Yukon First Nations celebrate land claim milestone with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined celebrations of a milestone in the history of Indigenous land claims at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse on Sunday.

It was the 50th anniversary of Together Today for our Children Tomorrow, a document presented in 1973 by a group of Yukon First Nations chiefs to then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau. It opened the door to modern land claim negotiations in Canada, as well as to self-government agreements across the Yukon.

"When they talked about Together Today for our Children Tomorrow, we are the children of tomorrow," said Maria Benoit, the chief of Carcross/Tagish First Nation who joined the event Sunday.

"We're here, and we're still standing, and we're still celebrating."

Judy Gingell, the elder representative for the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, was one of the leaders who went to Ottawa 50 years ago.

She said she was excited to see the impact of that meeting.

"What you see today, you never saw that in 1973," she said. "We were governed under the Indian Act, our funds were very limited, our houses were very small, our education was not there for our people. And what you see today is we're in the driver's seat of our own destination."

Trudeau addressed Yukon chiefs at the cultural centre, alongside Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Peter Johnston, whose father was among those who met with Pierre Trudeau in 1973. Trudeau brought his youngest son, Hadrien, to Sunday's event as well.

"It was wonderful and important for me to be able to come here to the Yukon tonight — and somewhat fitting, because 50 years ago, you came to visit my father in Ottawa," Trudeau told those present.

"The importance of that gesture, which led to the successful negotiation of modern treaties, goes so far beyond what you accomplished here for Yukon. It set the path for so much of what we refer to as reconciliation today."

During the event, the Council of Yukon First Nations gifted Trudeau a black-and-white photo of his father and his brother, Alexandre Emmanuel "Sacha" Trudeau, taken in the 1970s at a playground in Old Crow, traditional territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin and one of the first four Yukon First Nations to reach a land claim agreement.

An eventful visit

Trudeau's visit to the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre was part of a trip specifically to mark the 50-year anniversary, but it came during an eventful weekend in the territory.

On Saturday, Trudeau said the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) had shot down an unidentified object in Canadian airspace.

The subject came up during Sunday's visit as Trudeau met with an elder for tea. Trudeau told the elder it isn't clear what kind of danger these objects pose.

"They're flying up there at the same height as commercial airliners," he noted.

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai released a statement assuring Yukoners there was no safety risk and commending the decision to shoot the object down.

Trudeau is expected to meet with Pillai Monday.

Trudeau's visit also sparked a protest outside MacBride Museum later Sunday evening as he attended a Yukon Liberal Party fundraiser.

About 50 people gathered outside the museum, some holding signs objecting to COVID-19 vaccines and calling for Trudeau to step down. Many waved Canadian flags, while some waved flags that said "F*ck Trudeau."

Patty Hajdu, the federal minister of Indigenous Services, and Yukon MP Brendan Hanley both attended the event. When they arrived, protesters booed and some approached them to yell at them.