We are “part of the land and part of the water.”[i] We are the Yukon First Nations people who live in a spectacularly beautiful region of Canada north of the 60^th latitude, with relatives and neighbours to the east in the Northwest Territories, to the west in Alaska and to the south in British Columbia. Until recent times, we lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, totally immersed in and sustained by our own lands, languages and cultures, travelling and trading among our kin according to our own laws and boundaries.  Much has changed in the last 150 years since the first non-native explorers and traders arrived in our land.  We have survived rapid and major social and economic changes, devastating epidemics, the massive influx of newcomers during the Klondike Gold Rush and building of the Alaska Highway, the restrictions of borders that separate us from family members and resources, and the imposition of education, religious and government policies that attempted to eliminate our traditions. Today we live in settled communities, with modern homes, stores, schools, cars, cell phones and computers. We still travel on the land and the water, gathering sustenance from these rich resources, strengthening our minds and souls in their timeless beauty. We are stronger than ever, reclaiming our lands, renewing our languages and cultural practices, reviving our beliefs, and reaching out to the world with our unique skills, values and knowledge.

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