Ta’an Kwäch’än Council

Home to the Kwanlin Dün First Nations and the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council, there is so much to see and experience in and around Whitehorse. With the help of our friends at Indigenous Yukon, we’ve put together a list of unforgettable sights and sounds that celebrate the culture, heritage, and beauty of this place.

In 1900, Chief Jim Boss (Kishoot) recognized the effect of settlers and petitioned the Government of Canada and wrote to the Yukon Commissioner and the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs requesting compensation for his people’s loss of land and hunting grounds.

Land ownership and management was a major reason that the Yukon Final and Self-Government Agreements were negotiated. These agreements give direction on who owns the land and how decisions about land are made.

The Umbrella Final Agreement (UFA) and Final Agreements called for the creation of over 20 boards, committees and councils.

With implementing their Final and Self-Government Agreements, Yukon First Nation governments are also working towards becoming self-sustaining. With this in mind, many First Nations have created arms-length First Nation development corporations.

John Burdek has long been a familiar face at many levels of government in the Yukon. Burdek, served as chairperson of the Ta'an Kwach'an Council, the First Nation of which he is a member, leading its transition from an Indian Act band to a self-governing First Nation.