Artwork: Yukon Graphic Recording

INTENT STATEMENT

The vision is to ensure that the habitat requirements of the Porcupine Caribou Herd are well understood and protected. This area offers important opportunities for First Nations subsistence hunting and harvesting along the Dempster Highway. Future management must preserve Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s ability to sustainably develop their Settlement Land and ensure that the unique ecological value and cultural use of this area remain intact.

This LMU lies entirely within Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Settlement Land parcel R-49A. It is surrounded to the north and east by an Integrated Management Area 4 in the North Yukon Planning Region (LMU 9: Eagle Plains). Decision-makers should acknowledge and consider the different management intents and development thresholds of these two LMUs during any future development proposals.

An ISA 2 designation gives Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in the ability to guide future development decisions while ensuring the protection of critical caribou habitat. This area is culturally significant to Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, supporting subsistence practices and traditional economic activities such as trapping and harvesting, and includes some of the most important Porcupine caribou habitat for communities. It also lies within a sedimentary basin with identified potential for oil and natural gas resources.

TR’ËHUDÈ AND STEWARDSHIP

This area is important for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and their relationship with the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The name of this LMU refers to the distinctive bend in the road or “horseshoe”, that serves as an identifier for people who harvest in the area.

“The relationship between wëdzey and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in extends back to a time without boundaries between people and wëdzey. The belief that people are wëdzey and wëdzey are people is literal. Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in have not only relied on wëdzey for survival, but wëdzey are also part of the community, with a shared history and kinship bonds.”

– Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Caribou (Wëdzey) Traditional Knowledge Summary, 2021

LMU DIRECTIONS

1. If access is required into this LMU and the adjacent North Yukon LMU 9 for oil and gas development in the Eagle Plains basin, a coordinated approach to access management should be developed between Vuntut Gwitchin, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, and the Government of Yukon.
2. The Parties should collaborate with the Porcupine Caribou Management Board to determine the availability and suitability of habitat within this LMU. If required, special management directions for future development in this area should be developed as appropriate, through Plan amendments or Plan Review.

PRIORITY VALUES

• Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Culture, Heritage, and Hän Language
• Caribou