along the river in the 1990s, with upgrades to the existing campsite at Hootalinqua. During the summer of 2006 a monitoring program was implemented for the Thirty Mile section of the Yukon River in the same fashion as the BC Parks Backcountry Recreational Impact Monitoring system used for the Bonnet Plume and Tatshenshini Rivers. One day-use site and four campgrounds were sampled during this period and will be reassessed in approximately three operating seasons due to the relatively high use that this river receives.

Ni’iinlii’ Njik (Fishing Branch) Protected Areas
The Fishing Branch River and its tributaries, located in the North Ogilvie Mountains upstream of Old Crow, form the basis of this protected area. The area is made up of four units – a parcel of Vuntut Gwitchin Settlement Land (141 km²), two territorial parks including an Ecological Reserve (169 km²)and Wilderness Preserve (5,213 km²), and a territorial Habitat Protection Area (978 km²). In accordance with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Final Agreement, the areas are managed as an ecological unit to protect the Fishing Branch.

The area is also an important grizzly bear habitat and the Bear Cave Mountain area is famous for its bear viewing opportunities. Plans were developed that allowed for viewing opportunities while protecting the bears from over exposure to people. Construction of a viewing facility – including a ranger/cook cabin, two “sleeping” cabins, an outhouse, and an additional outbuilding with some decking – has completed all infrastructure developments.

The risk management plan for bears and a potential commercial bear viewing program were completed during 2006 as required under the management plan. 2006 also marked the beginning of a three-year pilot-project that will test the prospects of commercial wildlife viewing tours relating to grizzly bears.

A joint management plan for the larger Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area surrounding the settlement lands, and Ecological Reserve was approved in 2004. No further development is identified for these remote areas.

Tombstone Territorial Park
Tombstone is designated a Natural Environment Park in accordance with the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Final Agreement (THFA).

Located along the Dempster Highway where arctic tundra and boreal forest meet the Pacific Arctic Divide, this park is approximately 2,100 km² in size. The diverse landscape supports a rich natural and cultural history and spectacular scenery, making it a popular destination for hikers and other travelers in the Yukon.

A management plan was recommended to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Yukon governments in January 2003 and is awaiting approval by the respective governments. In the interim, a variety of initiatives are underway to fulfill the Final Agreement obligations, including wildlife and trail impact monitoring programs, and detailed planning for the development of a visitor information centre.

During the 2006 operating season, a three-way formal agreement was reached between Holland America, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Government of Yukon. Some of the key points in the agreement include:

• hiring eight to ten seasonal interpreters,
• creating an educational scholarship,
• establishing a three party program management committee,
• hiring a seasonal Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in program monitor,
• developing an interpretive program, and
• construction of the interpretive centre.

2006 was the second year that Holland America has run bus tours to Tombstone Park.

Until the management plan is approved, the park will be managed in accordance with the principles and objectives identified in the THFA that pertain to Tombstone.

Yukon First Nation Final Agreements provide for the establishment of Special Management Areas that are not parks. In general, these areas are established for conservation, habitat protection, traditional First Nation use and public use.

Ddhaw Ghro Habitat Protection Area
Ddhaw Ghro is the Northern Tutchone name for the area formerly known as McArthur Wildlife Sanctuary. Ddhaw Ghro is dominated by Grey Hunter Peak and the surrounding hillsides which support a population of Fannin sheep, a unique colour variation of Dall’s sheep. Important mineral licks and hot springs are included in the protected area.

Ddhaw Gro has been identified as a Special Management Area under the Agreements of the Selkirk and Nacho Nyak Dun First Nations. A Steering Committee, comprised of members nominated by these two First Nations and the Government of Yukon (YTG), has prepared a management plan for Ddhaw Ghro which was released for public review in June 2006.

It is expected that the Steering Committee will recommend the plan to the YTG and the First Nations of Nacho Nyak Dun, Selkirk and Little Salmon/Carmacks for their approval in 2007. Upon approval of the management plan Ddhaw Ghro will be designated a Habitat Protection Area under the Yukon Wildlife Act.

Devil’s Elbow / Big Island Habitat Protection Area
Devil’s Elbow and Big Island, two small areas along the Stewart River, were identified using traditional and local knowledge as important moose calving areas. This area is also good habitat for waterfowl, fish and a variety of other wildlife. The Mayo District Renewable Resources Council (MDRRC) proposed the area to the Department of the Environment for consideration as a Habitat Protection Area (HPA). A working group, made up of representatives from the MDRRC, First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun and the Government of Yukon, is preparing a management plan. The completed plan and consideration of the designation as an HPA will be undertaken in 2007.

Horseshoe Slough Habitat Protection Area
Horseshoe Slough is an important waterfowl breeding and staging area in the traditional territory of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun in the central Yukon. The area is comprised of Horseshoe Slough, an old oxbow of the Stewart River, and the lower portion of Nogold Creek including numerous shallow ponds within its valley.

Horseshoe Slough was identified for its wildlife and cultural values within the Special Management Area chapter of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun Final Agreement. A management plan for Horseshoe Slough was prepared by the Mayo District Renewable Resources Council, the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun and the Government of Yukon. The plan was approved by the Yukon Environment Minister in 2001 and the area was designated as a Habitat Protection Area under the Yukon Wildlife Act. A five-year review of the plan is currently underway and should be completed in 2007.

Lutsaw Wetland Habitat Protection Area
Lutsaw Wetlands (formerly Von Wilczek Lakes) is an important wetland complex for shorebirds, duck staging, nesting and moulting along the North Klondike Highway, south of Pelly Crossing. It has been identified as a Special Management Area under the Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement.

A Steering Committee of members nominated by the Selkirk First Nation and the Government of Yukon, has prepared a management plan for Lutsaw Wetlands. The management plan was approved by the parties in a signing ceremony in the area in August 2006 and will be reviewed in five years. The Lutsaw Wetlands is scheduled to be designated a Habitat Protection Area under the Yukon Wildlife Act.

Nordenskiold Wetland Habitat Protection Area (Tsalnjik Chu)
The Nordenskiold River valley south of Carmacks is a major wetland complex and an important waterfowl staging and nesting area. It has been identified as a Special Management Area under the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation Final Agreement.

A Steering Committee of members nominated by the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and the Government of Yukon, has prepared a draft management plan which is currently under review by the parties. Approval of the plan and designation as a Habitat Protection Area under the Yukon Wildlife Act is targeted for 2007.

Old Crow Flats Special Management Area
Old Crow Flats is the Yukon’s largest wetland complex and is an internationally recognized RAMSAR site. Located on the Old Crow River system north of the Arctic Circle, the Flats contain more than 2,000 ponds and marshes ranging in size from 0.5 hectare to 4,700 hectares. The area is an important breeding and moulting ground for 500,000 water birds. Waterfowl, muskrats and other wildlife of the Flats are of great importance to the Vuntut Gwitchin.

Under the terms of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Final Agreement, a Special Management Area (SMA) was created which includes the southern portion of the Vuntut National Park of Canada, settlement land, and portions of Crown land. Old Crow Flats SMA will be managed to maintain the integrity of the area as one ecological unit, using the conservation of fish, wildlife and their habitats, and the continuation of traditional use by Vuntut Gwitchin as guiding principles.

A management plan specific to Vuntut National Park was completed in 2004 and a management plan was developed for the remaining lands in the Old Crow Flats SMA in 2005/06. The Vuntut Gwitchin will develop a conservation designation for the settlement land portion, while the Crown land will be designated as a Habitat Protection Area. This plan was approved in a signing ceremony in August 2006.

Pickhandle Lakes Habitat Protection Area
Pickhandle Lakes is an important wetland complex for waterfowl staging, nesting and moulting. The area was identified under the Kluane First Nation Final Agreement as a Special Management Area. It is also listed under the not yet ratified White River First Nation Final Agreement. Management planning will commence in the area by 2009 or upon approval of the White River Final Agreement, which ever happens first. It will then be designated as a Habitat Protection Area under the Yukon Wildlife Act.

Ta’tla Mun Special Management Area
Ta’tla Mun (formerly Tatlmain Lake) is an important food fish lake southeast of Pelly Crossing in the traditional territory of the Selkirk First Nation. It also has a reputation as a high quality fly-in sport fishing lake. Ta’tla Mun was identified as a Special Management Area under the Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement. A Steering Committee of members nominated by the Yukon and Selkirk governments, developed a management plan for Ta’tla Mun with public involvement. The plan was approved by the parties in 2002.

Chief Darren Taylor and Minister Brad Cathers at Management Plan Signing Ceremony.

Forty Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine Historic Site
The Forty Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine Historic Site Management Plan was jointly developed by the Government of Yukon and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in as a requirement of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in land claim agreement. In June 2006 the historic Forty Mile town site was the site of a large celebration marking the signing of the management plan. Approximately 70 people boated, or drove and hiked, to the site, where they were entertained by Hän singers and local musicians, and heard speeches from Elders, church representatives and other dignitaries. A picnic lunch, provided by the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, was served in the recently completed campground kitchen shelter.

In 2006 physical work at the site was focused on the stabilization of St. James Anglican Church, the North-West Mounted Police barracks, the Roadhouse, Telegraph Office and an Alaska Commercial Company cabin, in addition to the completion of the campground kitchen shelter. Forty Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine Historic Site is co-owned and co-managed by the Tr’ondek Hwech’in and the Government of Yukon under terms of the First Nation’s Final Land Claim Agreement.

Crew working to restore Cadzow House kitchen.

Rampart House
Restoration of the historic Cadzow House and Store continued in 2006. A crew of Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation residents from Old Crow lowered the two storey hewn log house onto its new foundation sills and the kitchen addition walls were re-assembled and restored. The crew also assisted with the restoration and re-assembling of shelving and counters in the store.

Graphic design standards and guidelines were also developed for the site. These will be used for all future signage and other interpretive materials produced for the site.

Rampart House Historic Site is co-owned and co-managed by the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and the Government of Yukon under terms of the First Nation’s Final Land Claim Agreement.

Research and development of a storyline for the first phase in the production of a film entitled Grand Forks, The Lost City of the Klondike was carried out in 2006. Grand Forks was the major community in the Klondike goldfields at the turn of the 20th century. Virtually no evidence remains of the town after a century of dredging and mining at the site. Research included a compilation and inventory of an extensive collection of period photos and documents related to the town, as well as on site interviews of Klondike placer miners who have worked in the region.

Another inventory project was the survey and recording of the placer gold mining area around Livingstone Creek. The historic town of Livingstone Creek was the primary community in the Livingstone mining district located in central Yukon, due east of Lake Laberge, near the south arm of the Big Salmon River. Cabins and artifacts remaining in Livingstone Creek, and on the surrounding creeks, provide evidence of historic mining activities dating back a century.

The Yukon Historic Sites Inventory is accessible online to researchers who contact the Historic Sites Registrar at: hpi.registrar@gov.yk.ca

Yukon continues to participate in the national Historic Places Initiative (HPI), along with all provinces and territories, and the federal government. The objective of the HPI is to “improve the state of conservation in Canada and increase Canadians’ access to and understanding of their heritage by actively engaging them in its preservation”. Further information about the HPI can be found at www.historicplaces.ca.

HPI funds also assisted in technical upgrades to the Yukon Historic Sites Inventory (YHSI) database and the Yukon Register of Historic Places. The Register is designed to provide the public information about every formally recognized historic site in Yukon. See www.yukonhistoricplaces.ca.

Efforts have been made toward increasing the quantity of sites listed and data available in the YHSI, improving the quality of information, and ensuring the YHSI contains a representative collection of sites covering all regions of the territory. In 2006 several projects were undertaken to add information to the database. This broadening of the knowledge base will enable a better and more comprehensive understanding of the range of heritage values found in Yukon, and a more rational evaluation of the relative significance of sites.

Large steam boiler on Livingstone Creek Syndicate placer claim.

Moosehide Archaeology Project
In 2006, an archaeological survey was conducted at the historic townsite of Moosehide. This reserve, on the Yukon River just a few kilometers downstream from Dawson City, was created for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in when they were relocated during the Klondike Gold Rush. Archaeological evidence indicates that the site was used and occupied over 8,000 years ago. In the first part of the 20th century there were restrictions placed on people from the reserve entering Dawson City. In the 1950s, people started moving into the north end of Dawson City to find work and the town site was totally abandoned soon after its school closed in 1957.

Today Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in members are building residences and re-occupying the site, at least on a seasonal basis. The site is used for a large biennial event called the Moosehide Gathering, where people from across Yukon and Alaska come to share in traditional activities. The archaeological survey of the site was carried out to ensure that new construction and development activity do not harm potential heritage resources.

The survey was a joint effort by the Government of Yukon and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in.

Northern Yukon Caribou Fence Study
The existence of ancient, northern Yukon caribou fences has long been known by the people of Old Crow but did not become the object of scientific study until 1975. As part of the initial research, the complexes were mapped and the structural components of fences (the trap, or pocket, and drift fences) were documented, along with associated features such as caches and drying racks. As well, archaeological excavations, dendrochronological studies and zooarchaeological analysis of remains of fence complexes were undertaken. Vuntut Gwitchin Elders were interviewed and archival research was carried out in Alaska and Toronto to collect ethnographic and ethnohistorical information, and to research communal hunting systems.

All of this documentation was assembled in 2006 to produce a comprehensive monograph on interception and surround strategies of caribou hunting in northern Yukon. This was a joint project of the Vuntut
Gwitchin First Nation, the Yukon Historic Sites and Heritage Resources Units, and the University of Alberta.

Archaeologists excavate the original Fort Selkirk.

Original Fort Selkirk Hudson’s Bay Company post
The original Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) post, called Fort Selkirk, was constructed in 1848 and was the first Euro-Canadian outpost in Yukon’s central interior. It was established on the east shore of the Pelly River where it enters the Yukon River. The post was moved across the Yukon River to the present site of Fort Selkirk in 1851 because of annual spring flooding.

Evidence of the original site was thought to have been lost due to flooding and erosion. What appeared to be a cellar depression was located in 1988 but was not further investigated until 2006. The 2006 dig included Selkirk First Nation youths and other students. Building foundations and artifacts will provide information about the interaction between the Northern Tutchone people and the Hudson’s Bay Company over 150 years ago.

The project will continue in 2007 and is a joint effort between the Government of Yukon and the Selkirk First Nation.

Teslin River Survey
A co-ordinated survey of historic resources was carried out along the Teslin River in July 2006. Representatives and Elders from the Teslin Tlingit, Ta’an Kwach’an and Kwanlin Dun First Nations were boated down the river, from near its beginning at Johnsons Crossing to where it enters the Yukon River at Hootalinqua, for a distance of over 150 km. Along this stretch, sites were recorded and oral histories were gathered.

The Teslin River flows though part of each of the three First Nations’ traditional territories. The survey updated and upgraded the Yukon Historic Sites Inventory information about the area.

Cabin at Mason Landing on Teslin River.

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