Yukon Self-Government Secretariat

As self-governing First Nations mature, the need to enact their own policies, legislation, processes and systems becomes more urgent. Each First Nation often works in isolation to create its own policies. Material on land claims and self-government issues is held by various organizations and governments, but is not readily accessible. The Yukon First Nation Self-Government Resource Centre will be used to house these documents in a centralized location. The creation of a companion website that will ensure the necessary components are available electronically and easily accessible from the communities.

The project is two fold: the establishment of a comprehensive resource centre where reference books and other materials will be catalogued and displayed for use on site or may be loaned out for a limited time and returned to the facility. Space would be set aside to accommodate two computers for research purposes.

The second part of the project is to create and maintain a website of self-government related materials such as agreements, documents and a series of standard templates.

The website would also contain internet links to other organizations and research materials. Both systems will benefit all Yukon existing and prospective self-governing First Nations and assist, support and further the development of self-governing activities. The project’s objectives are as follows:

• To achieve the goal that has been promoted by Yukon self-governing First Nations in previous years to establish such a resource centre, but which has been hindered by lack of resources.

• To establish an information system that optimizes existing technologies that provide updated exchanges of information on activities, processes, and documents of collective interest and participation.

• To provide for the exchange of research, policy, procedures, and legislation initiatives among and between First Nations to avoid duplication of effort and help to optimize the value of limited resources where possible.

• Links will be made to resources available elsewhere, in hard copy, or in electronic format through internet or websites. In effect, to support and facilitate a wide range of administrative, management, and governance activities by eliminating gaps, overlaps, and duplication where possible.