Glossary

Capacity

Capacity refers to having enough people with the needed skills to do the work. When speaking about building capacity in Yukon First Nations, this means helping Yukon First Nations get the people they need to support administration efficiently and effectively.

Comprehensive Community Planning

Comprehensive community planning is a holistic process undertaken with broad community participation. The comprehensive approach enables the community to establish a vision for its future; helps to ensure that community projects and programs make sense and make the best use of resources and integrates; and links all other plans the community has produced. A guiding principle of comprehensive community planning is Sustainable Development.

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents that are used to govern. Each self-governing First Nation has their own constitution based on the principles of good governance.

Final Agreement

Final Agreements are land claim agreements, and as a result, the First Nation owns and manages its own land. They are modern day treaties protected under section 35 of the Constitution of Canada. Final Agreements provide for financial compensation, identify settlement land for each Self-Governing Yukon First Nation, and outline land and resource ownership, tenure and management issues. Yukon First Nation Final Agreements are listed here. See also Implementation Plan.

Implementation

Implementation refers to putting something into practice. We often speak of implementing the Final and Self-Government Agreements, and this refers to putting these agreements into practice. See Implementation Plans.

Implementation Plan

Implementation plans identify the activities, timeframes and resources that have been agreed upon to put Final and Self-Government Agreements into practice. See Implementation.

Intergovernmental Forum

The Intergovernmental Forum is an opportunity for key face-to-face discussions between the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, the Premier of the Government of Yukon, the Grand Chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations and Chiefs of Self-Governing Yukon First Nations. Chiefs of Indian Act First Nations are also invited to attend.

Land claims

Land claims are modern-day treaties or agreements that set out the specific rights of a particular First Nation, such as rights to land and self-government. They also set out particular ways the federal, territorial and First Nation governments interact.

In Yukon, these agreements have been signed between 11 First Nations, the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon.

Self-Government Agreement

Self-Government Agreements recognize Self-Governing Yukon First Nations as governments, as opposed to Indian Act First Nations, and establish the framework for intergovernmental relationships. Self-Government Agreements provide Self-Governing Yukon First Nations with the power to enact laws of a local or private nature on their Settlement Land. Unlike the Final Agreements, Self-Government Agreements are not afforded constitutional protection under section 35 of the Constitution of Canada. Yukon Self-Government Agreements are listed here. See also Implementation Plan.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is a type of development that takes a long-term view. It encompasses all areas of our lives, including the economy, the environment (lands and resources), and the social and cultural aspects of our communities, including governance, education and health. Each First Nation community decides on its own what sustainable development means to them, and how they can use comprehensive community planning to achieve sustainability of their economy, environment, and culture.

Tribal Council

A Tribal Council is a group of First Nations with common interests who voluntarily join together to provide advisory and/or program services to member First Nations.