A TALE ABOUT MY WORK IN ARIZONA

WHEN I WAS AN ARCHAEOLOGIST WITH THE BLM I WENT INTO THE DESERT TO SURVEY LANDS. IT WAS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO FIND THE RIGHT ROAD AND TERRITORY TO SURVEY BECAUSE OF THE GENERAL FLATNESS OF THE DESERT. IN ANY CASE I USUALLY AT THAT TIME A REMOTE RADIO TO CALL THE OFFICE IF I GOT LOST OR THE CAR BRIKE DOWN. I REMEMBER ONE UNIQUE TIME WHEN I HAD TO MEET A COWBOY WHO SADDLED A HORSE FOR ME. WE BOTH RODE OUR HORSES ON A HOT SUMMER DAY AQND I HAD ABOUT 10 MILES TO SURVEY - A LINEAR LINE THAT WAS FLAGGED IN REMOTE TERRITORY. THE COWBOY RODE HIS HORSE WITH ME AS I VIEWED THE GROUND FOR PREHISTORIC AND HISTORIC SITES. I COULD ACTUALLY VIEW SEVERAL SMALL KNAPPING AREAS WHERE THE NATIVES LEFT OBSIDIAN REMAINS.

INTERESTING ENOUGH AT ONE POINT MY HORSE GOT A CHOLLA IN HIS TAIL AND LEG AND HE REARED UP WITH A WHELP. I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD AS WE WERE NEAR A CHASM. BUT LUCKILY THE COWBOY WAS ABLE TO CALM HIM DOWN AND GET THE CHOLLA OFF HIS LEG.

TA'AN KWACH'AN IN CANADA

COUNCIL IS ONE OF THE YUKON'S FIRST NATIONS WHO POSSESSES PROFESSIONAL PROOF OF THEIR LONG STANDING LAND CLAIM GOVERNMENT. THEIR NAME TA'AN KWACHAN TAKE THEIR NAME FROM TAA'AN MAN IN THE HEART OF THEIR TRADITIONAL TERRITORY. THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS TENDED NORTH TO HOOLATINQUA AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE YUKON AND TESLIN RIVER, SOUTH TO MARSH LAKE, WEST TO WHITE BANK VILLAGE AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE TAKHINI AND LITTLE RIVERS AND EAST TO THE TESLIN RIVER.

IN 1900 DURING THE GOLD RUSH THEIR CHIEF RECOGNIZED THAQT HIS PEOPLE NEEDED PROTECTION FOR THEIR LAND AND HUNTING GROUNDS IN THE WAKE OF A GROWING NON ABORIGINAL POPULATION. CHIEF BOSS PETITIONED THE COMMISSIONER OF YUKON FOR FOR 1600 ACRES RESERVED AT TAA'AN MAN WHICH WAS SURVEYED. THEY ONLY GOT 320 ACRES. CHIEF BOSS REMAINED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND OUTSPOKEN LEADERS OF YUKON INDIAN LEADERS OF THE YUKON INDIANDS. IN 1956 THE DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS UNILATERALLY DECIDED TO JOIN 6 BANDS WITH THREE. IN 1987 THEY REESTABLISHED THEMSELVESAS A DISTRICT FIRST NATION. THE COUNCIL FOR YUKON INDIANS RECOGNIZED THE TIAN KWACH'AN PEOPLE NOW LIVE IN WHITEHORSE.\

IN A COMPREHENSIVE LAND CLAIM WITH THE GOVERNMENTS OF CANADA AND YUKON, THE ITA'AN KWACH'AN SIGNED ITS FINAL AGREEMENTS AND BECAME A NATION IN 2002. THEIR TERRITORYCOVERS ABOUT 12,000 SQ.KM OF WHICH 796 SQ KM. ARE SETTLEMENT LANDS. IN 2002 THE COUNCIL ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH HER MAGESTY THE QUEEN AFFIRMING THEIR RIGHT TO GOVERN THEMSELVES.

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SELKIRK FIRST NATION IN CANADA

THIS TRIBE IS LOCATED AT THE VILLAGE OF PELLY CROSSING ON THE CENTRAL YUKON. THEY SPEAK THTCHONE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL GROUPING ARE CONNECTED TO THEIR NORTHERN NEIGHBORS. NACHO NYAK AND LITTLE SALMON CORKNECKS. THESE TRIBES ARE IN THE CARMACKS. THE FIRST NATIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A NORTHERN TUTCHONE TRIBAL COUNCIL. THEY HAVE MANY HISTORIC TIES WITH THE SOUTHERN TUTCHANE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SIMILAR CULTURE. THEY FIRST SETTLED INTHE HISTORIC COMMUNITYOF THE FUR TRADING FORT OF THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY IN 1850. THIS COMMUNITY REMAINED UNTIL 1950 WHEN THE RIVER BOATS STOPPED RUNNING. MANY FOLKS MOVED TO MINTO ALONG THE KLONDIKE HIGHWAY. THEY RELOCATED FURTHER NORTHWARD TO THE PRESENT DAY SITE OF PELLY CROSSING.

THE PELLY BAND EVENTUALLY BECAME KNOWN AS THE SELKIRK FIRST NATION AND BECAME SELF GOVERNING IN 1997. TODAY THEY HAVE 480 MEMBERS WITH 200 IN SQUARE MILES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. THEY OWN ABOUT 1800 SQ. MILES AND WIL RECEIVE $16,600,000 OVER 15 YEARS. THEY MAKE LAWS AND DELIVER PROGRAMS. THE FIRST NATION IS GOVERNED BY A CHIEF AND COUNCIL WITH A CONSTITUTION, AND THEY REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE THE SELKIRK FIRST NATION HAS FORMED THEIR TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT. THE CHIEF IS ELECTED AND THE COUNSILORS ARE SELECTED BY WOLF AND CROW CLANS.

CYFY.CA/OURNATIONS

NIH TAT GWICH'IN COUNCIL IN CANADA

INUVIK "OR PLACE OF MAN" IS LOCATED ON EAST CHANNEL OF THE MACKENZIE DELTA. INUVIKIS LOCATED ON THE EAST CHANNEL OF THE MACKENZIE DELTA. INUVIK IS WAS FOUNDED IN 1955 AS THE ADMINISTRATION CENTER FOR WESTERN ARCTIC. THIS AREA WAS SUBJECT TO YEARLY FLOODING. THEY HAVE A LARGE SUPPLY OF GRAVEL. THE TOWN IS NEAR A RIVER TERRACE. DURING THE LAST 40 YEARS "INUVIK HAS HAS GROWN INTO A GOVERNMENT CENTER, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH AND EDUCATION CENTER FOR THE REGION. IT IS A POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION. THEY HAVE SOME OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION DURING THE PAST THIRTY YEARS. THE TOWN IS AAABOUT 3300 PEOPLE, WITH 37% OF INUVIALUET DESCENT, 14% GWICH'IN DESCENT AND 7% METIS.

THEY SPEAK ATHAPASCAN AND THEIR WAY OF LIFE IS DISTINCT FROM NEARBY TRIBES. BY THE TIME THE ANGLOS CAME THEY LIVED IN 9 BANDS. TODAY THEY HAVE ABOUT 2500 FOLKS THE GWICH'IN IN YUKON AND ALASKA ARE THEIR RELATIVES. MANY FAMILIES HAVE SUMMER AND WINTER CAMPS OUTSIDE OF COMMUNITIES. THEY GO HUNTING, FISHING, AND TRAPPING.

CYFN.CA/NIHT-GWICHIN

LITTLE SALMON CORKNECKS

FIRST NATION IS LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY OF CARMACKS IN SOUTH CENTRAL YUKON ALONG THE YUKON RIVER. CARMACKS WAS AN IMPORTANT STOPPING POINT FOR THE MANY STEAM BOATS THAT TRAVELED BETWEEN WHITE HORSE AND DAWSON COUNTY DURING AND AFTER WHITE HORSE GOLD RUSH PERIOD. THE LITTLE SALMON CARMACKS FIRST NATION PEOPLE PART OF THE NORTHERN TUTCHONE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL GROUPINGS. AND ARE CLOSELY AFFILIATED WITH THE FIRST NATION ARE PART OF THE NORTHERN TUTCHONE LANGUAGE. THE THREE FIRST NATIONS ARE FORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHERN TUTCHONE TRIBAL COUNCIL. THEY BECAME SELF GOVERNING IN 1997. THEY OWN 1000 SQUARE MILES OF LANDAND RECIEVES $15,000 OVER 15 YEARS. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT AND MAKE LAWS AND SERVICES.

LITTLE SALMON CORKNECKS HAVE RETURNED TO A TRADITIONAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT. THEY ELECTED THEIR CHIEF. THEIR COUNCIL HAS A TEEN AND AN ELDER. THEY PLAN TO BUILD A SELF SUFFICIENT FIRST NATION.

CYFN.CA/GWICH'IN

KLUANE FIRST NATION

KWANE FIRST NATION IS LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF IN THE TOWN OF BURBANK LANDING ON THE SHORES OF KWANE LAKE. FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THE SOUTHERN TUTCHONE PEOPLE MIGRATED THROUGH THE KLUNE LAKE AREA, HUNTING AND FISHING AND GATHERING FOOD. THEY BELONG TO THE ATHAPASKAN FAMILY THEY ARE CLOSE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORSTHE CHAMPAGNE /AISHIHIK AND ALSO UPPER TANANA. BY 1943 AREA WAS DESIGNATED WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL PARK AND IT WAS AVAILIBLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO RELIED ON ITS RESOURCES. THE KUANE LIVE ON THE SHORES OF THE LAKE. THEY ARE PROUD OF OUR 'A SI KEYI' OUR GRANDFATHERS COUNTRY. THEY HAVE CLIMBED THE MOUNTAINS , FISHED THE LAKES AND CREEKS. THEY CELEBRATED THE POTLATCH IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD. WE BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF OUR PEOPLE AND PRACTICE OUR RIGHT TO SELF GOVERN.

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GWICHYA GWICH'IN COUNCIL

ARCTIC RED RIVER EQUALS "MOUTH OF THE IRON RIVER". A CATHOLIC MISSION WAS ESTABLISHED WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1869 WHEN THEY BUILT A TRADITIONAL GWICH'IN FISHING CAMP AT THE MOUTH OF THE CONFLUENCE OF THE ARCTIC RED AND MACKENZIE RIVER. IN THE EARLY 1870'S HUDSON BAY TRADING COMPANY TRADING POST WAS BUILT HERE. BY 1940 THERE WERE STILL THREE FAMILIES AT THE SITE

BY 1970'S THE POPULATION BEGAN TO GROW. TODAY THEY HAVE ABOUT 200 FOLKS, 90% ARE GWICH'IN DESCENT AND THEY STILL FOLLOW A TRADITIONAL STYLE OF LIFE OF HUNTING, FISHING AND GATHERING.

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