Ta'an Kwach'an Council facts for kids
The Ta'an Kwach'an Council is a group of First Nations people who live in the Whitehorse and Lake Laberge areas of Canada's Yukon Territory. They are like a local government for their community. The Ta'an Kwach'an Council decided to work separately from another First Nation, the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, to make their own special agreement about their traditional lands.
The Ta'an Kwach'an people originally spoke a language called Southern Tutchone. Their ancestors include people from the Southern Tutchone, Tagish, and Tlingit groups. About half of the Ta'an Kwach'an people live in Whitehorse today. Others live in different parts of Canada, the United States (especially Alaska), and other countries. The name "Ta'an Kwach'an" comes from Tàa'an Män, which is the name for Lake Laberge in their language. It means "People from Lake Laberge."
Traditional Lands
The Ta'an Kwach'an people have lived on their traditional lands for a very long time. These lands are their ancestral home. Their territory stretched in many directions. To the north, it reached Hootalinqua, where the Yukon River and Teslin River meet. To the south, it went to Marsh Lake. In the west, their lands extended to White Bank Village. To the east, they reached Winter Crossing on the Teslin River. These areas are important to their history and culture.
Land Claims Agreement
In 2002, the Ta'an Kwach'an Council signed an important agreement called a Yukon Land Claims agreement. This agreement is a formal deal between the First Nation, the Canadian government, and the Yukon government. It helps to sort out who owns and manages land and resources in their traditional territory. These agreements are very important because they recognize the rights of First Nations people to their ancestral lands and help them manage their own affairs.
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