White River First Nation facts for kids

The White River First Nation (WRFN) is a group of Indigenous people in western Yukon in Canada. They are made up of people from the Upper Tanana, Northern Tutchone, and Southern Tutchone groups. Their main community is Beaver Creek, Yukon.

Language and Culture

The people of the White River First Nation historically spoke a language called Upper Tanana. This language is part of a larger group of languages known as Athabaskan. Learning about their language helps us understand their history and culture.

History of the White River First Nation

The Upper Tanana people traditionally lived in a large area. This land stretched from the Donjek River all the way into Alaska. The Northern Tutchone people also had their own traditional lands. These included the lower Stewart River and areas south of the Yukon River, near the White and Donjek Rivers.

How the Groups Came Together

The Upper Tanana and Northern Tutchone groups were closely connected. They often married people from different local families. In the early 1950s, the Canadian government brought these two language groups together. They formed one group called the White River Indian Band. This was done to make it easier for the government to manage things.

Forming the Kluane and White River First Nations

Later, in 1961, the Canadian government combined the White River Band with another group. This new group included Southern Tutchone-speaking people from the Burwash Band. They lived near Kluane Lake at a place called Burwash. This larger group was first called the Kluane Band. Over time, its name changed to the Kluane Tribal Brotherhood and then the Kluane Tribal Council.

In 1990, the Kluane Tribal Council decided to split into two separate groups. One group became the Kluane First Nation, based in Burwash. The other group became the White River First Nation, which is based in Beaver Creek.

Land Claims and Agreements

The White River First Nation has been working to make agreements about their traditional lands. These are called land claims. They talked with the government for a long time. They even agreed on many parts of a deal. However, they could not reach a final agreement that their citizens could vote on.

In 2005, the Canadian government's time limit for these talks ended. The government then said they would no longer negotiate full land claim and self-government agreements with the White River First Nation. Instead, they would focus on how to help the White River people under the rules of the Indian Act.