Adeline Webber facts for kids

Adeline Kh'ayàdê Webber is an important Canadian leader. She is currently the Commissioner of Yukon, a role she has held since May 31, 2023. She is a proud member of the Teslin Tlingit First Nation and the Kukhhittan Clan.

Adeline Webber has spent many years working for the Canadian government. She has also been very involved in important agreements about land claims (which are about who owns and uses land) and self-government for First Nations. This means helping Indigenous communities make their own decisions. She has also worked hard for the rights of Indigenous women in the Yukon.

She started the Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle and helped First Nations people find jobs and get training. She created programs like the Northern Careers Program to help people learn new skills and find work in government.

Early Life and Education

Adeline Webber was born and grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon. Her family is from the Inland Tlingit people. When she was five years old, Adeline was sent to the Whitehorse Baptism Mission School. This was part of the residential school system, where many Indigenous children were taken from their homes and families. Adeline and her sister, Winnie Peterson, stayed together at the school. However, her brothers were sent to different schools far away.

After seven years at the residential school, Adeline married Bill Webber. Her first job was working in the kitchen and doing laundry at Yukon Hall. This building later became the offices for the Council of Yukon First Nations.

A Career Helping Others

Adeline Webber has worked for over 30 years to support Indigenous rights in the Yukon. In 1974, she started the Yukon Indian Women's Association. She wanted to help Indigenous women deal with unfair treatment. Today, this group is called the Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle (WAWC). It helps Aboriginal women connect, support each other, and discuss important issues.

Later, Webber joined the Canadian government as the Yukon District Director for the Public Service Commission of Canada. In this job, she created the Northern Careers Program. This program helped First Nations people learn about and find jobs in the federal government. Many people who went through this program now hold important government positions. She also helped create a program that set aside money for First Nations people to get training.

Webber also played a big part in making land claims and First Nation self-government agreements happen in the Yukon. As a leader in the Teslin Tlingit Council community, she worked to finalize agreements for her community. She is an honorary lifetime member of the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre. She was on its board of directors in 1989 and was president for ten years. She continues to be an active member of her community.

In 2018, Adeline Webber was appointed Administrator of Yukon Territory. In this role, she would step in for the Commissioner of Yukon Territory if they were away or unable to do their job. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said about her in March 2018: “Adeline Webber has spent much of her career helping the public. She has shown herself to be a champion for Indigenous Peoples. I know the Yukon will greatly benefit from her experience and knowledge.”

In 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Adeline Webber as the 37th Commissioner of Yukon. She will serve for five years, taking over from Angélique Bernard.

Awards and Recognition

Ribbon Bar of Adeline Webber

Ribbon	Description	Post-nominal letters	Notes
	Order of St John	DStJ
	Order of Yukon	OY
	125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal		Canadian version
	King Charles III Coronation Medal		Canadian version

Adeline Webber has also received the Yukon Commissioner’s Award for Public Service and the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre Service Award.