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Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and Government of Yukon host conference on Indigenous Conservation Economies

by ahnationtalk on January 31, 202514 Views

Jan 30, 2025

This is a joint release between the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Government of Yukon.

The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Government of Yukon welcomed representatives from 28 Indigenous nations, along with representatives from diverse sectors, governments and conservation-focused organizations to the Yukon North Slope Conference 2025: Indigenous Conservation Economies in Whitehorse from January 28 to 30.

The goal of the conference is to promote public discussion of co-management of the Yukon North Slope area. It is also an opportunity to celebrate Inuvialuit culture and successes in collaborative implementation of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

This year’s theme, Indigenous Conservation Economies, was inspired by the new Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area on the Yukon North Slope. The theme provided Indigenous governments and groups, as well as other partners, the opportunity to connect and discuss how Indigenous Peoples can use their traditional economies to thrive across a variety of sectors and geographies. This includes Indigenous-led conservation areas, conservation finance, harvesting and on-the-land support, guardians and monitoring programs, climate adaption initiatives, ecotourism, research economies and artistry.

Frank Brown, a Hereditary Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation from Bella Bella in British Columbia gave the keynote address to over 200 participants attending from across the Canadian North. The Yukon North Slope Conservation Award was also given out during the conference and a film celebrating the Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area Agreement premiered during the conference.

The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed in 1984 and identified the Yukon’s North Slope as a place for conservation of wildlife, habitat and traditional Inuvialuit use. 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. This year’s conference is the 11th Yukon North Slope Conference since the agreement was signed.

Thank you to the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) for coordinating the Yukon North Slope Conference 2025 and to all representatives of Indigenous governments and organizations who were able to attend. The conference provided a valuable opportunity to discuss this year’s theme, Indigenous Conservation Economies. In the face of challenges like population growth, industrial development, international relations, climate change impacts and biodiversity loss it is more important than ever that we work together to protect the Yukon’s environment. Our government is committed to working in partnership with Indigenous groups to share protection and conservation efforts to ensure their histories, cultures and traditions inform how we manage the Yukon’s land and waters now and into the future.

acting Minister of Environment John Streicker

The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope), with support from the Government of Yukon, holds the honour of hosting the Yukon North Slope Conference every five years, per the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. It is an exciting opportunity to bring people together around leading edge issues of conservation and management for the Yukon North Slope and beyond. This year’s theme, Indigenous Conservation Economies, celebrated the new Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area in Yukon’s far north that provides for land guardian jobs as well as advances conservation goals. The conversations shared and the connections made will ripple out into diverse conservation, climate adaptation and Indigenous leadership efforts including conserving special places in the Yukon.

Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) Executive Director Jennifer Smith

Quick facts

  • The Yukon North Slope Conference is a commitment of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
  • The Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area Agreement was signed in June 2024 to ensure the conservation and protection of Aullaviat/Anguniarvik, the Yukon’s Eastern North Slope in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. It provided the conference an example of conservation partnership across governments to protect and conserve wildlife, habitat and Inuvialuit traditional use.
  • The Yukon North Slope Conservation Awards honour those who have made strong contributions to the implementation of Yukon North Slope conservation goals. Awards were presented to three groups and two individuals: the Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Negotiating Team, the Qikiqtaruk-Herschel Island Park Rangers, the Aklavik Elders, Michelle Gruben with the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee and Stephanie Muckenheim, retired IFA Implementation Coordinator, Government of Yukon.

Media contact

Jordan Owens
Cabinet Communications
867-332-0615
jordan.owens@yukon.ca

Linea Volkering
Communications, Environment
867-332-2688
linea.volkering@yukon.ca

Kaitlin Wilson
Program Director, Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope)
867-633-5476
kwilson@wmacns.ca

NT4

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