By Vivian Giang 2019/20 Fellow
Our first Action Canada study tour was in Vancouver against the backdrop of the historical NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors. It was Game 6, with the Raptors leading the series 3-2, and I joined all the Action Canada Fellows into a packed sports bar, cheering on Canada’s team. #wethenorth trended everywhere after the victory.
During the next study tour in Yukon, I learned that most people’s notions of what the North constitutes are very far off.
Tosh Southwick, Associate Vice-President Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation First Nations Initiatives at Yukon College, fittingly gave us a talk called “Yukon 101”. She spoke on the unique Umbrella Final Agreement (UFA), Canada’s first modern-day treaty, which was inspired by the seminal publication Together Today for our Children Tomorrow, written by Chiefs and Elders of First Nations in the Yukon in the 1970s. The UFA is a co-governance model that provides 14 First Nations the same jurisdictional power as the territorial government (note: currently three First Nations in Yukon have not joined the UFA).
Often, governments will use the terms “partnership”, “engagement” and “consultation” when discussing how to approach relationships with Indigenous communities. Ms. Southwick broadened my view of the differences between what constitutes a partnership, engagement and consultation. At the lowest end is “engagement”, which is taken to mean that the outcome has already been decided and that communities are now merely being told information about the decision. Next is “consultation” or the co-designing of something by governments together to find out if it will lead to a partnership. Finally, a “partnership” is where all parties have a stake in the outcome of the decision and work together for the best possible results for all.
This type of partnership is what is being sought between First Nations communities and the myriad of natural resource extraction companies operating in the Yukon. In the past, the two entities’ interests were placed on opposing ends of the spectrum. However, new precedents have been set in federal and territorial laws and the First Nations interests in the mining sector are imperative and the hope is they align with those of industry as opposed to how they were in the past.
What struck me most during her talk was how many policies “driven by southerners” are not necessarily practical for those living in the northern regions of Canada due to the historical context of the region, the remoteness of some of the communities and lack of accurate census data in the region. As a territory familiar with rapid change, Yukon’s business and industry have shifted, allowing Yukoners to continue thriving and creating prosperity and innovation in the region. This is in large part due to the increased connectivity to other communities and markets, allowing Yukoners to stay and work in the region. In Ms. Southwick’S opinion, the future of work in the Yukon will be only as successful as this co-governance model.
As she pointed out, the UFA is one mode of self-determination and is context-specific: the Yukon way is not the way for everyone. However, in this age of Reconciliation, the UFA stands out for its commitment to co-governance and the rights of the 14 First Nations in the partnership.
I’ll cheer on this version of #wethenorth too.
